what about if u wait til your full retirement age? would u get more money then? sometimes its better to wait i think....

I'm so sorry for your loss, and I completely understand the difficult position you're in with your family's reactions. As someone who's dealt with similar family dynamics around Social Security decisions, I want to encourage you to move forward with your application. Your family's emotional reactions, while understandable, don't change the legal and practical reality of your situation. You sacrificed career advancement during your 22-year marriage to support your family, and the Social Security system specifically recognizes this contribution through survivor benefits for divorced spouses. A few thoughts that might help with the family conversations: - Emphasize that this isn't about your feelings toward your ex-husband or "profiting" from his death - it's about financial security in retirement - Explain that these benefits exist because society recognizes the economic impact of career sacrifices made for family - Point out that your claiming benefits doesn't reduce anyone else's benefits The $800+ monthly difference between what you'd get on his record versus your own is substantial and could be the difference between financial stress and security in your later years. You've already confirmed your eligibility with SSA - now it's just a matter of following through. Your daughter and others may come around once they see this is simply you accessing benefits you're legally entitled to, not an emotional statement about your past marriage.

That's right, there's no benefit increase for delaying past 70. In my case, I'd be getting 3.5 years of delayed retirement credits if I wait from my retirement at 66.5 until 70. It's the sweet spot of getting the maximum possible benefit.

As someone who's been through this exact decision process, I'd suggest creating a spreadsheet to map out the total household income under both scenarios. When I was deciding between claiming at 67 vs waiting until 70, I found it helpful to calculate the cumulative difference over 5, 10, and 15 year periods. In your case, claiming at 66.5 gives you both benefits starting immediately - your full retirement age benefit plus your wife's $500 spousal increase. That's real money in your pocket for 3.5 years while you wait. The breakeven analysis gets complicated when you factor in the time value of money and what you could do with that extra $500+ monthly. Don't forget to also consider Medicare premiums - they're deducted from your SS benefit, and having that steady income stream can help with budgeting those costs. Since you're retiring from teaching, you probably have good health insurance options, but it's still worth factoring in. The peace of mind of having both benefits flowing can be worth something too. My wife and I decided to claim at full retirement age and we've never regretted having that financial security locked in.

my neighbor worked for SSA for 30 years before retiring and she always told me they never actually skip payments unless theres a problem with eligibility. have you had any changes lately? new job? inheritance? moved? sometimes these trigger reviews and they hold payments

After reading through all your responses, I'm pretty sure this is a specific issue that needs direct SSA intervention. One possibility is that there was an unprocessed Change of Payment Address (even if you didn't change addresses), a bank account verification issue, or a routine eligibility review. These can sometimes result in a payment being held but not necessarily communicated clearly in your online account. Your March payment being scheduled suggests you're still eligible, which is good news. I would definitely prioritize speaking with an agent directly.

my sister in law waited 2 extra years for higher benefits and then passed away suddenly. don't mean to be negative but nobody knows how long theyll live! sometimes bird in hand worth two in bush as they say

Sofia, I went through this exact decision two years ago when I was 65 and 8 months. Like you, I was torn between taking the reduced survivor benefit immediately versus waiting for my FRA. After reading all the great advice here, I'd add one more consideration: have you thought about doing a "what if" calculation for different scenarios? Here's what helped me decide - I calculated the total amount I'd receive over different time periods. If you take $2,160 now for 10 months, that's $21,600. Then you'd get $2,480 ongoing. Compare that to waiting and getting $2,480 from the start. The crossover point is around 5.5 years, meaning if you expect to live longer than that from when you start benefits, waiting pays off financially. Given that you're in good health with family longevity, plus the earnings test issue others mentioned with your $22K job, waiting those 10 months seems like the right call. You've already waited 3 years - what's 10 more months for a permanently higher benefit and no earnings restrictions?

I wonder if they'd make the repeal retroactive?? Like would we get back pay for all the years we should have been getting benefits? Probably not, knowing how the government works, but it would be nice!!

As a fellow educator who's been following this issue closely, I want to add that timing matters a lot here. The current Social Security Fairness Act (H.R.82/S.393) has more cosponsors than previous attempts, but it still needs to get through committee and floor votes in both chambers. For your specific situation with 36 credits, you're actually pretty close to the 40-credit threshold. If you have any other work periods where you paid into SS (even part-time jobs, substitute teaching in districts that pay SS taxes, etc.), those might push you over. It's worth double-checking your complete work history. Also, regarding Medicare Part B - if GPO repeal passes and you start receiving spousal benefits, SSA would automatically deduct your Part B premiums from your SS check, which many people find more convenient than paying separately. Just another small benefit to consider! The reality is that this affects millions of public servants, and the political pressure is building. While I can't predict if/when it will pass, the momentum does seem stronger than in previous years.