Based on your follow-up questions, I think it's important to clarify that Canadian pensions do interact with US Social Security under the US-Canada totalization agreement, but the exact impact depends on several factors: 1. If you're receiving the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), this is based on your earnings in Canada and can trigger GPO. 2. If you're receiving Old Age Security (OAS), which is residence-based rather than work-based, the GPO calculation may differ. 3. The agreement may allow periods of coverage to be combined to meet eligibility requirements, but benefits are generally calculated proportionally based on the periods of coverage in each country. The planning software I mentioned can handle the basics of WEP/GPO, but for international complications, you really need personalized guidance. This is exactly why speaking with someone at SSA who specializes in international benefits is so important for your case.

I went through something very similar with my late husband - we had a 12-year age gap and he delayed to 70. A few practical tips from someone who's been there: First, regarding your Canadian pension and GPO - since it's CPP based on work, yes it will likely trigger GPO on your survivor benefits. BUT here's what saved me thousands: keep detailed records of EXACTLY how much your CPP is when you start receiving it. SSA sometimes estimates foreign pension amounts incorrectly, and you can appeal their GPO calculation if you have proper documentation. Second, that age gap is actually working in your favor! Your husband delaying to 70 means your future survivor benefit will be his full delayed retirement credit amount. That's a substantial increase over what it would have been at his FRA. One thing I wish I'd known: when your husband does pass away (hopefully many years from now), you'll need to notify both SSA AND Service Canada to coordinate benefits properly under the totalization agreement. Don't assume they communicate with each other - they don't. The spousal-to-survivor strategy you're considering is solid. Taking spousal at 62 won't hurt your survivor benefits, and given your age gap, you'll likely be receiving survivor benefits for many years. Make sure you understand exactly when you can switch from spousal to survivor benefits to maximize your total lifetime benefits.

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who went through this exact situation two years ago. I was in a similar boat - had a consulting contract that paid out a large sum in my first benefit month. One thing that really helped me was keeping detailed records of exactly when I performed the work vs when I received payment. The SSA earnings test is based on when you actually EARN the money, not when you receive it. So if you did most of the project work in May but got paid in June, you might be able to argue that the earnings should count toward May instead. Also, don't forget that the monthly limit is $1,950 for 2025, but they deduct $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above that limit. So if you earn $3,200 in June, that's $1,250 over the limit, which means they'd reduce your benefit by $625 (not necessarily withhold the entire month's payment unless your benefit amount is less than $625). The whole system is definitely confusing, but understanding these details can help you make better decisions about timing!

I just wanted to chime in as someone who's been collecting SS for a few years now - the earnings test really is one of the most confusing parts of the whole system! One thing I learned the hard way is that it's worth requesting a written confirmation from SSA about how they'll handle your specific situation. When I called about my earnings, the agent gave me verbal guidance that turned out to be slightly wrong, and it caused some headaches later. Getting it in writing (even just an email followup) can save you trouble down the road. Also, if you do end up having benefits withheld, don't panic about the timing of when they'll restart payments. In my experience, once they process your annual earnings report the following year, any adjustments happen pretty quickly. The system may be confusing but it does eventually work itself out. Best of luck with your retirement planning - it sounds like you're being really thoughtful about timing everything!

I want to thank everyone for the helpful responses. I'm going to go ahead with just the regular retirement application since it seems there's no benefit to pursuing disability at my age. It's frustrating that the SSA representatives gave me conflicting information, but I'm grateful for the clear explanations here.

I'm really glad you found this thread helpful! Just wanted to add one more thing - since you mentioned early-onset Alzheimer's, you might want to consider setting up a representative payee arrangement if you haven't already. Even though you're going with retirement benefits instead of disability, having someone you trust designated to help manage your Social Security payments in the future could be really valuable as your condition progresses. You can set this up proactively with SSA, and it doesn't affect your benefit amount at all. Wishing you all the best with your application!

To add one more helpful bit of information - if you're wondering exactly how much your benefit will be after the COLA, you can calculate it yourself. Just take your current benefit amount and multiply it by 1.032 (for the 3.2% COLA for 2025). It won't be exact to the penny due to rounding rules SSA uses, but it'll be very close and can help with your budget planning while you wait for the official update.

Just wanted to add that you can also sign up for text alerts through your MySocialSecurity account! I set this up last year and got a text notification when my COLA update was processed. It's under the "Message Center" settings - you can choose to get alerts for benefit changes, payment updates, etc. Really helpful so you don't have to keep checking manually every day. The setup only takes a few minutes and gives you peace of mind.

One more thing to check - make sure your mother is actually receiving her own benefit and not an early widow's benefit. Since she's 83 and your father is 79 and still alive, that's probably not the case, but I've seen situations where the SSA computer system had incorrect death information and automatically converted a spouse to survivor benefits erroneously. Also, if your father had any other marriages that lasted at least 10 years, former spouses might also be drawing benefits on his record (though this wouldn't affect your mother's amount). The most likely explanation remains that your mother claimed her own benefit early, locking in a permanent reduction. The spousal benefit would then be reduced as well. For what it's worth, these benefit amounts do seem plausible given the circumstances you described (your father being the primary earner, your mother working part-time).

I went through something very similar with my grandmother a few years ago. She was getting around $900 while my grandfather got $2,400, and we couldn't understand why the difference was so large. After calling SSA (took forever to get through!), we discovered she had filed at 62 instead of waiting until her full retirement age of 66. This reduced her own benefit by about 25%, and since spousal benefits are also reduced when you file early, she was stuck with the lower amount permanently. The agent also explained that even though spousal benefits can be up to 50% of the higher earner's benefit, that's only if you wait until full retirement age AND if 50% is actually higher than your own reduced benefit. In my grandmother's case, her reduced spousal benefit was only slightly higher than her own reduced benefit, so the total increase was minimal. One thing that helped us was requesting a detailed benefit statement that showed exactly how they calculated her amounts. It made everything much clearer. Definitely worth calling to verify everything is correct - we found out my grandmother was actually eligible for a small additional amount she hadn't been receiving.