To answer your question about COLA timing: The official 2025 COLA will be announced in mid-October 2024 when the September 2024 CPI-W data is released. The increase (if any) will be applied to benefits beginning January 2025. You'll receive an official notice by mail in December 2024, and it will also appear in your my Social Security account in December if you have one set up. Based on current inflation trends, analysts are projecting a COLA between 2.5-3.1% for 2025, but that's just an estimate until the official announcement in October.

As someone new to Social Security benefits, this is really eye-opening and scary! I had no idea these phishing scams were so common. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and the detailed advice about protecting ourselves. I'm definitely going to bookmark this thread and share it with my parents who are also on SS. It's amazing how these scammers target people during COLA announcement periods when we're all naturally more anxious about our benefits. I'll make sure to only ever go directly to ssa.gov and never click email links. Stay safe everyone!

Congratulations on finally getting through! That's such a relief after weeks of trying. For anyone else reading this thread who might be in a similar situation, I'd also recommend checking if your state has a SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) counselor who can help with Social Security questions. They're free and sometimes have better connections or knowledge about navigating these complex benefit situations. Also, when you go to your appointment next Tuesday, don't forget to ask about whether you're eligible for any Medicare premium assistance programs - sometimes people with government pensions qualify for help with Part B premiums but don't know about it. Good luck with everything!

As someone who went through a similar situation after losing my spouse, I completely understand your frustration. The SSA phone system is incredibly difficult to navigate, especially when you're already dealing with grief and financial uncertainty. A few additional tips that helped me beyond what others have mentioned: 1. Consider calling the Spanish-language line (1-800-772-1213 press 7) even if you speak English - sometimes they have shorter wait times and many agents are bilingual 2. If you have any military connection (yours or your husband's), try the veterans service organizations - they sometimes have advocates who can help navigate SSA For your GPO situation specifically, make sure you bring documentation of ALL your government employment, not just your teaching years. Sometimes people forget about summer jobs with parks departments or other government work that can affect calculations. One thing that really helped my peace of mind was creating a simple spreadsheet with different scenarios (taking survivor benefits at 60 vs waiting, taking my own retirement early vs waiting) so I could see the long-term financial impact of each choice. The SSA agent was actually impressed that I came prepared with questions about specific scenarios. Hang in there - once you get through the initial hurdle of reaching someone, the actual benefit application process is much smoother. You've got this!

My husband just went thru this. Apply online but then call to make sure they got it right. They messed up his first calculation and he had to call like 5 times to get it fixed!!

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences! This is really helpful. Based on what I'm reading, it sounds like there's some inconsistency in how different SSA offices are handling the WEP repeal implementation. Some people are getting it calculated correctly automatically, while others are having to fight for proper adjustments. I think I'll follow the advice about preparing a comprehensive spreadsheet of my work history and gathering all my documentation (W-2s from both covered and non-covered employment, pension statements) before I apply. I'm leaning toward applying in person at my local office rather than online, just so I can discuss the WEP situation directly with a specialist from the start. One quick question for those who've been through this recently - when you mention "substantial earnings," is that the same threshold SSA uses for quarters of coverage, or is there a different dollar amount that qualifies as "substantial" for WEP calculations?

Just wondering, have they given you blood thinners for life now? My uncle had PE last year and he's on permanent blood thinners. Does that affect your ability to work certain jobs? That might help your case since some jobs have higher injury risks when you're on anticoagulants.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - losing your job right after a medical emergency is devastating. As someone who works in disability advocacy, I want to emphasize that bilateral pulmonary embolism can absolutely qualify for SSDI, especially with your age working in your favor. The key is documenting not just the initial event but the ongoing limitations - shortness of breath, fatigue, exercise intolerance, and the bleeding risks from anticoagulants. Since you mentioned being on blood thinners, make sure your doctors document any work restrictions this creates. Many jobs become unsuitable when you're at increased bleeding risk. Also, PE often causes long-term pulmonary hypertension or chronic fatigue that may not show up immediately - keep detailed records of your symptoms and limitations. Given your tight financial situation, I'd suggest filing for both SSDI and early retirement simultaneously. The retirement benefits can provide immediate income while you wait for the SSDI decision. Don't let anyone tell you this hurts your SSDI case - it doesn't. You can always receive the higher benefit amount if disability is approved. Most importantly, get an attorney consultation ASAP. Many specialize in respiratory cases and offer free initial consultations. The 25% contingency fee is worth it for the expertise in presenting your case properly from day one.

Just to clarify one more point in your original question: The concept of "switching" from one's own benefit to a spousal benefit at age 70 was eliminated by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 for anyone born after January 1, 1954. That strategy (called "file and suspend" or "restricted application") is no longer available for most people. However, survivor benefits operate under different rules. Your neighbor can switch between her own retirement benefit and survivor benefits at any age, choosing the higher of the two. This flexibility is unique to survivor situations and remains available despite the 2015 law changes.

I'm so sorry for your neighbor's loss. This is such a difficult time to have to navigate these complex rules. From what everyone has shared, it sounds like the key points for her are: 1) She can't get what her husband would have received at 70 - survivor benefits are based on what he was actually receiving when he died, 2) She should apply for survivor benefits right away since his $2,100 is higher than her $1,650, 3) She needs to return any Social Security payment for the month he died, and 4) She should gather all her documents (death certificate, marriage license, etc.) before going to SSA. The retroactive payment option up to 6 months makes applying quickly even more important. I hope she can get through to someone at SSA without too much hassle during this already stressful time.