wait i'm confused... doesnt the earnings limit go away at 62? or is it 67? my brother is dealing with this too

I'm sorry for your loss, and I understand how confusing this whole situation can be. You're actually doing everything right! The key thing to remember is that even though your survivor benefit is reduced because you claimed at 60, you still have the flexibility to switch to your own retirement benefit later if it's higher. Since you're planning to wait until 70 for your own benefit, you'll get those delayed retirement credits that can make your own benefit significantly higher than the survivor benefit. The months where you don't receive survivor payments due to working aren't "lost" - you're still building up your own Social Security record during that time. One tip: keep track of your earnings each year and maybe consider using the SSA website to estimate what your benefit will be at 70. That way you can plan ahead and know for sure which benefit will be better when the time comes to switch.

Yes, they said my own benefit at FRA would be about $2,650. So the ex-spousal benefit would be less than my own even at FRA. And waiting until 70 gives me an extra $800/month for potentially decades. Since I'm still working part-time and have some savings, I think I can make it work financially until 70.

Great job getting all that information sorted out! Just wanted to add that you should also consider getting a my Social Security account at ssa.gov if you don't already have one. It'll show you projections of your benefits at different claiming ages and update annually with your latest earnings. Also, since you're planning to wait until 70, make sure to file your application about 3 months before your 70th birthday - benefits can't be paid retroactively beyond 6 months, so you don't want to accidentally lose any money by filing too late. The delayed retirement credits stop accumulating after age 70, so there's no benefit to waiting beyond that point.

Thank you all for the helpful explanations! I feel much better now understanding that my benefits won't be affected regardless of what my ex tries to do. And it sounds like because of the GPO, he probably wouldn't qualify for anything on my record anyway with his pension being so substantial. I appreciate everyone taking the time to explain all the technical details - Social Security rules are so complicated!

Just wanted to add one more thing that might be helpful - even though your ex probably won't qualify for benefits on your record due to GPO, he could still potentially file an application just to get an official determination from SSA. Sometimes people are surprised by the exact calculations, especially if their pension amount changes or if there are other factors involved. The worst case scenario is he gets a formal denial letter, but at least then he'd have definitive answers rather than assumptions. That said, based on what you've described with his $4,800 monthly pension, the math definitely suggests GPO would eliminate any potential benefit.

Thanks everyone for the advice! After weighing all options, I think I'm going to: 1. Use that Claimyr service to actually speak with someone at SSA about my specific situation 2. File for SS retirement now to cover the gap when my NJ disability ends 3. Accept that there will be a permanent reduction, but it's better than draining my 401k 4. When I return to work, let them withhold benefits as needed based on my earnings The clarification about how they adjust the benefit at FRA for withheld months was really helpful. Still not ideal, but seems like the best option in my situation. I'll also check with my employer about whether long-term disability might kick in after my short-term benefits end, and look into the unemployment suggestion too. Every bit helps during recovery!

That sounds like a solid plan! You've clearly done your homework on this. One additional thing to consider - make sure to keep detailed records of your medical appointments and recovery progress. If your recovery takes longer than expected and you end up needing to apply for SSDI after all, having that documentation will be crucial for your case. Also, when you do speak with the SSA representative through Claimyr, ask them about the "do-over" rule (withdrawal of application). You have 12 months from when you first receive benefits to completely withdraw your application and pay back what you received, essentially getting a fresh start. It's rarely worth it financially, but good to know it exists as an option if your situation changes dramatically. Best of luck with your recovery! Taking care of your health is the most important thing right now.

One more thing worth mentioning - if you're married or divorced after a long marriage, make sure you're looking at spousal benefit options too. Sometimes that can provide a higher benefit amount depending on your spouse's earnings record. The calculations get more complex, but it's definitely worth exploring all your options.

I'm in a similar situation and have been researching this extensively! One thing I discovered that might help you is that the SSA website has a retirement estimator tool that can show you different scenarios. You can input various earnings amounts and see how they might affect your benefit calculation. Also, since you mentioned having zero years due to raising kids, you might want to look into whether any of those years qualify for "child care dropout years" - it's a provision that can exclude up to 3 years of low/zero earnings from your calculation if you were caring for a child under 16. Not everyone knows about this! The automatic recalculation that others mentioned is real - I've seen it happen for several people in my retirement planning group. Just keep good records of your earnings so you can verify the increases when they happen.