I went through this exact same situation about 8 months ago and can confirm what everyone is saying - you absolutely need to call SSA yourself to request the ARF (Adjustment of Reduction Factor) recalculation. It won't happen automatically. Here's what I learned from my experience: When I called, I immediately said "I need to request an Adjustment of Reduction Factor recalculation because I reached my Full Retirement Age and had benefits withheld due to the earnings test." Using that exact language helped the representative understand what I needed right away. I had about 19 months of partially or fully withheld benefits over 4 years, and my monthly benefit increased by $201 after the recalculation. They also provided retroactive payments back to my FRA date, which was a nice bonus. The whole process took about 12 weeks from my initial call to seeing the increased payment. Two important tips: First, call early in the morning (right at 8 AM) to avoid long hold times. Second, ask for written confirmation of your request with a case number - this saved me when I had to follow up later. Don't wait any longer to call - every month you delay is money you're leaving on the table since they'll backpay to your FRA date once approved.

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for sharing such detailed experiences about the ARF recalculation process! I'm 63 and currently receiving early retirement benefits while working part-time, so I know I'll be facing this exact situation when I reach my FRA in about 3 years. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea that the benefit adjustment after FRA wasn't automatic. The fact that you have to proactively call SSA and specifically request the "Adjustment of Reduction Factor" recalculation is something I never would have known without this thread. I'm taking notes on all the practical tips shared here: using the exact terminology "ARF recalculation," calling at 8 AM for shorter wait times, printing out the benefit payment history from the online account beforehand, requesting written confirmation with a case number, and being prepared to ask for a technical specialist if needed. The success stories with monthly increases ranging from $142 to $230+ plus retroactive payments really demonstrate how important it is to pursue this adjustment. I'm definitely going to bookmark this thread and use it as my guide when I reach FRA. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice that makes such a difference!

I'm so grateful I found this discussion! I'm in a very similar situation - turning 62 next year and completely confused about ex-spouse benefits after getting wildly different information from multiple SSA representatives. What really struck me reading through everyone's experiences is how consistent the problem is with getting conflicting information from SSA. It's both frustrating and reassuring to know I'm not the only one dealing with this. Based on all the great advice here, I'm planning to: 1. Schedule a SHIP counselor appointment first to get properly prepared 2. Create that spreadsheet with all my benefit scenarios 3. Get certified copies of my marriage certificate and divorce decree 4. Ask my ex for his Social Security Statement (we're on good terms) 5. Schedule an in-person SSA appointment and request everything in writing One question I have that I didn't see addressed - has anyone dealt with situations where your ex-spouse remarried? Mine did remarry, but I know that doesn't affect my eligibility since we were married over 10 years and I haven't remarried. I'm just wondering if it complicates the application process at all or if SSA asks additional questions about it. Also, for those who mentioned keeping detailed notes of SSA conversations - did you find that helpful when you finally got to someone knowledgeable, or was it more useful for your own tracking? Thank you all for sharing such practical, real-world advice. This thread should be required reading for anyone navigating divorced spouse benefits!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm turning 62 in March 2025 and was getting the exact same runaround from SSA representatives - three different answers just like you described. It's both maddening and oddly comforting to know this is such a widespread problem. After reading through everyone's experiences and advice, I feel like I finally have a clear action plan. The explanation about how divorced spouse benefits are calculated based on your ex's PIA (not his age-70 amount) and reduced for YOUR early filing really cleared up my confusion. I was making the same mistake of thinking it would be based on his $5,750/month projected benefit at 70. I'm definitely going to: 1. Schedule a SHIP counselor appointment first - had no idea this free resource existed! 2. Get my updated Social Security Statement to see my current benefit projections 3. Ask my ex for his Social Security Statement since we're on good terms 4. Get certified copies of all my documents 5. Create a spreadsheet with all the scenarios before my SSA appointment The advice about requesting written estimates and having SSA document their calculations in your file is brilliant - no more relying on verbal explanations that seem to change with each representative. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences. This community support has transformed what felt like an impossible puzzle into a manageable process with clear next steps!

I'm new to Medicare and IRMAA but following this thread closely since I'll be 65 next year. One question I haven't seen addressed - if someone files the SSA-44 form and gets their IRMAA reduced for 2024, does that affect their Medicare premiums for 2025 as well? Or do they automatically go back to using the 2-year-old tax return data (which would be 2023) for determining 2025 premiums? I'm trying to understand if this is a one-time fix or if there are ongoing implications. Also, for those who have been through this process, how long did it typically take from submitting the form to seeing the premium change reflected in your Medicare billing? Thanks for all the helpful information everyone has shared!

