Please tell your mother that whoever told her this is COMPLETELY WRONG! I wish the SSA would do more to educate people about this because this misconception causes so many seniors to limit their work unnecessarily. I'm 71 and make over $60K at my consulting job and get EVERY PENNY of my Social Security without reduction. The person who told her this was probably confusing the earnings limit that applies BEFORE full retirement age with the tax situation that can happen at ANY age.

Just to add some specific numbers to help your mom understand her tax situation, since that's probably what her friend was confusing with benefit reductions: - Single filers with combined income between $25,000-$34,000 may have up to 50% of SS benefits subject to tax - Single filers with combined income above $34,000 may have up to 85% of SS benefits subject to tax "Combined income" means adjusted gross income + nontaxable interest + 1/2 of Social Security benefits. But again, this is just about how much of her SS might be taxable on her tax return. It has absolutely no effect on the amount of her monthly benefit check from Social Security.

I got widowed in 2019 and got hit with the GPO too because of my federal pension. I actually called my local office last week about something else and asked about this while I had them on the phone. The rep specifically said I don't need to do anything since I'm already getting the reduced amount. She said they'll be adjusting everyone automatically starting in 2025 and it'll happen in phases over 3 years.

Thank you all for the responses! This has been incredibly helpful. I'm going to ignore my friend's advice and trust that SSA will adjust my benefits automatically as their website states. I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and knowledge - it's given me peace of mind knowing I'm not missing some crucial deadline. I might try that Claimyr service just to get official confirmation from SSA, but it sounds like I'm already doing everything right by simply waiting for the automatic adjustment in 2025.

Tell your friend he should look at his life expectancy. Everyone here is assuming he'll live a long time but what if he doesn't? My dad waited to claim and then only got benefits for 4 years before he passed. If he claims at 62, that's 8 years of benefits he'd get before 70. That's a lot of money! And another thing - what about spousal benefits for his wife? His wife has to be 62 to claim those I think so that's a long way off. But once she reaches that age it's based on his PIA so if he takes early it won't affect her spousal amount I'm pretty sure.

Thank you all for the incredible advice! I spoke with my friend today and shared your insights. He was surprised to learn about how his claiming age would affect potential survivor benefits for both his kids AND his wife. He's going to try using the Claimyr service to actually speak with someone at SSA about his specific numbers. He's now leaning toward waiting until at least his FRA, possibly longer. The family maximum benefit concept was new to him too. It sounds like the best approach is to get actual calculations from SSA for different claiming scenarios to see the real impact on total family benefits. Really appreciate all your help with this unusual situation!

btw OP, make sure you actually file an application even if you think you might not get anything. sometimes people are surprised by the result and if you dont file you definitely get nothing

Update: I called SSA this morning (got through after only 45 minutes!) and they confirmed they do still have my marriage and divorce records on file from when I applied for Medicare. The representative ran some preliminary numbers and thinks I might get about $75/month after the GPO reduction. Not a fortune but better than nothing! I have an appointment next week to file the formal application. Thanks everyone for your help!

I've been dealing with both WEP and GPO for YEARS and can tell you that the key factor is WHO earned what. In your situation: 1. YOU earned SS benefits through YOUR work = You get your full SS retirement 2. YOUR HUSBAND earned a federal pension that pays you survivor benefits = Doesn't trigger GPO on your own SS GPO would only apply if YOU worked a government job not covered by SS AND tried to claim SS spousal/widow benefits based on your husband's SS record. WEP would only apply if YOU worked both SS-covered AND non-SS-covered jobs. Since neither applies to you, there's no reduction and no indicator needed on your account. You're receiving exactly what you're entitled to!

i think your fine but maybe they just havent caught up with you yet? my uncle got a letter 18 months after he started getting benefits saying they made a mistake and he had to pay back $$$. i would just save some money just in case they come after you later. SSA is so behind on everything