After reading all your helpful comments, I've decided I'll definitely switch to my own retirement benefit when I reach my FRA in 3 months. The math makes sense - getting that extra $700/month right away is better than waiting. And I'll continue my part-time job since I enjoy it and there's no earnings limit after FRA. I have an appointment scheduled with SSA next week to discuss the switch. Thanks everyone for your advice and sharing your experiences!

Congratulations on making a well-informed decision! It sounds like you really thought this through with everyone's help. That extra $700/month will make a real difference in your quality of life, and it's great that you can keep doing work you enjoy without worrying about earnings limits. Best of luck with your SSA appointment next week - hopefully it goes smoothly and you can get everything switched over without any hassles!

my neighbor said her congresman told her the wep repeal might be included in end of year budget stuff. has anyone else heard this??

I'm in a very similar situation with my UK pension! I worked there for 16 years and the WEP is absolutely crushing me financially. What really gets me is that they calculate WEP based on the gross foreign pension amount, completely ignoring that we're already paying taxes on it to the foreign country AND sometimes to the US as well. I've been following the legislative efforts closely, and from what I understand, the Social Security 2100 Act would completely eliminate WEP for ALL affected beneficiaries, including those with foreign pensions like us. The other bill (Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act) would only provide partial relief but it's more targeted toward US government employees. One thing that might help in the meantime - have you considered consulting with a tax professional who specializes in international taxation? Sometimes there are ways to structure things or claim certain deductions that can reduce the overall impact, though it won't fix the underlying WEP problem. Also, definitely try that escalation process that Savannah mentioned. After 9 months, you have every right to demand answers from SSA. Keep pushing - squeaky wheel gets the grease!

Has anyone here actually had success getting the GPO removed or reduced?? I read somewhere that if you work your last 5 years in a job covered by Social Security the GPO doesn't apply?? Is that true??

As a fellow educator who's been navigating these waters, I want to emphasize what others have said - your children's benefits are completely safe from any GPO or WEP reductions. That's the most important thing right now. I'd also suggest creating a my Social Security account online if you haven't already. While it won't show GPO calculations, you can see your earnings history and get benefit estimates. This will help you prepare for future decisions about when to claim benefits and whether your own retirement benefit might be better than the GPO-reduced widow's benefit. One thing I learned from my own research: some states have modified their teacher retirement systems in recent years. Depending on when you started teaching and which state you're in, you might be in a "hybrid" system where you DO pay Social Security taxes on part of your earnings. This could affect your GPO calculation, so it's worth verifying with your pension administrator exactly what type of system you're in. The key is getting accurate information now so you can plan ahead. Don't let the confusing phone calls discourage you - your situation is manageable once you understand the rules.

To follow up on your security concerns: SSA has secure internal procedures for handling forms with personal information, but they won't process forms in front of you. They use their Modernized Claims System (MCS) to input withholding requests, but this happens in their back office processing centers. One option for more security: you can complete the W-4V online through your my Social Security account in some cases, avoiding paper forms entirely. Have you checked if that's available to you?

Hey Sean! I just went through this exact process about 6 months ago when I started my Social Security benefits. Here's what I learned: For security, I ended up doing a hybrid approach - I filled out the W-4V form at home (got it from IRS.gov), made copies, then took it to my local SSA office. They gave me a receipt with the date and their initials, which made me feel better about having proof of submission. The processing time was about 5-6 weeks for me, and I could see the withholding start on my monthly benefit statement. One thing nobody mentioned - you can actually change or stop the withholding later if needed by submitting a new W-4V. Also, since you're just starting benefits, you might want to consider whether you need the full 7% minimum withheld. I started with 7% but realized it was too much for my situation and switched to quarterly estimated payments instead. You can always adjust if needed! The SSA folks were actually pretty helpful when I went in person, even though they couldn't process it on the spot. Having that receipt gave me peace of mind.

One last important point: Make sure you both have continuous earnings records with Social Security. If either of you has years with zero or low earnings, working a bit longer could potentially increase your benefit amounts by replacing those lower-earning years in the calculation. SSA uses your highest 35 years of earnings (indexed for inflation) to calculate benefits. This might be particularly relevant for your wife if she had years out of the workforce.

Just wanted to add one more perspective as someone who recently went through this process. Based on everyone's responses, it sounds like you've got the right understanding now - your wife should file at her FRA since she won't get any spousal benefits anyway. But here's something to consider: even though she won't get spousal benefits now, if your circumstances change (like if you become disabled or pass away), the survivor benefits could be significantly higher since you're waiting until 70. So your strategy of her filing at FRA and you waiting until 70 makes sense from both a cash flow and long-term planning perspective. Also, I'd recommend calling SSA about 3-4 months before her FRA to start the application process. Even though online is easier, sometimes it helps to have a phone conversation to confirm all the details, especially with the birth date quirk (being born on the 1st). Good luck with your planning!