My neighbor was in construction too, waited til 67 to retire and had a heart attack 3 months later!!! Spent his last year in and out of hospitals. What good did those extra dollars do him? NONE. The system is rigged to make us work ourselves to death.

One thing no one's mentioned yet - have you considered the impact on your spouse if something happened to you? If you claim early and pass away before her, her survivor benefit would be based on your reduced amount (though there are some special rules that might apply). If you think she might rely on your benefit as a survivor someday, waiting for a higher amount might be worth considering. On the other hand, if she'll always use her own higher benefit amount, then this is less of a concern. Just something else to factor into your decision.

one more thing - make SURE u get the repeal info from SSA directly if it happens!! my neighbor thought it was repealed last year because of some facebook post she saw and it was TOTALLY FALSE!!! she went to SSA all excited and they had to tell her it was fake news!!! there's sooooo much misinformation about WEP/GPO repeal!!

To address your follow-up question about wording for a written statement: Keep it simple and factual. Something like: "I am applying for survivor benefits on January 8, 2024. I understand these benefits are currently reduced due to the Government Pension Offset (GPO). I am requesting that if legislation is enacted that modifies or repeals the GPO during the period covered by my retroactive benefits, that my benefits be recalculated accordingly. I would like this statement to be included as part of my application record." Sign and date it, and ask for a copy with a receipt stamp. This won't guarantee anything, but it creates a record of your request that could be helpful depending on how any future legislation is worded.

has anyone mentioned restricted application? my brother did that with spousal benefits but im not sure if it applies for survivors benefits the same way

After reading through all these comments, I'd recommend scheduling an appointment with SSA to get the exact numbers for your situation. The general advice here is helpful, but only SSA can tell you exactly what your benefit amounts would be with the earnings test applied. If your reduced survivor benefit after the earnings test would be at least a few hundred dollars per month, and your husband's benefit was significantly higher than your own, it might be worth applying now. You'd get some extra income for 4 years, and then switch to your own benefit at FRA. However, if the amount after the earnings test would be minimal, the paperwork and hassle of applying might not be worth it. Remember that you'll need to provide marriage certificate, death certificate, proof of your earnings, and potentially other documentation. Have you considered reducing your work hours to stay under the earnings limit? That might be another strategy worth exploring if it's feasible in your situation.

my sister got survivor benefits 15 years after her husband died so yes its possible. good luck getting anyone at SS to answer the phone tho lol

One final point that might help your brother: When he speaks with SSA, he should specifically ask them to run a computation for BOTH benefits - his own reduced retirement benefit AND what he'd receive as a survivor. The higher amount is what he'll get going forward. If the survivor benefit is higher, they'll essentially switch him to that benefit and discontinue his own retirement benefit.

That's a common misconception. DAC benefits (officially called Childhood Disability Benefits) are for adults who became disabled before age 22 (not 18). The adult child must be unmarried and have a disability that began before age 22. The parent must be either deceased or receiving retirement or disability benefits. Since OP's daughter became disabled before 22 and her father is now on SSDI, she likely qualifies.

oh ok thanks for clearing that up! social security rules are so confusing sometimes