This is such valuable information! I wish I had known about local office direct numbers years ago. I've been dealing with Social Security issues for my elderly parents and have spent countless hours on hold with the 800 number. It's incredibly frustrating when you're trying to help someone who depends on these benefits and you can't get through to anyone who can actually help. I'm definitely going to try visiting our local office to get their direct number - even if it means driving there just to ask the security guard. The fact that these numbers aren't publicly available seems deliberately obstructive. Thank you for sharing this tip, it could save so many people from the endless hold times and runaround!

This is incredibly helpful! I've been struggling with my disability review for months and getting nowhere with the 800 number. They keep telling me my case is "under review" but can't give me any specifics about what documents they need or when it might be completed. The uncertainty is driving me crazy because I'm worried they might cut off my benefits while I'm waiting. I had no idea local offices had direct numbers - I always assumed everything went through the national system. I'm definitely going to drive to my local office this week to get their direct number. Even if it takes 25-30 minutes to get through like some people mentioned, that's still way better than the 2-3 hour waits on the 800 number that often end in disconnections. Thanks for sharing this - it gives me hope that I can actually get some real answers about my case status!

DONT forget to ask about survivors benefits for YOU after she passes!!! My neighbor got widower benefits after his wife died from cancer and it really helped him!!! The SSA doesn't always tell you everything you're eligible for unless you ASK SPECIFICALLY!!!

I'm so sorry to hear about your wife's diagnosis. This is such a difficult situation, and you're being incredibly thoughtful to research all the options during this challenging time. Based on what others have shared here, it sounds like SSDI could provide meaningful financial advantages - potentially $200+ more per month if she's below her full retirement age. With pancreatic cancer being on the Compassionate Allowance list, the approval process should be much faster than typical disability cases. One practical tip: when gathering medical documentation, make sure her oncologist's records explicitly state "pancreatic cancer" and include the terminal prognosis. Sometimes medical records use technical terms or codes that might not trigger the automated Compassionate Allowance screening as quickly. Also, consider having someone help you with the application process if possible - whether it's a family member, friend, or even a disability advocate. During such an emotionally draining time, having support with paperwork can be invaluable. Whatever you decide, you're clearly doing everything you can to ensure your wife is taken care of. That speaks volumes about your character during what must be an incredibly painful time.

One important thing everyone's missing: if you do claim early and lose some benefits to the earnings test, Social Security will recalculate your benefit when you reach FRA to give you credit for the months they withheld benefits. This partially offsets the reduction for claiming early. For example, if you claimed 6 months early but lost 2 months to the earnings test, at FRA they would recalculate your benefit as if you'd only claimed 4 months early. It doesn't make you whole, but it helps.

Smart decision to wait until July! You've gotten excellent advice here. Just to summarize the key points that helped you decide: 1) Since 2025 is your FRA year, you'd be subject to the higher earnings limit (~$60K+ for 2025) with the 1-for-3 reduction, so your $28K earnings wouldn't trigger any benefit withholding anyway, 2) But you'd still face the permanent 3.3% reduction for claiming 6 months early, and 3) Waiting those extra 6 months until your FRA means you get your full benefit amount with no earnings restrictions ever again. The math clearly favors waiting in your situation, especially if you expect to live into your 80s or beyond. Good luck with your retirement planning!

my brother waited till 70 to collect and then died at 72! all those years of not collecting and higher benefit gone to waste. jus something to think about

As someone who just went through this decision process myself, I'd recommend getting a personalized Social Security statement and running some breakeven analyses. The key factors to consider are your life expectancy, your wife's life expectancy, and your current financial needs. One thing that helped me was calculating the "crossover point" - how long you'd need to live to make up for the benefits you'd lose by delaying. For example, if you delay from 67 to 70, you give up 3 years of payments but get roughly 24% higher benefits for life. Also consider your wife's perspective - she's already 64, so those spousal benefits could provide meaningful income for potentially many years. The guaranteed $625/month might be worth more to your household than the uncertain larger survivor benefit later. Have you looked into whether either of you has any health issues that might affect longevity planning? That could really influence the optimal timing decision.

As someone new to navigating Social Security benefits, I found this discussion incredibly informative! I'm in a somewhat similar situation (divorced after 12 years, currently remarried) and had no idea about the GPO rules or how government pensions could affect Social Security benefits. One question I have after reading through everyone's responses: Is there a way to get a preliminary estimate of what benefits might be available before going through all the paperwork and appointments? It seems like there are so many variables (whether the job paid into SS, GPO calculations, benefit timing, etc.) that it would be helpful to know if it's even worth pursuing before investing time in gathering documents and scheduling appointments. Also, for those who have been through this process - about how long did it take from initial inquiry to getting a definitive answer from SSA? I'm trying to plan ahead like the original poster and wondering if this is something that takes weeks or months to resolve. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - this community has been so helpful in breaking down these complex rules!

I'm also new to this community and found this thread incredibly educational! As someone who will likely face similar decisions in the future, I wanted to thank everyone for sharing their experiences and knowledge. One thing that stood out to me from reading all the responses is how much the specifics of each person's situation can vary. It seems like the key factors are: 1) whether the ex-spouse's government job paid into Social Security, 2) the GPO rules and calculations, 3) timing of when to claim benefits, and 4) which benefit would be higher. For anyone else following this discussion, it sounds like the most important first step is to determine if the ex-spouse's firefighter/government position was covered by Social Security. As @Dmitry Ivanov mentioned, contacting the HR department or pension administrator directly seems like the best way to get that information. I'm curious - for those who have gone through this process, did you find that different SSA representatives gave you consistent information? @Axel Bourke mentioned getting different answers from different reps, which would be concerning when making such important financial decisions. Also, has anyone found it helpful to work with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security claiming strategies, or is the SSA generally able to provide all the guidance needed?