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did u check if u qualify for spousal benefits? might get more that way depending on what ur spouse earned
I'm divorced (after 20 years of marriage) and never remarried. My ex made about the same as me income-wise. I know I can claim on his record since we were married over 10 years, but I think my own benefit would be higher? Not sure how to compare them.
To answer your question about seeing which 35 years SSA uses: Unfortunately, the my Social Security portal doesn't show exactly which years they're using in the calculation. They take your highest 35 years after indexing them for inflation (older earnings get adjusted upward). Regarding your divorce situation: You can claim on your ex-spouse's record if you were married 10+ years and haven't remarried. You'd get 50% of their FRA benefit amount if that's higher than your own benefit. With similar earnings histories, your own benefit is likely higher, but it's worth checking with SSA. And yes, the delayed retirement credit is 8% per year after FRA until age 70, so waiting from 66+6mo to 70 would give you about a 28% larger monthly benefit for life.
Thank you so much for the detailed explanation! This has been incredibly helpful. I think I'll schedule an appointment with the SSA to go over all these options before making my final decision.
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I think everyone's making this too complicated lol. Here's the simple version: if he was on SSDI when he died, that's the same amount as full retirement. SSDI payments aren't reduced like early retirement is. So you'd get that full amount after GPO repeal (if it happens). But honestly don't get your hopes up about the repeal, they've been promising that forever.
Thanks for putting it simply! So SSDI is the same as what he would've gotten at full retirement age? That makes sense. And yeah, I'm not counting on the repeal, but it would be nice!
Has anyone heard when the House will vote on the GPO repeal? My pension from teaching for 31 years is eating almost ALL of my late husband's SS benefit and I'm struggling to make ends meet!!
The House schedule isn't certain yet. The Senate passed it as part of the Social Security Fairness Act, but there's still significant legislative process ahead. I'd recommend following the National Association of Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) website as they post regular updates on the progress of the GPO/WEP repeal efforts.
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im confused - i thought you HAD to file for spousal benefits??? my neighbor gets a spousal benefit from her husband's record but she had to specifically ask for it when she went to the ss office
Your neighbor may have been grandfathered into the old rules. For people born before January 2, 1954, they could choose to take only spousal benefits while letting their own retirement benefit grow. But due to changes from the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, anyone born January 2, 1954 or later is subject to deemed filing, meaning they automatically apply for all benefits they're eligible for when they file. The SSA will pay whichever benefit amount is higher, but not both.
Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! I feel much better now understanding that my decision to file at my FRA won't negatively impact my husband's future benefits. I'll definitely check my earnings record as suggested and make sure everything is accurate before I submit my application. I appreciate all of your insights and personal experiences!
You're welcome! One last tip: when you do apply, print out your application confirmation page and keep records of everything. It's also good practice to check your bank account around the expected deposit date to make sure your payment arrives as scheduled. Your first payment should arrive the month after your birthday month (so August, in your case).
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Maybe this is a stupid question but why not just apply for SSI if SSDI isnt gonna work out? At least youd get something AND medicaid which helps with all the cancer treatment costs. Thats what my cousin did when he couldnt get SSDI cuz he hadnt worked in years.
That's not a stupid question at all! You're absolutely right that SSI might be an option if SSDI doesn't work out. However, there are some important differences: 1. SSI payments are generally lower than SSDI (maximum of $943/month for individuals in 2025) 2. SSI has strict asset limits of $2,000 for individuals 3. SSDI has no asset limits and payment amounts are based on your prior earnings 4. After 24 months on SSDI, you qualify for Medicare Ideally, OP should pursue both paths - try to establish an onset date for SSDI that falls before their Date Last Insured expired, while also continuing with the SSI application as a backup plan. That's likely why SSA is processing both.
Just wanted to add - make sure you tell SSA about ALL of your medical conditions, not just the cancer. If your disability claim goes back to 2012, they need to know everything that contributed to your inability to work back then. Many successful disability claims involve multiple conditions that combined make working impossible.
That's an excellent point. I have several chronic conditions besides the cancer that started back in 2012-2013. I'll make sure to document all of them and find my old medical records. Thank you!
Hunter Edmunds
They shouldn't be allowed to do this! You earned those benefits and they take them away just because you have a pension??! My dad worked for the railroad and they did this to him too. Such a scam.
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Caleb Stark
•It's certainly frustrating, but the rationale is that these pension systems were designed as replacements for Social Security, not supplements to it. The WEP/GPO provisions were meant to maintain parity between those who paid into SS their whole careers versus those who didn't. Not saying it's fair in all cases - especially for people who split careers between both systems.
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Ella Lewis
One more important thing: WEP can't reduce your Social Security by more than half of your pension amount. So with your $3,100 pension, the maximum WEP reduction would be $1,550. Also, if you have 30+ years of substantial earnings under Social Security, WEP doesn't apply at all. With 12 years, you get a partial exemption. And regarding the timing question - yes, waiting until your Full Retirement Age would avoid the early claiming reduction, which makes a significant difference. At 62, you'd get only about 70% of your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount), and then WEP would reduce that further.
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