I just wanted to thank everyone who contributed to this thread - this has been incredibly helpful! I'm actually a Social Security claims representative, and I can confirm that most of the advice given here is spot-on. A few additional points that might help: When you visit the SSA office, try to go early in the morning or later in the afternoon to avoid peak hours. Also, the SSA-44 form is available online at ssa.gov, so you can fill it out ahead of time and just bring it with your documentation - this speeds up the process significantly. One thing I always tell people is to ask for a receipt showing what documents you submitted and the date, as this creates an official record. The processing time is typically 30-60 days, but the adjustment is usually retroactive to the month following the life-changing event. And yes, this is a one-time adjustment - subsequent years will use the normal IRMAA calculation unless another qualifying event occurs. Hope this helps clarify some of the questions that came up!

This has been such an informative discussion! I'm actually in the exact same situation as the original poster - turning 62 soon and considering starting benefits while working part-time. Reading through everyone's experiences has really helped clarify how this all works. The automatic recalculation at FRA sounds like it genuinely makes up for the temporary withholdings, which was my biggest concern. I was worried I'd be throwing money away, but it seems more like I'm just getting it back in a different form later on. The practical tips about keeping detailed records and reporting earnings accurately are also really valuable. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - it's so much better than trying to decode the official SSA materials alone!

This entire discussion has been incredibly valuable! As someone who's been wrestling with this exact decision for months, seeing all the real-world experiences shared here has finally given me the confidence to move forward. The key insight that really clicked for me is understanding that the earnings limit isn't actually a "loss" of benefits - it's more like a temporary deferral that gets paid back through higher monthly amounts after FRA. What I found most reassuring was hearing from multiple people who've actually gone through the automatic recalculation process and confirmed it works as advertised. The $47/month increase example really helps put it in perspective - that's real money that adds up significantly over time. For anyone else reading this who's in a similar situation, my main takeaways are: be upfront about your expected earnings, keep detailed records, and don't stress too much about the temporary withholdings since you'll eventually get credit for them. The system seems to work better than I initially feared. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - you've made a complicated topic much clearer!

I'm new to this community and wanted to share my recent experience with this exact situation! I was also panicked after seeing those misleading headlines about Login.gov being "mandatory" for Social Security benefits. After struggling with the identity verification for nearly two months (my ID kept getting rejected and I wasn't receiving verification codes), I finally got through to an SSA representative who confirmed what everyone here is saying - Login.gov is ONLY for accessing your online account, NOT for receiving your actual benefit payments. What finally worked for me was using my grandson's smartphone instead of my old tablet, and calling my phone company to temporarily whitelist government verification messages. Turns out they were being blocked as spam! But here's the key point - during those entire two months of Login.gov frustration, my monthly Social Security payments never missed a beat. They continued coming via direct deposit exactly as they had for years before I even knew what Login.gov was. The representative explained that your benefits are guaranteed by federal law based on your work history and eligibility - website access has absolutely nothing to do with payment eligibility. She said they get dozens of calls daily from people worried about this because of how the media has been reporting it. Don't let these fear-mongering headlines steal your peace of mind like they did mine! Your monthly benefits will continue regardless of whether you ever successfully navigate the Login.gov system.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my experience since I just went through this exact same situation a few weeks ago! Like so many others here, I was absolutely terrified after reading those misleading headlines about Login.gov being "mandatory" for Social Security benefits. I struggled with the identity verification process for over a month - my driver's license kept getting rejected as "unreadable" and I never received any of the phone verification codes they were supposed to send. I was genuinely panicked that my disability benefits would be cut off because of these technical problems. After reading through this entire discussion, I feel so much relief! It's incredibly reassuring to see so many people confirm directly with SSA representatives that Login.gov is ONLY for online account access, not for actual benefit payments. The fact that everyone's monthly payments continued normally throughout their Login.gov struggles really proves this point. I'm definitely going to try some of the excellent troubleshooting tips mentioned here - using incognito browsing mode, trying during off-peak hours, checking if my phone carrier is blocking verification texts as spam, and maybe visiting my local library for better internet connection. The suggestions about taking ID photos in natural daylight against a dark background sound really promising too. But most importantly, I can finally stop losing sleep over potentially losing my benefits! It's clear that these sensationalized headlines have caused completely unnecessary panic for so many seniors who are just trying to access services we've earned through years of work. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences and creating such a supportive community that cuts through all the fear-mongering with actual facts. This discussion has been absolutely invaluable for a newcomer like me who was genuinely scared about this whole Login.gov situation!