Not to get off topic but make sure ur checking the tax implications to! When I retired at 63 I had SS + part time work and got surprised by how social security is taxed when u have other income. Up to 85% of benefits can be taxable if ur over certain thresholds.

Just wanted to add one more consideration that might help with your planning. Since your wife will be retiring in August, you should also think about how the timing affects her annual earnings record for Social Security benefit calculations. If she's close to her highest 35 years of earnings, working those extra months in 2025 could potentially increase her average indexed monthly earnings (AIME) and boost her benefit amount. This might offset some of the complications with the earnings test. Also, regarding the maintenance payments - if her sister is paying her as an independent contractor for property maintenance, make sure you're keeping detailed records of when the work was actually performed versus when payment is received. This documentation will be crucial if SSA questions the timing of those earnings. Have you considered having her sister put the maintenance payments on a more regular schedule starting in 2025? Even quarterly payments would be easier to track than one annual lump sum in December.

I went through a similar situation when I started receiving benefits last year. The family maximum definitely hit us harder than expected too. One thing that helped me understand it better was using the SSA's online benefit calculators, but as others mentioned, they don't always show the family max impact clearly. What I found most helpful was keeping detailed records of all our communications with SSA. When I finally got through to someone knowledgeable, they were able to walk me through each step of the calculation. The bend point formula that Dmitry explained is exactly right - your numbers sound like they're calculated correctly based on your PIA. One tip: if you do call SSA, try calling right when they open at 7 AM local time. I had much better luck getting through quickly in that first hour. Also, don't hesitate to ask the representative to transfer you to someone who specializes in family benefit calculations if the first person seems unsure about the details. The family maximum rules have been around since the 1960s, so while it feels unfair when it affects your family, it's designed to prevent total family benefits from becoming too high relative to what the worker contributed. Still doesn't make it less frustrating when you're planning your finances around those theoretical 50% amounts!

I'm going through the exact same situation right now with my family benefits! My husband's PIA is $2,650 and we're seeing similar reductions for our 10-year-old son and me. I called SSA three times and finally got someone who explained that the family maximum is calculated using those bend points others mentioned, but what really helped was asking for a written explanation of the calculation. One thing I learned is that you can also check if there were any errors in your earnings record that might have affected your PIA calculation. Sometimes correcting even small discrepancies can bump up your PIA enough to increase the family maximum threshold. It's worth requesting your full earnings history if you haven't already. Also, I discovered that some online calculators specifically designed for family benefits are more accurate than the basic SSA ones. The AARP Social Security calculator and the one from Social Security Solutions both factor in family maximums better than most others I tried. The timing issue about benefits ending when kids turn 16 vs 18/19 really caught me off guard too. We're already starting to save extra now to prepare for that gap period when I'll lose benefits but won't be old enough for my own retirement yet.

One more important point: If you do exceed the earnings limit, SSA doesn't necessarily reduce each month's benefit by the same amount. They typically withhold benefits completely for some months rather than reducing each payment. For example, if they determine you need to repay $5,000, and your monthly benefit is $2,500, they might withhold 2 full months of benefits. They'll notify you before they do this. Also, remember that any benefits withheld due to excess earnings aren't truly "lost" - once you reach FRA, SSA recalculates your benefit amount to give you credit for those months when benefits were withheld.

As someone who recently navigated this exact situation, I want to add a few practical tips that helped me: 1. **Create a simple tracking system NOW** - I use a basic spreadsheet with columns for date, hours worked, type of work, and income earned. This makes it easy to see if you're approaching either limit. 2. **Be conservative with your planning** - I aimed to stay about 10% under both the income and hours limits to give myself a buffer for unexpected projects or miscalculations. 3. **Consider timing your invoicing** - Since you're self-employed, you might have some flexibility in when you send invoices and receive payments. This can help you manage which months income gets counted toward. 4. **Keep ALL business records** - Even if SSA doesn't ask for them, having detailed records of expenses, hours, and income will save you headaches if questions arise later. The good news is that once you hit your FRA in August 2025, all these restrictions disappear completely. You're only dealing with about 8 months of careful tracking. It's manageable if you stay organized from the start!

I'm also in Florida (Fort Lauderdale area) and have been dealing with this same nightmare! Reading through everyone's experiences here is both reassuring and depressing - at least I know it's not just me struggling with this system. I tried calling yesterday morning around 10am and got the busy signal, then tried again around noon and waited 1.5 hours before giving up. Based on all the great advice in this thread, I'm planning to try the Wednesday afternoon approach (around 1-2pm) that several people mentioned. Also going to check my online Social Security account first - I totally forgot that was even an option! For my situation I just need to update my address after a recent move, so maybe I can handle that online without calling at all. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and strategies. It's really helpful to know what's working (and what isn't) for other people dealing with the same frustrating system!

I'm also new to this community and currently dealing with the same phone nightmare in Tallahassee! Been trying to reach SSA about updating my direct deposit information after switching banks, and it's been absolutely impossible. Reading through all these experiences really validates how broken the system is right now. I'm definitely going to try the Wednesday afternoon strategy around 1-2pm that several people have had success with. Also had no idea about checking my Social Security online account first - that could potentially save me from having to call at all for something like a direct deposit change. For anyone still struggling with this, it sounds like the key takeaways are: 1) Try Wednesday/Thursday afternoons instead of mornings, 2) Check your online account first to see if you can handle it there, 3) Have all your info ready before calling, and 4) Consider that third-party callback service if you're really desperate. Thanks to everyone for sharing their real experiences and actual strategies that work. It's frustrating we have to jump through so many hoops, but at least this gives me a better game plan than just repeatedly calling at random times!

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I've learned so much. To summarize what I understand now: Since my sister was born after 1954, when her SSDI converts to retirement at 67, she has to choose either her own benefit OR 50% of her ex's (whichever is higher) - she can't do one then switch to the other. I'll help her set up a my Social Security account to see her projected benefit amount and then we'll try to figure out what her ex might be receiving to compare. I appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this complicated situation!

Just wanted to add one more consideration that hasn't been mentioned yet - if your sister's ex-husband hasn't filed for his own benefits yet, she might still be able to claim divorced spouse benefits even if he's just eligible (age 62+). The rule is that if they've been divorced for at least 2 years, she can claim on his record even if he hasn't actually applied yet. This could be relevant depending on his age and filing status. Also, make sure she understands that claiming divorced spouse benefits won't affect what her ex receives - it's completely independent of his benefits. Good luck navigating all this!