One additional consideration that might help with your decision-making: you can actually apply for both your retirement benefits AND your daughter's DAC benefits at the same time. This means you won't have to wait months between starting your benefits and getting her application processed. Also, if you do decide to start your benefits early, remember that you can still work and earn up to the annual earnings limit without affecting your benefits (in 2025 it's $23,400 if you're under full retirement age). This might help offset some of the reduction from taking benefits early. Have you calculated what your daughter's potential DAC benefit amount would be? It's typically 50% of your primary insurance amount, which might help you weigh the financial trade-offs more precisely.

I'm in a very similar situation with my 60-year-old disabled son! We went through the same SSI denial years ago due to assets. What I learned is that you can actually get some preliminary guidance without committing to anything by requesting a benefit estimate that shows what your daughter's DAC benefit would be at 50% of your PIA. Also, one thing that helped us was discovering that if you start benefits at 67 (your full retirement age) rather than earlier, you're not taking a "reduction" - you're just not getting the delayed retirement credits you'd earn by waiting until 70. The way I looked at it was: am I better off with my full benefit amount plus my son getting 50% of that, or waiting 3 years for the delayed credits while continuing to fully support him? For us, starting at full retirement age made sense financially even without the delayed credits, especially considering the Medicare eligibility after 24 months. Every family's situation is different though!

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I've learned so much from this discussion. Just to summarize what I understand now: 1. My husband should go ahead and file for his own benefits when he turns 70. 2. He can't receive spousal benefits based on my record because his own benefit will be more than half of mine. 3. When I decide to file (likely at 70), I'll get my own benefit amount. 4. The higher benefit (mine) will become the survivor benefit if one of us passes away. I appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this. The Social Security rules can be so confusing!

You've got it exactly right, Zara! Your summary is spot on. One additional tip I'd suggest - since you're planning to wait until 70 to file, make sure to apply about 3-4 months before your 70th birthday to avoid any processing delays. Social Security benefits can be retroactive up to 6 months, but you don't want to miss out on any payments due to paperwork timing. Also, keep good records of both your and your husband's work history and earnings - it helps when you finally do file to make sure your benefits are calculated correctly. Good luck with your planning!

You're making a smart decision to wait it out, especially given the significant difference between reduced and full retirement benefits ($690/month is substantial over a lifetime). Since you already have legal representation, that puts you in a much better position than many applicants. One additional thing to consider - if your husband's condition has worsened since the initial application, make sure your lawyer documents any progression or new limitations. Sometimes cases get approved not just on the original condition but on how it has deteriorated during the waiting period. Also, keep detailed records of all your financial hardship during this waiting period (medical bills, lost income, etc.) as this documentation can be helpful both for expedite requests and potentially for calculating any additional backpay periods. The financial stress of waiting is real and legitimate grounds for requesting faster processing. Hang in there - 11 months is frustrating but not unusual, and having a lawyer significantly improves your odds at each stage of the process.

I went through a very similar situation with my father who applied for SSDI at 64 after a workplace injury. What helped us was understanding that you can actually request a "dire need" or "critical case" expedite if you're facing serious financial hardship - which it sounds like you definitely are. The key is having documentation ready: unpaid medical bills, utility shutoff notices, mortgage/rent arrears, etc. Your lawyer should be able to help request this expedite, but sometimes calling SSA directly (when you can get through) works better. Also, I learned that even if the decision comes after his FRA, the "protective filing date" from his original application protects his rights to full disability backpay from that original date. So you're not losing those months - they're just being delayed. One more thing - if your husband's medical condition has worsened during this waiting period, make sure your lawyer documents that progression. Sometimes cases that might not have been approved initially get approved based on how the condition has deteriorated over time. The waiting is absolutely brutal, but don't give up. The system is slow but it does eventually work for people with legitimate claims.

let us know what u find out! im curious what they tell u since ill be in the same boat in a couple years

Just wanted to add a quick tip from my own experience - when you do contact SSA, make sure you have your husband's Social Security statement handy too. They'll need his projected benefit amount to run the calculations for your potential spousal benefit. You can both create accounts at ssa.gov to access your statements if you don't have them already. Also, don't be surprised if different agents give you slightly different answers - I had to call twice to get consistent information, but it was worth it to understand exactly where we stood financially. The automatic adjustment when your husband files is nice though - one less thing to worry about!

Thank you all so much for the helpful information! I've made an appointment at my local SSA office for next week, and I'm gathering all the documents that were suggested. I'm going to explore that strategy of taking survivor benefits now and then possibly switching to my own later - that might work best for my situation. If I have trouble getting through to check on my application status after I apply, I might try that Claimyr service mentioned above. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and advice!

As a newcomer here, I wanted to share something that might help - when you go to your SSA appointment next week, ask them to run a benefit estimate for both scenarios (taking survivor benefits now vs. waiting). They can show you the exact dollar amounts which makes the decision much clearer. Also, don't be surprised if they try to schedule a phone appointment instead of in-person - many offices are still doing that for initial consultations. Good luck with everything, and I hope you get the financial relief you need during this difficult time.