I've been following this discussion and wanted to share some additional insights. The confusion here highlights why it's so important to get accurate information directly from SSA. From what I understand, the key rule is that for divorced spouse survivor benefits, you generally cannot receive them if you remarried before age 60 (unless you were disabled and remarried after age 50). Since you remarried at 54 and weren't disabled, you likely don't qualify for survivor benefits on your ex-husband's record. However, don't give up hope entirely - there can sometimes be nuances in individual cases that only a trained SSA representative can evaluate. When you call, definitely ask specifically about "divorced spouse survivor benefits" and mention your remarriage age. Also consider that even if you don't qualify for survivor benefits, you may still have good options with your own retirement benefits or future spousal benefits on your current husband's record when he becomes eligible.

As someone who's also navigating the complexities of Social Security rules, I wanted to chime in with some encouragement. This thread really shows how confusing these regulations can be - even knowledgeable community members are giving conflicting advice! From what I've gathered reading through everyone's responses, it seems like the consensus is that remarrying at 54 (without being disabled) likely disqualifies you from survivor benefits on your ex-husband's record. But I agree with others that you absolutely need to get this confirmed directly from SSA. One tip I learned from dealing with government agencies: when you call, write down the name and employee ID of whoever you speak with, plus the date and time. That way if you get conflicting information later, you have a record. Also, don't be afraid to call back and speak to a different representative if the first answer doesn't seem right - consistency across multiple calls can give you more confidence in the information. Wishing you the best of luck getting through to them!

Thank you all for the helpful information! I tried calling SSA this morning but couldn't get through after waiting for over an hour. I'll try again tomorrow and might try that Claimyr service if I can't get through. I'm still working and have decent income, so I'm not worried about my own benefits, but it bothers me if he's getting something he's not entitled to. I'll update once I learn more about what's actually going on.

Just wanted to add some perspective from someone who works in benefits administration - this situation is actually more common than you might think. SSA processes millions of claims and sometimes errors do slip through, especially with complex eligibility rules like divorced spouse benefits. When you do get through to them, be prepared with specific information: your ex-husband's full name, approximate date he started receiving benefits, and the fact that he remarried before age 60 while still married. Also, don't be surprised if the first representative you speak with needs to transfer you to someone more specialized - divorced spouse benefit rules are tricky and not all front-line staff are fully trained on them. The good news is that once you report a potential issue, they take it seriously and will investigate thoroughly.

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!

A final important tip: keep very good records of your earnings throughout the year. I recommend creating a simple spreadsheet to track monthly income, and regularly check it against the annual limit. This makes it much easier when you need to communicate with SSA about your earnings and helps avoid surprises at tax time.

This is such valuable information! As someone who's been considering early retirement with my spouse, this thread has answered so many questions I didn't even know I had. The seasonal work approach sounds perfect for our situation too - we've been looking at summer work opportunities at national parks. It's reassuring to know that Social Security focuses on the annual total rather than monthly distribution. I'll definitely be bookmarking this discussion and setting up that tracking spreadsheet that Carter mentioned. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and knowledge!