Social Security Administration
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Lost my Social Security Survivors benefits earnings report form - can I just write my income on paper instead?
I've been collecting Survivors benefits since my husband passed away 3 years ago. Every year SSA sends me that form to report my expected earnings for the year (I think it's SSA-1099 or something?). Well, I've either lost the form or it never arrived in my mailbox this year. The problem is I'm working at a new job now and expect to make about $32,000 this year compared to just $19,000 last year. I know I need to report this higher income so they don't overpay me and then demand money back later. Can I just write my info on regular paper and mail it to my local office? I really want to avoid calling and being stuck on hold for 2+ hours. Is there any way to download this specific form online? I've looked around the SSA website but got completely lost in all the different sections.
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Can I work part-time after switching from survivor SSDI to my own Social Security at FRA?
I've been receiving SSDI on my late husband's record since I became disabled. I never qualified for SSDI on my own because I hadn't worked enough in the 5 years before my disability. This year I reached my Full Retirement Age (66 and 8 months) on my own record, and Social Security contacted me about switching to my own retirement benefits since they would be higher going forward. During the phone call, the rep specifically asked if I planned to work in the future. I said no because I still consider myself disabled (though apparently not by their standards on my own record). But now I've been offered a part-time work-from-home position starting next year that I think I could manage despite my condition. Do I need to call SSA and tell them about this potential job? I'm confused about why they asked about future work in the first place since I thought once you reach FRA, you can work without penalty. Are there different rules since I was previously on SSDI through my husband's record? I don't want to mess anything up with my benefits!
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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.
Thank you for such a detailed explanation! That makes so much sense now - I didn't realize I was technically on Disabled Widow's Benefits rather than regular SSDI. The "technical termination" of disability status explains why they were asking those questions. This has been really helpful!
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!
thats so true! i volunteer 2 days a week and it keeps me going even though its not paid work. gives me something to look forward to.
Should I take Social Security at 68 to fund home renovations or wait until 70 for maximum benefit?
I'm currently 67 and approaching a decision point about my Social Security benefits. I need to renovate my bathroom ($18,500) and kitchen ($27,000) to make them more accessible as I age. The contractor says they can start in 3 months. If I claim now at 68 and 2 months, my monthly benefit would be around $3,100. If I wait until 70, it jumps to about $3,844. I've been weighing my options: 1) Claim now and use the SS income to fund renovations 2) Take out a home equity loan (but interest rates are high) 3) Wait until 70 for max benefit, then finance renovations I'm still working part-time ($26K/year) but plan to fully retire at 70. My health is good and longevity runs in my family (parents lived to 88 and 93). What would you do in my situation? Is giving up $744/month forever worth getting the renovations done sooner?
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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
Your sister isn't wrong that there's a breakeven point! But that point is typically around age 80-82 for most people comparing age 62 vs 70 filing. For someone with above-average life expectancy, the total lifetime benefits can be substantially higher when delaying. Each situation is different though - some people genuinely need the money earlier or have health concerns that make early filing reasonable.
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.
Confused about Social Security spousal benefits top-up - can I increase my benefit after husband filed at 70?
Hi everyone, I'm really confused about how the Social Security spousal benefit 'top-up' works in my situation. I started collecting my spousal benefits at 62 (back in 2020) based on my husband's record since I didn't have enough work credits on my own. My husband is 5½ years older than me, but he delayed taking his Social Security until he turned 70 (in 2022). Currently, I'm only getting about 23% of what he receives each month. I've been hearing about something called a 'spousal top-up' benefit, but I don't understand if this applies to me since I started taking benefits before he did. Can I get my monthly amount increased somehow now that he's collecting his maximum benefit? I feel like I'm missing out on money I might be entitled to receive. Has anyone been in a similar situation or know how this works?
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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.
Will delaying Social Security from 65 to 66 increase my benefit amount with no income that year?
Getting ready to retire next January (2025) when I hit 65, but I've been reading about delayed retirement credits. My plan is to live off my 401k for a year and not work at all, then start collecting Social Security when I turn 66. When I check my mySocialSecurity account, it shows my estimated benefit amount at different ages. My question is: if I'm not earning any income during that delay year, will my benefit amount still increase like the grid shows? Or does the increase only happen if you're still working and paying into the system during the delay? I don't want to wait a year for nothing if my benefit won't actually go up without new earnings. Thanks for any help understanding this!
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You guys are all confusing me more!!! So is it better to take SS at 65 or wait?? I'm in the same situation retiring next year and now I don't know what to do!!!
There's no one-size-fits-all answer. Delaying will mathematically increase your benefit (about 7-8% for each year you delay until FRA, then 8% per year after FRA until 70). Whether that's "better" depends on your health, other income sources, expected longevity, and immediate cash needs. The break-even point is typically around age 80 - if you expect to live beyond that, delaying often makes financial sense.
I want to thank everyone for their helpful responses! I've learned that my FRA is actually 67, not 66 like I thought. So waiting from 65 to 66 reduces my early retirement penalty but isn't actually delayed credits yet. I still get about 7.5% more monthly benefit even without working, which sounds worth it to me. And I'll definitely remember to sign up for Medicare at 65 regardless of when I take SS benefits. This has been incredibly helpful for my retirement planning!
Luca Romano
i tried that claimyr thing someone mentioned when i had a survivors benefits question last month and it actually worked. got through to ssa in like 20 mins instead of being on hold for hours. just saying it might save u a lot of time
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CosmicCruiser
how much does it cost tho?
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Sean Doyle
Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I'm going to try calling using that Claimyr service tomorrow morning, and if that doesn't work I'll write everything on paper and send it certified mail. I'll make sure to include all my info - SSN, contact details, my expected earnings, and a clear explanation. I'll update if I run into any more issues. Really appreciate all the help!
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Mateo Hernandez
That sounds like a solid plan. Remember to keep a copy of whatever you send for your records. Good luck!
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