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i think yur overthinking this. just take ur own ss at 70 and forget about the spouse thing. my uncle got a teachers pension and his own ss and hes fine.
This is not accurate advice. Whether the GPO and WEP apply depends on when the government service occurred and whether Social Security taxes were paid during that employment. Your uncle's situation might be different - perhaps he worked 30+ years under Social Security or his teaching position was in a state that participates in Social Security. The poster should definitely understand how GPO/WEP will affect her specific situation.
Thank you all for the helpful responses! I had no idea about that restricted application strategy being eliminated - I guess I was reading outdated information. I'll definitely need to look more carefully at the GPO calculator. My state pension will be around $4,200/month, so it sounds like that would completely wipe out any spousal benefits. I guess my best strategy might be to just wait and collect my own Social Security at 70, even with the WEP reduction. I'll try to get specific calculations from SSA using that Claimyr service someone mentioned. This is all so much more complicated than I expected!
That's a good plan. With a $4,200 monthly pension, the GPO would reduce any spousal benefits by $2,800 (2/3 of $4,200). Since half of your husband's benefit would be well below that amount, you likely wouldn't receive any spousal benefits. Regarding WEP, the maximum reduction for 2025 is $615.50 per month, but with 14 years of substantial earnings, your reduction would be less than that. Waiting until 70 to maximize your own benefit is often the best strategy when dealing with WEP.
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When my mom died my dad got that $255 payment automatically I think. But that was like 15 years ago so maybe the rules changed? It showed up in his bank account but he was already getting her SS check as a survivor benefit so maybe that's why it was automatic. The whole SS system is so confusing!!
The $255 death benefit is never paid automatically - someone must apply for it. What likely happened was that your dad applied for survivor benefits, and they processed the death benefit at the same time. It might have seemed automatic because it was all handled in one appointment or phone call. You're right that the system can be very confusing though!
Thank you everyone for the helpful information. I've made an appointment at my local SSA office for next week. I'll bring both our marriage certificate and his death certificate. I'm also going to ask about the survivor benefit options since it sounds like I might be leaving money on the table if I don't understand all the choices. I really appreciate the support during this difficult time.
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not related to WEP but my SS application took 4 months to process so just be patient. they're really backed up right now
Wow, 4 months is a long time. I was hoping it would be processed more quickly since I applied online. I guess I'll need to be patient.
One more thing to add - make sure to create and monitor your my Social Security account online. You'll be able to see when your claim is processed and check that the benefit amount seems correct based on your earnings history. The WEP formula used to reduce benefits by up to 50% of your non-covered pension amount (with a maximum reduction of $534 in 2025), so you can roughly calculate what your benefit should be without that reduction. If the numbers don't add up when your claim is processed, you'll have documentation to support your request for correction.
Great suggestion. I have a my Social Security account and have been checking it regularly. The estimated benefit amount shown there doesn't reflect any WEP reduction, so I'll use that as a reference point.
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Just my 2 cents but my financial advisor told me that for women especially it often makes sense to claim early since we tend to live longer. That way we get something earlier in life when we can enjoy it more. Just something to think about.
To summarize the key points for your situation: 1. If you claim your retirement benefit at 62, it will be permanently reduced (to about 70% of your FRA amount). 2. If your husband claims at 70, his benefit will be 132% of his FRA amount. 3. If he passes away after claiming, you would be eligible for survivor benefits equal to 100% of what he was receiving - IF you claim survivor benefits at or after your survivor FRA. 4. If you claim survivor benefits before your survivor FRA, they would be reduced. 5. You would receive either your own benefit OR the survivor benefit, whichever is higher, not both. Given these rules, your strategy of claiming early while he delays could work well if the goal is to maximize potential survivor benefits. Just be aware of the earnings test if you're still working when you claim early.
This summary is incredibly helpful! I think I understand much better now. Since he has the higher earnings history, maximizing his benefit by waiting until 70 seems smart for both of us in the long run. Thank you all for the helpful information!
Amara Adeyemi
my neighbor had same issue and got it fixed but it was a huge headache and they only gave her like 6 months of backpay even tho she shoulda been getting the higher amount for years. good luck dealing with the ssa lol
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Carmen Reyes
•That's what I'm afraid of - only getting a few months of backpay. It sounds like this is a pattern with them. Still, the monthly increase going forward would make a difference for my parents.
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Zoe Christodoulou
One additional point that hasn't been mentioned: When your mother transitions to survivor benefits after your father passes away (I know that's not pleasant to think about, but it's important for planning), she would become eligible for up to 100% of his benefit amount, not just the 50% spousal benefit. This is particularly relevant given your father's health concerns. For the current situation, I recommend taking these specific steps: 1. Gather their Social Security statements showing exact benefit amounts 2. Locate their marriage certificate 3. Find documentation showing when each began receiving benefits 4. Contact SSA with a specific request for a "spousal benefit recalculation" 5. Be prepared to complete form SSA-795 (Statement of Claimant) explaining when you discovered this potential oversight If you encounter resistance about receiving more than 6 months of retroactive benefits, ask specifically about "administrative finality" exceptions, which can sometimes extend this period in cases where SSA may have made an error.
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Carmen Reyes
•Thank you so much for mentioning the survivor benefits aspect. I hadn't thought about that, but it's definitely something we should prepare for given Dad's health. I appreciate the specific form names and steps - that makes this feel much more manageable. I'll start gathering those documents this weekend.
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