As someone new to navigating Social Security benefits, I found this discussion incredibly informative! I'm in a somewhat similar situation (divorced after 12 years, currently remarried) and had no idea about the GPO rules or how government pensions could affect Social Security benefits. One question I have after reading through everyone's responses: Is there a way to get a preliminary estimate of what benefits might be available before going through all the paperwork and appointments? It seems like there are so many variables (whether the job paid into SS, GPO calculations, benefit timing, etc.) that it would be helpful to know if it's even worth pursuing before investing time in gathering documents and scheduling appointments. Also, for those who have been through this process - about how long did it take from initial inquiry to getting a definitive answer from SSA? I'm trying to plan ahead like the original poster and wondering if this is something that takes weeks or months to resolve. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - this community has been so helpful in breaking down these complex rules!

I'm also new to this community and found this thread incredibly educational! As someone who will likely face similar decisions in the future, I wanted to thank everyone for sharing their experiences and knowledge. One thing that stood out to me from reading all the responses is how much the specifics of each person's situation can vary. It seems like the key factors are: 1) whether the ex-spouse's government job paid into Social Security, 2) the GPO rules and calculations, 3) timing of when to claim benefits, and 4) which benefit would be higher. For anyone else following this discussion, it sounds like the most important first step is to determine if the ex-spouse's firefighter/government position was covered by Social Security. As @Dmitry Ivanov mentioned, contacting the HR department or pension administrator directly seems like the best way to get that information. I'm curious - for those who have gone through this process, did you find that different SSA representatives gave you consistent information? @Axel Bourke mentioned getting different answers from different reps, which would be concerning when making such important financial decisions. Also, has anyone found it helpful to work with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security claiming strategies, or is the SSA generally able to provide all the guidance needed?

my brother waited till 70 to collect and then died at 72! all those years of not collecting and higher benefit gone to waste. jus something to think about

As someone who just went through this decision process myself, I'd recommend getting a personalized Social Security statement and running some breakeven analyses. The key factors to consider are your life expectancy, your wife's life expectancy, and your current financial needs. One thing that helped me was calculating the "crossover point" - how long you'd need to live to make up for the benefits you'd lose by delaying. For example, if you delay from 67 to 70, you give up 3 years of payments but get roughly 24% higher benefits for life. Also consider your wife's perspective - she's already 64, so those spousal benefits could provide meaningful income for potentially many years. The guaranteed $625/month might be worth more to your household than the uncertain larger survivor benefit later. Have you looked into whether either of you has any health issues that might affect longevity planning? That could really influence the optimal timing decision.

Also just wanted to say... I'm sorry about his ex-wife's condition. Even though they're divorced, I know it can still be emotional when someone you shared that much life with is in hospice. Sending good thoughts to everyone involved.

I'm so sorry you're going through this difficult situation. From what I understand about SSA rules, your boyfriend should definitely be eligible for surviving divorced spouse benefits since they were married over 10 years and neither remarried. The good news is that at 77, he's well past full retirement age, so he could potentially receive up to 100% of her benefit amount if it's higher than his current payment. One thing I'd suggest is calling SSA now (before she passes) to get a clear understanding of the process and what documents he'll need. That way you can be prepared and won't have to navigate the bureaucracy during such an emotional time. They should be able to walk you through exactly what his benefits would look like based on both of their earnings records. My heart goes out to you both during this challenging time. Even divorced couples often maintain some connection after 20 years together, so I imagine this brings up a lot of complex feelings.

One more consideration: if you file for retirement now but later get approved for SSDI before reaching Full Retirement Age, you could switch to the higher SSDI benefit. This gives you income security now while preserving the option for a higher benefit if your disability claim succeeds. Given your medical conditions and limited work history since 2019, a new SSDI application might be worthwhile, especially with proper medical documentation.

Just wanted to add my experience - I was in a similar situation with a personal injury settlement and was worried about how it would affect my Social Security. The SSA representative I spoke with confirmed that settlement payments are NOT considered earned income for the earnings test, so you can collect retirement benefits without reduction due to that income. However, I'd strongly encourage you to consider the SSDI route that others mentioned. With your combination of physical and mental health conditions plus limited work history since 2019, you might have a much stronger case now than when you first applied. SSDI would give you your full benefit amount regardless of age, and if approved, you'd also get Medicare after 24 months. The worst they can do is deny you again, but the medical landscape and your documented work limitations have likely changed since your last application. Good luck with whatever path you choose!

Quick update based on what others have shared: There IS currently a processing issue affecting some direct deposits this month, per the SSA operations notice released yesterday. However, account lockouts due to phone number changes are a separate issue. When you speak with SSA, ask specifically about both: 1. The May 2025 direct deposit processing delay (reference notice AM-25411) 2. Your account access issue related to phone number change These will likely need to be handled by different departments, so be prepared to possibly speak with more than one person. If they try to only address one issue, politely insist on resolving both before ending the call.

I went through something very similar last year when I moved and forgot to update my phone number with SSA. My payment was delayed for almost 3 weeks! What saved me was going to my local office first thing in the morning with multiple forms of ID - they were able to verify my identity and unlock my account same day. Pro tip: If you do go in person, bring your Social Security card, driver's license, AND a recent bank statement or utility bill. The more documentation you have, the faster they can process your identity verification. Also, ask them to print out a receipt showing they've updated your contact info - sometimes the system doesn't sync properly between departments. The phone wait times are absolutely brutal right now, so if your local office isn't too far, that might be your best bet for getting this resolved quickly.