I've been helping my elderly neighbors with similar issues, and one thing that's worked well is creating a simple property tax savings plan. Calculate your annual property tax amount, divide by 12, and have that amount automatically transferred from your Social Security direct deposit account to a separate "property tax only" savings account each month. Most banks can set this up as an automatic transfer on the same day your SS benefit arrives. Then when tax time comes, the money is already there waiting. Some people also like to add an extra $10-20 per month to cover any increases. It takes the stress out of those big lump sum payments!

I had this same question when I retired three years ago! While SSA can't deduct property taxes directly, I found a great workaround. I contacted my local credit union and they helped me set up what they call a "Christmas Club" type account specifically for property taxes. Every month when my Social Security hits my checking account, $150 automatically moves to this separate account (my annual property taxes are about $1,800). The account even earns a little interest! When tax time comes around in June and December, I just transfer the money back and pay online. It's been a lifesaver - no more scrambling to find $900 twice a year. Most banks and credit unions offer similar programs, so definitely worth asking about!

Just an update - I spoke with my cousin at SSA today and she confirmed they're now actively recruiting retired employees in most regions. They're offering higher than usual compensation for these temporary positions, especially for those with experience in recalculations and pension offsets. The focus is on processing the backlog rather than customer-facing roles. She also mentioned they're developing a streamlined training program specifically for retired employees to get them up to speed on the new systems more quickly.

I think this shows why it's sometimes better to delay applying for benefits if you can. My financial advisor suggested I wait until this backlog clears before applying for my retirement benefits (I'm affected by WEP). That way my application will include the correct calculation from the start instead of waiting for a recalculation. Of course, not everyone has the luxury of waiting.

UPDATE: We took everyone's advice and tried multiple approaches simultaneously. We mailed in the SSA-1199 form with a voided check, AND used the Claimyr service mentioned above to get through by phone. The phone method worked fastest - got us connected to an agent in about 25 minutes, and they set up the direct deposit immediately. They confirmed it's now in the system and ready for any future payments or backpay if the WEP reform goes through. Thank you all for your help!

As a fellow educator dealing with WEP, I wanted to share another option that worked for me. If you have a local SSA office that offers walk-in services (not all do anymore), you can sometimes get helped without an appointment during off-peak hours. I went to my local office at 2pm on a Tuesday and waited about 45 minutes, but the representative was able to set up my direct deposit on the spot. They also updated my address and verified all my information while I was there. It might be worth calling your local office first to confirm they still accept walk-ins for this type of service request. Having everything ready in one visit was definitely worth the wait time for me.

To answer your specific question about restarting benefits - it's actually quite simple. When you're truly ready to retire, you just contact SSA (preferably 2-3 months before you want benefits to restart) and tell them you've stopped working or your earnings will be under the limit. There's a simple form to complete (SSA-795). The real financial advantage is that at your Full Retirement Age (66+10mo assuming you were born in 1959), SSA will automatically recalculate your benefit amount to give you credit for all the months benefits were withheld due to excess earnings. This effectively increases your monthly payment going forward. So yes, take the job, notify SSA immediately of your expected 2025 earnings, understand your benefits will be withheld, but know you'll get credit for those months later.

Congratulations on the job offer! As someone who went through a similar situation, I'd definitely recommend taking the job. The math works out in your favor even with the earnings test penalties. At $78K income vs whatever your SS benefit amount is annually, you'll still come out way ahead financially. One thing I wish I'd known earlier - when you do reach Full Retirement Age, SSA will increase your monthly benefit amount to account for all those months when benefits were withheld due to excess earnings. So you're not really "losing" that money permanently, just deferring it for a higher payout later. The key is to contact SSA IMMEDIATELY (before your first paycheck if possible) to report your expected annual earnings. This prevents overpayments that you'd have to pay back later - that's a real headache to deal with. Good luck with whatever you decide!

Update for everyone: I appreciate all the advice! I've decided to keep my appointment next month to apply for spousal benefits. Even though the increase might be small, it's still extra money. And if HR 82 or similar legislation passes in the future, I'll still be eligible for any retroactive payments for the period I was collecting my own benefit. Thanks for helping me understand this complicated situation!

Great decision, Daniel! One more thing to consider - when you meet with the SSA representative next month, ask them to pull up your earnings record and verify exactly how many years of "substantial earnings" you have under Social Security. As Matthew and Aurora mentioned, if you're close to 21+ years of substantial earnings, you might qualify for a reduced WEP penalty or even full exemption at 30+ years. This could potentially increase your own benefit significantly, which would also affect your spousal benefit calculation. It's worth double-checking since the substantial earnings threshold changes each year and you might have more qualifying years than you realize from your pre-teaching career.