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Just wanted to add that you should definitely run multiple scenarios with SSA once the legislation is finalized. In my case, we discovered that my wife was actually better off with her WEP-reduced benefit than the spousal benefit after GPO. The math gets tricky and depends on your specific work history and pension amounts.
Excellent point. And remember that the repeal bills currently being considered have different implementation timelines - some propose immediate full repeal while others phase it out over 5-10 years. This could significantly affect your planning, especially if either of you is nearing 70 when delayed retirement credits max out.
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another thing - inflation. that $130 diffrence will be worth less in 10 yrs anyway
Social Security benefits receive annual Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) that are tied to inflation. So while the purchasing power of $130 might decrease over time, the actual dollar amount of the difference would increase with each COLA adjustment.
Thank you all for the thoughtful responses! I've decided to go ahead and apply for benefits now instead of waiting. The break-even analysis and the point about enjoying the money while I'm still active enough to use it for travel and hobbies really resonated with me. I've started the application online yesterday and hopefully it goes smoothly. I appreciate all the different perspectives!
Good luck with your application! Remember to check your MySSA account regularly for updates on the processing status. If you have any issues, calling early in the morning (right when they open) usually means shorter wait times.
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My situation was kind of similar but without the railroad part. I filed early at 62 with a 9 year old and my wife waited until her FRA. One thing nobody mentioned is that the family maximum is pretty low when YOU file early. It limited what my kid got. Also the whole 50% thing gets confusing because it's 50% of something but the family maximum can reduce it. The SSA explanation of family maximum calculations makes my head hurt LOL!!!
THIS!!!! The family maximum is so confusing and the formula is impossible to understand. When I filed at 62 with kids, I was shocked at how the family maximum reduced what I thought they'd get. The SSA website calculator is useless for complex situations.
Based on all the discussion here, I'd recommend these steps: 1. Given the recent WEP repeal, wait a few months for updated guidance from both SSA and RRB before making any decisions about your husband filing. 2. Request a benefit verification letter from SSA that shows your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount), your current benefit amount, your son's benefit amount, and the family maximum on your record. 3. Have your husband request his Social Security Statement to see what his PIA would be. 4. With those numbers in hand, you can calculate whether it makes sense for your husband to file early just for your son's benefit. 5. Consider that your son's benefit eligibility will end when he turns 18 (or 19 if still in high school), so filing early only provides benefits for a limited time. 6. Remember that if your husband files early but continues working, his eventual benefit at FRA will be recalculated to account for months when benefits were withheld due to the Retirement Earnings Test. This approach gives you concrete numbers to work with while allowing time for the policy implications of the WEP repeal to become clearer.
I think this is the most sensible approach. I'll get the benefit verification letter from SSA and have my husband request his statement. That way we'll have the real numbers to work with. And we'll wait for more guidance on the WEP repeal implications before making any decisions. Thank you so much for this thoughtful advice!
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This has been super informative, everyone. I'm in a similar situation (62, widowed last year) but I'm confused about one thing. My husband took his benefits early at 62. Does that affect how much I can get as a survivor benefit? Someone told me I'd only get what he was getting when he died, which was reduced because he filed early.
Yes, your survivor benefit is based on what your husband was receiving when he died. Since he filed early at 62, his benefit was reduced by about 30% from what it would have been at his FRA. Your survivor benefit will be based on that reduced amount. However, if you wait until your FRA to claim the survivor benefit, you can get 100% of what he was receiving. If you claim before your FRA, your survivor benefit will be further reduced based on your age. But the strategy of claiming survivor benefits and then switching to your own retirement benefit at 70 can still be advantageous, especially if your own work record is strong.
Thank you all for the detailed advice! I'm going to move forward with applying for the survivor benefit while continuing to work part-time, and I'll definitely bring documentation about restricting my application to ONLY the survivor benefit. I'll also print out the relevant SSA rules just in case. I think this makes the most sense for my situation - I'll get some income from the survivor benefit now (even with the earnings test reduction), and then switch to my maximized retirement benefit at 70. Seems like the best of both worlds if I can get SSA to process it correctly. And if I can't get through to them by phone, I'll definitely check out that Claimyr service. Thanks again for all your help!
Nina Chan
Just want to say sending prayers to you and your wife. This stuff is so hard to deal with on top of everything else.
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Ruby Knight
Has anyone mentioned the fact that you might have choices about WHEN to take survivor benefits? Like if you have your own work record, sometimes it's better to take your own retirement at 62 and then switch to survivor benefits at FRA, or vice versa. The rules changed in 2015 but some options still exist. My financial advisor helped me figure this out and it meant about $45,000 more over my lifetime!
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Logan Stewart
•This is a critical point. Survivor benefits have more flexible claiming options than regular retirement benefits post-2015. You can still take one benefit type early and switch to the other later to maximize lifetime benefits. For example, if you're younger than FRA, you might take reduced survivor benefits and then switch to your own unreduced retirement benefit at 70 (when it maxes out). Or the reverse could be better depending on your respective earnings records. This can mean tens of thousands of dollars difference over a lifetime.
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