Just wanted to add my personal experience here - I delayed claiming for 14 months past my FRA and can confirm that the monthly proration worked exactly as described. My benefit increased by about 9.3% (14 months × 0.667% per month). What really helped me make the decision was creating a simple spreadsheet comparing the cumulative benefits over different time periods. Even though you get less money in the first few years by waiting, the crossover point where delaying becomes advantageous is usually around age 78-80 for most people. Given that life expectancy keeps increasing and healthcare costs are rising, that extra monthly income for potentially 15-20+ years can really add up. The key is looking at your total expected lifetime benefits, not just the monthly amount.

As someone who's been through this exact situation, I can confirm that the delayed retirement credits are definitely prorated monthly at 2/3 of 1% per month. I delayed claiming for 8 months past my FRA and received about a 5.3% increase in my monthly benefit. What I found really helpful was calling SSA and asking them to run a benefit estimate for different claiming dates - they can show you exactly what your monthly benefit would be at various ages. One thing I wish someone had told me is that you can actually file a "restricted application" strategy in some cases, but the rules changed for people born after 1954. Also, don't forget that Medicare Part B premiums are automatically deducted from your Social Security check, so factor that into your net benefit calculations. The extra monthly income from delaying has been worth it for me, especially since it also increased my spouse's potential survivor benefit. Good luck with your decision!

This has been such an informative discussion! As someone who's just starting to navigate the Social Security system myself, I'm amazed at how complex these rules can be, but also how helpful this community is in breaking them down. The key takeaway I'm getting is that the calendar year separation is really the crucial factor here - December 2024 earnings won't affect January 2025 benefits because they're in different tax years. It's one of those things that seems obvious once explained, but definitely not intuitive when you're first trying to figure it all out. I'm particularly grateful for all the practical tips people have shared - from using services like Claimyr to get through to SSA quickly, to keeping detailed records, to using the online tools at ssa.gov. These real-world insights are so much more valuable than trying to decipher the official SSA publications on your own. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise. This thread is going to be a goldmine for anyone else facing similar retirement timing questions!

Wow, what an incredibly thorough and helpful discussion! As someone who's still several years away from retirement but starting to think about these issues, this thread has been absolutely invaluable. The calendar year rule really is the key insight here - it's so logical once explained but definitely not something I would have intuited on my own. I love how this community came together to not only answer the original question but provide so many practical resources and real-world tips. The recommendations for Claimyr, the SSA online tools, keeping detailed records, and having your Social Security statement ready when calling are all going into my retirement planning notes. It's clear that navigating Social Security requires both understanding the rules and having good strategies for actually getting reliable information from the system. Thanks to everyone who contributed their knowledge and experiences - this is exactly the kind of community support that makes these complex government programs more manageable for regular people!

Thank you for this summary. I think my next step is definitely to get accurate numbers from SSA about my ex's FRA benefit amount and then make some calculations. Really appreciate everyone's insights!

One thing I'd add to this great discussion is that you should also consider what happens if your own retirement benefit (based on your work record) might eventually exceed the spousal benefit. If you're still working and earning credits, your own benefit continues to grow until age 70 with delayed retirement credits. Even though you're receiving spousal benefits now, Social Security will automatically switch you to your own higher benefit if it becomes larger. So while you're weighing the spousal benefit decision, don't forget to factor in what your own benefit might look like at 70 - especially since you mentioned you're still earning around $21,500/year. This could potentially change the math significantly depending on your work history and future earnings!

Just wanted to add one more practical tip from my recent experience - when you do apply (whether online or in person), make sure you have all your documents ready beforehand. You'll need your birth certificate, W-2s or tax returns for the past 2 years, and bank account info for direct deposit. I made the mistake of starting my online application without having everything gathered, and it timed out on me twice! Had to start over each time. Now I keep a folder with copies of everything so it's ready when I need it. Also, if you apply online, you can save your progress and come back to it later, which is really helpful if you want to double-check any information or decisions about your start date.

This is such a comprehensive thread with lots of great advice! I'm in a similar situation and wanted to add one point about the online application process that might be helpful. When you apply online at ssa.gov, there's actually a really clear section where you can specify your "month of election" (when you want benefits to start). The system won't let you pick a date before you're eligible, but it gives you a dropdown menu of all the months after your eligibility date. It's much more straightforward than I expected! I also discovered that after you submit your online application, you get a confirmation receipt number that you can use to check your application status. This was a huge relief since I was worried about whether everything went through properly. You can call the 1-800-772-1213 number and use that receipt number to get updates on processing. One last tip - if you're still working and plan to continue after starting benefits, the online application actually has a section where you can estimate your future earnings. This helps them calculate how the earnings limit might affect your payments, which ties into what @Dylan Campbell mentioned about the $22,500 threshold.

I'm just learning about all this myself, but from what I've read, people transitioning from SSI to Social Security benefits can sometimes qualify for subsidized marketplace plans depending on their income level. The subsidy eligibility is based on your total household income compared to the Federal Poverty Level. If her ex-spousal benefit puts her income between 100-400% of FPL, she might still qualify for premium tax credits. But you're right that it gets complicated fast! Another thing to consider - some states have expanded Medicaid programs that might provide coverage even with slightly higher income levels. It really depends on what state she's in. I'd definitely recommend she talk to a navigator or counselor through healthcare.gov when the time comes to explore her options during that potential coverage gap. This whole thread has been so educational - there are so many interconnected pieces with SSI, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid that I never realized!

As someone who recently went through a similar situation with my ex-husband, I wanted to share a few practical tips that might help. First, I'd strongly recommend that both of you create my Social Security accounts online at ssa.gov if you haven't already - this will give you access to benefit estimates and make it easier to track everything. Also, keep in mind that your ex-wife will need to provide documentation when she applies for divorced spouse benefits, including your marriage certificate, divorce decree, and her birth certificate. It's worth gathering those documents now so there are no delays later. One more thing - if your projected benefit increases significantly before you retire (due to continued earnings), her potential divorced spouse benefit would increase too, since it's based on 50% of your FRA amount. So both of you benefit from you continuing to work and potentially increase your earnings record. The planning ahead approach you're taking is really smart and shows you care about both your futures!