I work at a local SSA field office and can confirm that backdating up to 6 months is absolutely allowed for retirement benefits - that phone rep gave you completely wrong information! This happens way too often unfortunately. When you come in, bring your marriage certificate, birth certificate, and documentation of your government pension amount. Ask specifically for a "protective filing date" of 6 months ago. Make sure they calculate BOTH your own benefit (reduced by WEP) AND spousal benefit (reduced by GPO) to see which is higher after all reductions are applied. One tip from the inside - if the first person you speak with seems unsure about WEP/GPO rules, politely ask to speak with someone who specializes in these provisions. Not all our staff gets regular training on these complex situations, but we do have specialists who handle them regularly. Good luck with your appointment! The backdated payments should help with those home repairs.

I'm so glad you found an actual SSA employee to confirm what everyone has been saying! As someone who went through the WEP/GPO maze myself two years ago, I can't stress enough how important it is to get the right person who understands these provisions. One additional thing I learned - when they're calculating your GPO reduction, make sure they're using the correct pension amount. They need your GROSS monthly pension before any deductions for health insurance, taxes, etc. I initially gave them my net amount and it threw off their whole calculation. Also, don't be surprised if your first appointment takes longer than usual. WEP/GPO cases require more documentation review and calculations than standard retirement applications. But that backdating will definitely be worth the extra time - six months of payments is substantial money at our age!

One more thing - if she's turning 65 she needs to apply for Medicare NOW even if she delays SS benefits!!! Don't mess this up or you'll pay penalties forever!!!!!

Just wanted to add one more consideration that might be relevant - if your wife does decide to withdraw her Social Security application and wait, make sure you understand the implications for any spousal benefits you might be eligible for. If you're close to retirement age yourself, her decision to delay could affect your options for claiming spousal benefits. Also, since she's already been approved for LTD, that's a good sign that her medical documentation is strong, which should help with the SSDI application if she decides to pursue that route. The fact that multiple people here have confirmed LTD doesn't count toward the earnings limit should give you confidence in moving forward with whatever decision makes the most financial sense for your situation.

I'm in a very similar situation - 65 and on SSDI for the past 6 years, with an ex-husband who recently started collecting his retirement benefits. I just went through this exact process last month and wanted to share what I learned. The most important thing is that you absolutely need to apply for the divorced spouse benefits to trigger the comparison - SSA won't do this automatically. When I called, they were able to give me the exact amounts over the phone before I even submitted my application, which helped me understand what to expect. In my case, my SSDI was actually $180 higher than what I would get from the ex-spouse benefit, so nothing changed for me financially, but at least I know I'm getting the maximum I'm entitled to. The whole process took about 3 weeks from application to receiving the written determination. One thing I wish I'd known earlier is that even if the amounts are close, it's worth applying because your ex-spouse benefit amount could increase if your ex-husband gets cost-of-living adjustments to his retirement benefit. Don't let the paperwork intimidate you - it's really not as complicated as it seems once you get started!

I'm also 64 and have been on SSDI for about 4 years now. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful! I've been putting off looking into this because the whole system seems so overwhelming, but it sounds like there's really no risk in at least applying to see what I might be entitled to. My ex-husband started collecting his retirement benefits about 6 months ago, and I keep wondering if I'm missing out on additional money. Based on what everyone has shared, it seems like the worst case scenario is that I find out my current SSDI is higher and nothing changes - but at least I'd know for sure. I think I'm going to follow the advice about using that Claimyr service to get through to SSA, since trying to call on my own has been frustrating. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - it's so much easier to navigate this when you hear from people who've actually been through it!

My sister actually got a spousal benefit for 3 years and THEN switched to her own benefit when she hit 70. But that was under the old rules that changed in 2015 with the Bipartisan Budget Act. You can't do that strategy anymore unless you were born before January 2, 1954. Just mentioning it because there's a lot of outdated advice floating around from people who filed under the old rules!

Just wanted to add one more consideration that might help with your planning - if you do end up qualifying for a spousal benefit (because your own benefit at 70 is still less than 50% of your husband's PIA), you don't have to wait until 70 to claim it. You could potentially claim your spousal benefit as early as your Full Retirement Age without any reduction, since spousal benefits don't earn delayed retirement credits anyway. This could give you some income starting earlier while your own benefit continues to grow with delayed credits until 70. Definitely worth running the numbers on both scenarios when you check your estimates on ssa.gov!

good luck!!! make sure u send it certified mail so they cant say they never got it. thats what happened to my mom the first time!

That's a smart idea! I'll definitely send it certified mail. I wouldn't put it past them to