DONT FORGET ABOUT MEDICARE!!!! If you're not working at 65, you HAVE to sign up for Medicare even if you haven't started Social Security yet!!!! They don't automatically enroll you if you haven't started benefits. My friend missed her enrollment period and had to pay penalties for YEARS!!!

Just want to add one more thing that might be helpful - you mentioned your husband is already 76 and collecting $2,350/month. Since he's past his Full Retirement Age, he's not subject to any earnings test, so if he's still working that won't affect his benefits at all. Also, given the 18-year age gap, you might want to consider life insurance planning alongside your Social Security strategy. If your husband passes away and you're relying on survivor benefits, having some life insurance could help bridge any financial gaps, especially if you claim your own benefits early at 62. The good news is that with your own benefit being relatively high compared to the spousal benefit, you have some flexibility in your timing. Just make sure you run the actual numbers with SSA before making your final decision!

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.

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.

Thanks everyone for the advice! I'm going to try three things: 1. Talk to my employer about spreading that project payment across May/June 2. If that doesn't work, I'll delay filing until July 3. I'll definitely call SSA to confirm my plan using that phone service someone mentioned It's frustrating how complicated this all is, but I really appreciate all the help figuring it out!

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 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!