One last thing to consider - since your wife reaches FRA in November 2024, if she plans to keep working at all, selecting December 2024 (for January 2025 payment) as her start month means she won't be subject to the earnings test for December. The earnings test no longer applies once you reach FRA, so her December earnings won't affect her benefits regardless of the amount.

Just wanted to add - make sure your wife creates her my Social Security account online if she hasn't already. You can track the application status there and it's much easier than trying to call. Also, when she does apply, she can upload documents directly through the portal rather than mailing them, which speeds up processing. The consensus here is right - apply in September for December benefits to get that January payment, and she'll avoid any reduction since she'll be past FRA.

Thank you everyone for all the helpful responses. I think I understand much better now. It sounds like: 1. My wife would get my age 70 benefit amount as her survivor benefit (not my FRA amount) 2. If I pass before she reaches her FRA, she might want to wait until her FRA to claim the survivor benefit to avoid any reduction 3. Her early claiming of her own benefit doesn't penalize her survivor benefit amount This is very reassuring for our planning. I'm going to look into getting official clarification from SSA directly too, using that phone service someone mentioned if needed.

Just came back to say I called SSA today and spent TWO HOURS on the phone. Turns out I WAS getting the wrong amount all this time!!! They're going to adjust my survivor benefit to what my husband was actually receiving at 70, not his FRA amount. And they're supposed to pay me back for the difference going back 4 years. So THANK YOU to everyone in this thread because I would've never questioned this if I hadn't read these comments!

Just wondering - have u checked if your pension plan is one of the ones exempt from GPO? My friend worked for a school district in a state where they paid into Social Security AND their pension, and she didn't get hit with GPO. Might be worth double checking?

I went through a very similar situation with my state pension and spousal benefits! The "suspended" status is really just SSA's way of saying they're still calculating the GPO impact - it doesn't mean anything is wrong with your application. Given that your teacher's pension is $2,400/month, the GPO reduction would indeed be $1,600 (2/3 of your pension), which completely wipes out your $865 spousal benefit. So withdrawing and reapplying wouldn't change your monthly payment at all - you'd still get $0. The smart move here is to keep your current application active. Even though you won't receive spousal benefits now, having that established application date could be crucial if you ever need to file for survivor benefits later. Survivor benefits have different GPO calculations and might still be partially payable despite your pension. Plus, if there are any future changes to GPO rules (which lawmakers occasionally discuss), you'd already have your application in the system. I'd just let it ride and focus on maximizing your own Social Security benefits when you're ready to claim those.

One more important point: If you do qualify for the survivor benefit, you should calculate whether it's financially beneficial to take it now while letting your own benefit grow. If your own benefit at 66 is already substantially higher than the survivor benefit would be (especially since it might be reduced because your ex died before FRA), then it might make more sense to just claim your own benefit now or wait until 70 for the maximum amount.

Just wanted to add one more consideration that might help with your decision-making process. When you do contact SSA (whether through the regular phone line or using a service like Claimyr), make sure to ask them to provide you with written estimates of both benefit amounts. Request an estimate of what your survivor benefit would be based on your ex-husband's record, and also get a projection of what your own retirement benefit would be at different claiming ages (66, 67, 68, 69, and 70). Having these concrete numbers will make it much easier to determine the optimal strategy. Also, don't forget that if you do take the survivor benefit now, you can still switch to your own benefit later if it becomes higher - you're not locked into one choice forever. Good luck navigating this complex situation!

Just want to point out that taking your benefits at 62 means you're getting about 30% less than if you'd waited until Full Retirement Age. That's probably why your monthly amount seems low compared to your lifetime of work. It's not just about working - it's about WHEN you claim. Unfortunately, once you claim early, that reduction is permanent (though spousal/survivor benefits work differently).

I work for a disability advocacy organization and see cases like yours regularly. One thing that might help is requesting your husband's Social Security Statement to get a clearer picture of his potential benefits. You can do this as his spouse - SSA Form SSA-7050-F4 allows you to request another person's earnings record if you're married to them. Also, don't overlook that his recent steady employment at $25/hr could significantly boost his benefit calculation since Social Security uses your highest 35 years of earnings. If he works until his full retirement age, those final years of higher earnings will replace some of his earlier lower-earning years in the calculation. Given your health issues that forced early retirement, you might also want to explore whether you qualify for Social Security Disability benefits, which aren't reduced for early filing like retirement benefits are. It's worth investigating all your options!