I'm sorry to hear about your spouse's health situation. This is such a difficult time to be making these kinds of financial decisions. From what I understand reading through the responses, it sounds like you have a solid grasp of your options. Since your benefit is already higher than your spouse's, continuing the suspension until 70 would likely maximize your lifetime benefits even if the worst happens. Those delayed retirement credits really add up - that's an extra 32% on top of your FRA amount by age 70. One thing I'd suggest is getting exact benefit projections from SSA for both scenarios (your benefit at 70 vs. potential survivor benefits) so you can see the actual dollar amounts. Sometimes the numbers can surprise you, especially if there are cost-of-living adjustments or other factors you haven't considered. Also, given the complexity of your situation with the SSDI conversion, suspension, and potential survivor benefits, it might be worth consulting with a fee-only financial advisor who specializes in Social Security planning. They can help you model different scenarios and make sure you're not missing anything important. Wishing you and your spouse all the best during this challenging time.

I'm so sorry to hear about your spouse's diagnosis - that must be incredibly overwhelming to deal with while trying to navigate these complex benefit decisions. Based on what others have shared, it sounds like you have the right understanding of your options. Since you mentioned your SSDI benefit is already higher than your spouse's Social Security, the math likely favors continuing your suspension until 70 even if the unthinkable happens before then. Those delayed retirement credits could increase your benefit by up to 32%, which would probably exceed any survivor benefit amount. One additional consideration: if you do decide to suspend at FRA, make sure you understand how that affects your Medicare Part B premiums. You'll still need to pay those even while your cash benefits are suspended, so factor that into your budget planning during the suspension period. I'd also echo what others said about getting everything in writing from SSA. With a situation this complex involving SSDI conversion, suspension, and potential survivor benefits, you want to make sure you have documentation of exactly what your options are. Take care of yourself during this difficult time. These financial decisions are stressful enough without the added emotional burden you're carrying.

Just wanted to update - I called SSA this morning about my situation and spent 2.5 hours on hold only to get disconnected when someone finally picked up. So frustrating! Will try again tomorrow I guess.

I'm dealing with a similar situation and wanted to share what I've learned so far. I'm 64 and took early retirement at 62 due to chronic pain from fibromyalgia and arthritis. My condition has worsened significantly since then. After reading through all these responses, I called my local SSA office directly instead of the national number and had much better luck - only waited about 45 minutes. The representative told me that yes, I can still apply for SSDI even though I'm receiving retirement benefits, but I need to prove my disability existed before my full retirement age. She also mentioned something important that I don't think was covered here - if you're approved for SSDI, they'll look at whether you were actually disabled when you first filed for early retirement. If so, you might get retroactive benefits going back to when you should have filed for disability instead of retirement. The key thing she emphasized is getting current medical evidence showing your functional limitations. It's not enough to just have the surgery records - you need recent documentation from your doctors explaining exactly how your condition prevents you from working. Hope this helps!

Oh, and regarding your specific concern about being paperless - you will still need to check your physical mail. Some communications from SSA are only sent by mail for security reasons, especially anything involving direct deposit changes or benefit verification. They're slowly improving their online services, but they're not completely paperless yet.

I work at a local SSA field office and can confirm what others have said - your earnings record absolutely stays accessible after you file for benefits. The main changes to your online account are: 1) The benefit estimator tools are replaced with actual payment information, 2) You get access to benefit verification letters and tax documents, and 3) The message center becomes more active with payment-related notices. Regarding paperless communication - we're moving in that direction but aren't fully there yet. Important notices like annual COLA announcements, Medicare enrollment info, and some legal documents still come by mail for regulatory compliance reasons. Pro tip: Set up text alerts in addition to email notifications - they're more reliable for urgent account updates. And definitely keep your contact info current in the system!

After calling literally 47 TIMES over 3 days trying to get an update on my disability review, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through in under an hour. If your sister needs to actually speak to someone at SSA about her case status, it's worth checking out. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Also - make sure she checks her online mySocialSecurity account DAILY! Sometimes they'll request additional info and only give a short window to respond, and the mailed notices often arrive AFTER the deadline!

I'm going through a similar situation with my dad who had a stroke at 59. Just wanted to add that if your sister is having trouble with daily activities, make sure that's well documented by her doctors too - not just the medical diagnosis but the functional limitations. SSA really looks at how the condition affects her ability to work and perform daily tasks. Also, regarding the house sale - we were in the same boat and our disability lawyer told us to go ahead with the sale since SSDI doesn't have asset limits. Just keep all the paperwork in case you need it later. The stress of maintaining a home she can't manage isn't worth it, especially when dealing with stroke recovery. Hang in there - the waiting is the worst part but stroke cases often have good outcomes if the medical evidence is strong.

Not to be negative but people need to be realistic about how long this whole process takes! My mom applied for divorced spouse benefits and it took SEVEN MONTHS to get approved, then another 2 months for payments to start. And they DIDNT give her all the backpay they owed her!!! She's still fighting to get the missing 3 months they owe her. The SSA is overwhelmed and understaffed so tell your sister to be prepared for a long wait.

I'm going through something similar right now! I'm 58, on SSDI, and just found out my ex-husband is now 63. We were married for 12 years before divorcing 8 years ago. I called SSA last month to ask about this and the representative told me I could apply immediately since he's over 62 and we've been divorced more than 2 years. She explained that even though I'm on disability, I can still get divorced spouse benefits if they're higher than my current SSDI amount. The good news is there's no reduction for my age like there would be for regular retirement benefits - the disability protects against that early filing penalty. I submitted my application 3 weeks ago and I'm still waiting to hear back, but at least I know the process has started. Your sister should definitely apply as soon as possible - even if it takes months to process, any increase would be retroactive to when she first became eligible. Make sure she has certified copies of both the marriage certificate and divorce decree ready!