One thing to keep in mind is that even though your husband makes 50% less than you, his spousal benefit might not actually be higher than his own benefit depending on his work history. The spousal benefit is up to 50% of YOUR Primary Insurance Amount (what you'd get at full retirement age), but if he's been working steadily even at lower wages, his own benefit could still be substantial. I'd recommend both of you create accounts on ssa.gov to see your estimated benefits. That way you can compare his projected benefit at 65 versus what 50% of your PIA would be (reduced to about 45.8% since he'd be claiming early). This will help you figure out if the spousal benefit would even make a difference in your situation. Also, since there's a 5-year gap between when he wants to retire and when you plan to file, you might want to consider whether he can afford to wait a couple extra years to avoid the permanent reduction from claiming early.

One strategy you might want to consider is having your husband delay claiming until his Full Retirement Age (67) if financially feasible. While I understand he wants to retire at 65 due to the physical demands of his job, he could potentially: 1. Retire from his current job at 65 but delay Social Security until 67 2. Bridge the gap with savings, part-time work, or other retirement accounts 3. Claim his full benefit at 67 (no reduction) 4. When you file at your FRA, he'd then get the higher of his full benefit or the full 50% spousal benefit This avoids the permanent 13.3% reduction on his own benefit AND the reduction on any potential spousal benefit. Over a 20+ year retirement, that could add up to significant money. I know it's not always possible to wait, but if you can swing it financially, those two extra years could really pay off in the long run. You might want to run the numbers both ways to see if the extra income from waiting would be worth it.

One additional tip: you can create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov if you haven't already. It will show you your benefit payment dates and amounts, and you can see exactly when your next payment is scheduled. It's very helpful for keeping track of everything.

This is such a common concern for new Social Security recipients! I went through the exact same panic when I started getting my benefits. The payment schedule really is confusing at first, but once you get used to it, it becomes predictable. Just to add to what others have said - if your payment date falls on a federal holiday, they'll usually send it the business day before. So sometimes your payment might come a day or two earlier than expected, which is always a nice surprise! Also, direct deposit typically hits your account early in the morning on your payment date, so don't worry if you don't see it right at midnight. Banks process these deposits at different times throughout the day.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! I'm planning to submit my application online this weekend, aiming for benefits to start in September. I've created a checklist of documents to have ready based on your suggestions. I feel much more confident about the process now. Will update if I run into any issues!

Just want to add that you should also check if you're eligible for any spousal benefits or survivor benefits - sometimes people don't realize they might qualify for higher payments based on their spouse's work record instead of their own. The online application will walk you through these options, but it's worth understanding beforehand. Also, if you have any gaps in your work history or periods where you might have worked under different names, have documentation ready to explain those. The SSA can be very thorough about verifying your entire work record. Good luck with your application this weekend!

I was in your exact situation two months ago with my 17-year-old daughter. After wasting days trying to get through on the phone, I tried that Claimyr service someone mentioned above. Got connected to an agent in about 20 minutes and had the whole application done in another 30. My daughter's first payment arrived about 3 weeks later. They backpaid from when I first got my benefits too!

I'm going through the exact same frustrating process right now! Just got my letter about potential benefits for my 15-year-old last week. The phone system is absolutely broken - I've tried calling multiple times and either get disconnected or the wait times are insane. One thing I learned from reading through all these comments is that I need to gather ALL the documents beforehand. I'm going to try the early morning call strategy on Wednesday that someone mentioned, and if that doesn't work, I'll show up at the local office before they open with a folding chair and every piece of paperwork I can think of. It's ridiculous that in 2025 we still have to jump through these hoops for something that should be straightforward. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least now I know I'm not alone in this nightmare!

I called my wife's pension system today. Her projected pension after 24 years (when she plans to retire) will be about $3,850 monthly. So if I'm understanding correctly, the GPO reduction would be about $2,567 (2/3 of $3,850). My SS benefit at 70 would be around $3,940 vs. $2,950 if I claimed now at 64. So it looks like if I delay to 70, she would still get about $1,373 in survivor benefits after the GPO reduction. If I claim now, she'd only get about $383 after GPO. Does that math look right to everyone? Seems like delaying would still help her significantly in this case.

As a new member who's been researching this topic for my own family situation, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly detailed discussion. The math example that Camila provided really helps illustrate how these calculations work in practice. One thing I'd add for anyone reading this thread: make sure to also consider that your wife's own Social Security benefit (from her 12 years of covered employment) will likely be reduced by WEP when she starts collecting it. This is separate from the GPO impact on survivor benefits, but it's another piece of the puzzle that affects overall retirement planning. Also, I've found that many local SSA offices have staff who aren't fully versed in WEP/GPO calculations, so getting multiple opinions or using the online calculators on SSA.gov can be helpful to verify the numbers you're given. Your situation shows that even with these provisions, strategic timing decisions can still make a meaningful difference. The $990 monthly difference in survivor benefits you calculated is substantial over time.