just wondering..... why did u divorce and remarry the same person?? lol thats kinda funny 😂

This is actually more common than you might think! I work at a Social Security field office and see cases like yours fairly regularly. You're absolutely right to get your documentation together ahead of time. Since you're applying on your own record, the marriage history won't affect your benefit calculation, but SSA still needs the complete record for their files. One tip: if you can't locate your original divorce decree or first marriage certificate, most counties now have online portals where you can request certified copies - it's often faster than mailing in requests. Good luck with your application next month!

To summarize what everyone's saying (since there's been some confusion in this thread): 1. Your SSDI benefit will convert to retirement benefits when you reach your Full Retirement Age (FRA) - which is NOT 65, but later depending on your birth year 2. The dollar amount remains EXACTLY the same when this conversion happens 3. The conversion is automatic - no paperwork needed 4. You'll continue to receive COLA increases 5. If you're already on Medicare through SSDI, nothing changes with your Medicare Hope this helps provide clarity!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my experience since I just went through this exact transition last month. I was on SSDI for 4 years after a workplace injury, and like you, I was terrified my benefits would drop when I hit my FRA (which was 66 and 8 months for me, born in 1958). The good news is everyone here is absolutely right - my payment amount stayed exactly the same down to the penny. The only thing that changed was the letter I get each month now says "retirement" instead of "disability" benefits. One thing I didn't see mentioned yet is that you might want to create a my Social Security account online at ssa.gov if you don't already have one. You can see your benefit history, projected retirement amounts, and get official documents there. It really helped ease my anxiety to see everything laid out officially rather than relying on what people told me. Hang in there - sounds like you've been through a lot with your back injury and the financial stress. At least this is one thing you don't have to worry about!

Update: I called SSA again and spoke with a different representative. She confirmed that if I want my first payment in July, I need to select June as my benefit start month. The first rep must have misunderstood what I was asking. I've submitted my application online and selected June 2025 as my benefit start month. Thanks everyone for your help!

Congratulations on getting it sorted out! This is a perfect example of why it's so important to get a second opinion when dealing with SSA - different reps can give completely different information even about basic procedures. Your experience will definitely help other people who run into the same confusion. Make sure to keep copies of all your confirmation documents, and you should be all set for that July payment!

This is such valuable information! I'm 59 and have been debating whether to take early retirement at 62 or wait until my FRA. Reading about everyone's experiences here is really helpful. It sounds like if I do take benefits early, I'll at least have the flexibility to earn more once I hit 67 without worrying about the earnings test. Has anyone here calculated whether the 5 years of reduced benefits is worth it compared to waiting for the full amount?

I'm in a similar situation - took my benefits at 62 and have been worried about the earnings limit ever since! This thread is so reassuring. I've been turning down freelance work because I was afraid of hitting that $22,320 limit, but knowing it completely disappears at FRA changes everything. I'm 64 now so just 3 more years to go. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's so much clearer than trying to navigate the SSA website on your own!

For the Mary Kay business, Social Security looks at your profit (revenue minus expenses) as reported on your Schedule C. This is considered self-employment income. For 2025, if you're receiving benefits before FRA, you'll be subject to the earnings limit (approximately $22,320 for the year). One important detail: Self-employment income counts when you receive it, not when you earn it. So if clients pay you in December 2025, that counts for 2025 even if the work was for January 2026. Regarding when to apply, the optimal time is 3 months before you want benefits to begin. You can specify a start date in your application, so you can apply before you retire and have benefits begin afterward.

I'm in a similar boat - turning 65 next year and trying to navigate all these decisions! One thing I learned from my financial advisor is to run the break-even analysis between taking benefits at 65 vs waiting until FRA. In my case, if I live past age 78, I'll come out ahead by waiting until 67. But everyone's situation is different based on health, other income sources, and financial needs. For your vacation payout, definitely factor that into your calculations for the year you retire. I'm planning to take my vacation time as actual time off before retiring instead of a lump sum payout to avoid the earnings limit issue entirely. Also, since you mentioned feeling lost about timing - the SSA website has a retirement estimator tool that can help you see exactly how much your monthly benefit would be at different claiming ages. It really helped me visualize the trade-offs!