You're understanding the situation correctly now. To summarize where things stand for you: 1. Your SS retirement benefit will be calculated using only your retail job earnings where you paid SS taxes 2. The benefit will now use the regular formula (no WEP reduction) 3. For spousal benefits: If 2/3 of your teacher pension ($3,200 × 2/3 = $2,133) exceeds 50% of your husband's benefit ($950 × 0.5 = $475), then yes, the GPO would eliminate any spousal benefits When you apply in March 2025, I recommend bringing documentation of both your covered and non-covered work to your appointment, as some SSA representatives are still getting familiar with how to properly implement the WEP elimination correctly.

There's no specific form to request regarding WEP elimination. The change in law should be automatically applied to your benefit calculation. However, it's always good to specifically mention to the representative that you understand the Windfall Elimination Provision has been eliminated and you want to make sure your benefit is calculated using the standard formula. If you create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov, you can check your earnings record to ensure all your covered employment (the retail job) is properly recorded before your appointment. This can prevent delays in processing your application.

Looking at your numbers more carefully, there's something important to consider for your long-term planning: If you wait until your FRA (66+8mo), your own benefit would be $1,750. The full 50% spousal benefit based on your husband's $2,900 PIA would be $1,450. Since your own benefit at FRA ($1,750) is greater than the spousal benefit ($1,450), you would not receive a spousal top-up even at FRA. However, your husband's benefit will be significantly reduced by claiming at 63 (about 22.5% reduction). You both might want to reconsider your filing strategy if your financial situation allows waiting longer.

You're absolutely right to rethink your approach! Based on what others have explained here, it sounds like you have a relatively strong work record that eliminates any spousal benefit advantage. One thing to consider is the break-even analysis - at what age would the higher monthly payments from waiting offset the years of missed payments from filing early? For many people, this break-even point is around age 78-80. Also, don't forget about the earnings test if either of you plans to work after claiming. If you're under FRA and earn more than $22,320 (2024 limit), Social Security will withhold $1 for every $2 you earn above that limit. Have you looked into filing strategies like "file and suspend" or considered whether one of you might benefit from delaying until age 70 for the delayed retirement credits? Sometimes a mixed approach works better than both spouses filing at the same time.

hey when you do apply make sure u call and verify they received it! my sister thought she submitted everything but turns out the application was never completed and she had to start over after waiting 2 months!

Just wanted to share my recent experience since I see some conflicting advice here. My husband applied exactly 3 months before his intended start date and everything went smoothly. The online application really is the way to go - much faster than trying to get an appointment at the local office. One tip that helped us: create a my Social Security account first if you don't already have one. It makes the application process smoother and you can check the status afterward. Also, don't forget that once he starts receiving benefits, he'll get a 1099-SSA for tax purposes, so keep that in mind for next year's taxes. The payment schedule based on birth date is exactly right - since your husband was born on the 25th, expect payments on the 4th Wednesday of each month. Good luck with everything!

does ur husband have good retirement besides ss? my friend had to go back to work when her kid turned 16 cuz of this stupid rule

I'm dealing with a similar situation and wanted to share some practical advice. When my oldest turned 18 last year, SSA automatically sent the school verification form (SSA-1372) about 2 months before his birthday. Make sure your school's registrar knows to expect this - some schools aren't familiar with the process and it can delay things. Also, regarding the benefit gap you'll face - I started planning for this 2 years ahead by gradually increasing my work hours and building up savings. The loss of your mother's benefits when your youngest turns 16 will be significant, so the earlier you can start preparing financially, the better. One thing that helped me was creating a timeline of when each benefit would end so I could budget accordingly. Your 17-year-old's benefits will stop at 18 (or 19 if still in school), then your 15-year-old's benefits will follow the same pattern. Planning ahead made the transition much smoother for our family.

Thank you all so much for your advice and sharing your experiences. We're going to apply immediately and make sure her doctors document everything thoroughly. I've already started gathering all her medical records. One last question - does anyone know if private disability insurance through her employer affects the SSDI application? She has some short-term disability coverage through work.

I'm going through a similar situation with my sister right now. She has Stage 4 ovarian cancer and we just got her SSDI approved through Compassionate Allowance last month - took about 7 weeks from application to approval letter. A few things that really helped us: 1) We applied online at ssa.gov - it was faster than going to the office 2) Her oncologist wrote a detailed letter specifically for the disability application explaining her prognosis and limitations 3) We made sure to include ALL treatment records, not just the diagnosis The key thing about working - she was doing freelance work (about $800/month) when we applied and it didn't hurt the application at all since it was under the SGA limit. They actually told us it was better to apply while she still had some work history rather than waiting. One tip: when you apply online, there's a section where you can upload documents. We scanned and uploaded everything immediately rather than mailing it later. I think this helped speed things up. Best of luck to you both. The waiting is horrible but don't give up hope.