Just to add some technical detail here that might be helpful: The earnings test that limits benefits only applies in these situations: 1. If you're collecting benefits before your FRA, the annual earnings limit applies ($22,320 in 2024). 2. In the year you reach FRA, a higher limit applies only to earnings in the months BEFORE the month you reach FRA ($59,520 in 2024). 3. Once you reach FRA, there is NO earnings limit, period. Since you reached FRA in April 2024, and won't start benefits until February 2025, the earnings test doesn't affect you at all. The SSA collects this information from everyone because their forms are standardized and the same information is relevant to many other beneficiaries. Also, continuing to work might actually increase your benefit amount if these earnings are higher than some earlier years used in your benefit calculation.

Thanks everyone for your helpful responses! I'm going to finish my application now with a lot more confidence. It sounds like this is just standard procedure and nothing to worry about since I'll be well past my FRA when I start collecting in February. Really appreciate all the explanations!

my sister took SS at 62 and her neighbor waited till 70. the neighbor gets like $1000 more a month but my sister already collected for 8 years before neighbor got anything. sister says shell be dead before neighbor catches up lol

Thanks everyone for the thoughtful responses! After reading all your comments, I've decided to wait until 70 to claim my Social Security. I'll look into the special home renovation loans that were suggested and plan to have the work done after I fully retire. The math of getting an extra $744/month for potentially 20+ years is just too compelling to ignore.

To clarify a few technical points: 1. When you were receiving disability benefits on your husband's record, you were actually receiving what's called "Disabled Widow(er)'s Benefits" (DWB), a specific type of survivor benefit, not traditional SSDI on your own record. 2. Now that you've reached your FRA and switched to your own retirement benefit, you've undergone what's called a "technical termination" of your disability status. Your benefit is now calculated and treated exactly like any retirement benefit. 3. The earnings test (which limits how much you can earn) only applies to people receiving benefits before their FRA. Since you're at your FRA, you can earn unlimited amounts without affecting your monthly benefit amount. 4. The question about future work is standard during benefit conversion interviews. It helps the representative determine if they need to explain earnings limitations (not applicable in your case) or provide information about how work might affect taxes on your benefits (which is still relevant). 5. You don't need to report your intention to work to SSA, but your earnings will be reported through normal tax channels, which is all that's required.

Just wanted to add that working part-time from home was such a positive thing for me after years on disability. Beyond the extra income, it gave me purpose and routine that actually helped my health in some ways. Hope it works out well for you too!

If you're determined to maximize what you can get, here's what I'd suggest: 1. Consider working part-time to earn those final 3 quarters. In 2025, you need to earn about $1,640 per quarter to get a credit. So that's around $4,920 total to get your 40 quarters. 2. Once you have 40 quarters, you'd be eligible for your own benefit (though it will be small and reduced by WEP), but it might be more than what you'd get as a spouse after the GPO reduction. 3. Request a detailed benefits calculation from SSA. They can run the numbers with and without the additional credits to help you make an informed decision. 4. Make sure SSA has your complete earnings record. Sometimes quarters from decades ago can be missing, and you might actually be closer to 40 than you think. Additionally, both WEP and GPO have maximum reduction amounts, so in some scenarios, it might be worthwhile to understand exactly how these would impact your specific situation.

I want to thank everyone for all this helpful information. I'm going to try that Claimyr service mentioned above to actually speak with someone at SSA without the endless waiting and disconnections. I'm also going to look into part-time work to get those last 3 quarters - even if the benefit is small, it sounds better than nothing. The whole GPO situation is really disheartening. I had no idea my teaching career would end up reducing benefits I might have received through my husband's record. I wish there had been better retirement planning resources specifically for teachers when I was younger. If anyone has had success getting benefits despite GPO or has found other strategies, I'd still love to hear about them!

Just to clarify something important: if your husband passes away before you, your situation would change significantly. As his widow, you would be eligible for survivor benefits equal to 100% of what he was receiving - including all those delayed retirement credits from waiting until 70. This is actually one of the key retirement planning strategies for couples with age differences. The higher earner often delays benefits until 70 specifically to maximize the survivor benefit for the younger spouse. So while you don't benefit from his delayed credits now, they could provide significant financial protection for you later.

That's actually comforting to know. I didn't realize survivor benefits would include his delayed credits. At least there's some benefit to his decision to wait until 70.