my sister tried doing the thing where she only filed for spousal and they AUTOMATICALLY filed her for her own benefits too even though she told them not to. she was so mad! but the SSA person said the law changed and they had no choice. this was in 2020.

As someone who just went through this process last year, I can confirm what others are saying about the deemed filing rules. My wife and I had the exact same confusion! One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned much - make sure you get your benefit estimates updated from SSA before making your final decision. The $2,950 and $2,250 estimates you mentioned might have changed based on recent earnings or COLA adjustments. Also, consider creating accounts on ssa.gov for both of you if you haven't already. You can run "what if" scenarios there to see exactly how different claiming strategies would affect your monthly benefits. It really helped us visualize the trade-offs. The strategy of having your husband file at FRA while you wait until 70 is solid given your numbers, especially with family longevity on your side. Just remember that once you make the decision, you generally can't change it (except for a limited withdrawal option within 12 months). Good luck with your planning!

One additional planning consideration: When you sell your business, will it be a lump sum or structured payout? If it's a lump sum, that year might have very high income and potentially cause more of your Social Security to be taxable if you're already collecting. Another reason delaying could be beneficial in your situation - you can coordinate the timing of the business sale and Social Security start to minimize overall taxation. Up to 85% of your SS benefits can be subject to income tax depending on your combined income.

As someone new to this community, I'm really impressed by the depth of knowledge shared here! Your strategy sounds very sound given your circumstances. One thing I'd add that I learned from my own research is to also consider the impact of Medicare premiums (IRMAA) when coordinating your business sale with Social Security timing. High income years can increase your Medicare Part B and D premiums for up to two years later. Since you're planning a lump sum business sale, delaying SS until after that transaction could help minimize both income taxes on SS benefits AND avoid higher Medicare premiums down the road. It's yet another piece of the puzzle that reinforces your approach of waiting until 70.

Update: After following everyone's advice, I finally got through most of this process! The Canadian pension office had a specific international benefits department that processed my request in 2 weeks instead of 6. I sent everything certified mail to SSA and followed up regularly. My benefit is now being processed with only a partial WEP reduction thanks to my 23 years of US work. Thanks everyone for your help navigating this complicated mess!

Congratulations on getting through this! Your experience is really helpful for others facing similar situations. I'm dealing with a similar WEP issue but with a UK pension. Quick question - when you contacted the Canadian pension office's international benefits department, did you need any special reference numbers or just your regular pension information? Also, did SSA give you any paperwork showing exactly how they calculated your partial WEP reduction? I want to make sure I can verify their math when my case gets processed.

Thank you all so much for your helpful responses! I feel much more confident now that applying for my widow benefits won't impact my daughter's SSDI survivor benefits. I'm going to look into both regular widow benefits and possibly the disabled widow option that was mentioned. I'll definitely try that Claimyr service to connect with SSA faster - spending hours on hold only to get disconnected has been so frustrating. And I'll be sure to get the agent's name and ask them to document our conversation in my file. This community has been incredibly helpful! It's such a relief to understand how these benefits work together.

I'm glad this community could help you work through this complicated situation! You're absolutely making the right decision to explore both benefit options before applying. One additional tip: when you do speak with SSA, ask them to run a benefit estimate for both scenarios (regular widow benefits vs. disabled widow benefits if you qualify). This will give you the actual dollar amounts to compare and help you make the most informed decision for your financial situation. Best of luck with your application process, and I hope everything works out smoothly for both you and your daughter!

One additional point that might help you plan: even though there's no earnings limit after FRA, if you're thinking of switching to a W-2 job (like at a garden center or bookstore), remember they'll still withhold Social Security taxes from your paycheck. This doesn't affect your survivor benefits, but it's something to consider in your budget planning. If you're self-employed now, you're used to paying both halves of Social Security tax (12.4%) through self-employment tax. In a W-2 job, you'll pay half (6.2%) and your employer pays the other half.

Just wanted to add one more reassuring data point - I'm currently 69 and collecting survivor benefits while working part-time at a local library. I earn about $35,000 a year and there's absolutely no reduction in my benefits. The freedom after FRA is real! Also, regarding your career change plans - I made a similar transition from high-stress work (banking) to something more peaceful at age 68. The mental health benefits have been incredible. Garden centers and bookstores sound lovely! You've got so many great options once you hit FRA next year.