have you checked the social security calculator on ssa.gov? my husband and i found it super helpful when we were planning our benefits. it doesnt tell you everything but at least gives you basic numbers to work with!!

One additional consideration - your husband's earnings after claiming might increase his benefit amount, but these increases are typically small and applied once per year. In my husband's case, he saw about a 1.5% increase annually from continued work. Something to factor into your calculations when deciding on timing. Also, make sure both of you have created your my Social Security accounts online. That way you can see your exact estimated benefits at different ages, which helps tremendously with planning.

To summarize what others have correctly stated: The payment received in October was for September benefits. Since your mother-in-law was alive throughout September, that payment is correctly paid and does not need to be returned. You should notify SSA of her passing as soon as possible to prevent any payments for October (which would be paid in November) from being issued. If a payment for October is issued, that would need to be returned since she wasn't alive for the entire month of October. Also, be aware that a surviving spouse or dependent child may be eligible for the one-time death benefit of $255, which is separate from the monthly benefits.

When my aunt died the bank froze her account and it was a mess trying to sort out which funds were supposed to stay and which had to go back. If your mom had direct deposit you might want to check with her bank too

i waited it out cause i hate calling them but mayb calling is better, my friend said somtimes they forget to hit some button in there system and it just sits there until someone checks?? idk if thats true

Update from the original poster would be helpful. Has there been any change in status? For others reading this thread, auxiliary benefits for children under a parent's record typically take 2-4 weeks for processing, but can take up to 6 weeks during high-volume periods. The SSA's published standard is 21 business days, but they rarely meet that timeline in practice.

my head hurts just reading all this pension offset stuff lol. but one thing nobody mentioned - have you looked into your state's disability benefits? some states have supplemental programs for ppl on SSDI with low payments. might be worth checking. also food stamps and energy assistance programs can help stretch that small SSDI check

One more thing to consider - when your spouse does reach retirement age, you should definitely reapply for spousal benefits even if you think the GPO might eliminate them. The calculations are complex, and depending on the size of their pension versus their Social Security benefit, you might still get some additional amount. Also, keep in mind that the rules for disability benefits can differ from retirement benefits in terms of how they interact with spousal benefits. Make sure when you contact SSA you specifically mention you're on SSDI, not retirement benefits, as this changes how certain provisions apply.

I'm dealing with weird SS stuff too right now but mine is about disability not retirement but still can't get anyone on the phone either it's so frustrating I've been calling for like 2 weeks straight and when I do get through after waiting forever they transfer me and then I get disconnected anyway sorry not helpful just commiserating

To follow up on some of the questions and confusion here: 1. The spousal benefit is NOT automatic in most cases - you generally need to apply for it. 2. The maximum spousal benefit is 50% of your spouse's PIA, but that's only if you wait until your own Full Retirement Age to claim spousal benefits. 3. Since you claimed at 62, your spousal benefit will be permanently reduced to around 32.5%-35% of his PIA (depending on your birth year). 4. The actual calculation SSA does is: (reduced spousal benefit amount) - (your own retirement benefit). 5. So you'd receive your own benefit plus potentially some additional amount as the 'spousal add-on.' To apply, you can call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 or visit your local office. I recommend bringing documentation showing both your and your husband's benefit amounts. Also bring your marriage certificate, as they'll need to verify your relationship.

this stuff is why the system is so messed up!! why make it so complicated?? my brother just turned 65 and hes waiting til 67 to collect cuz of all this earnings limit headache. seems like a scam to keep people from getting benefits they paid into their whole life

Thank you all for the helpful advice! After reading everything, I think my best option is to either wait until FRA or coordinate my Social Security filing with my reduced work hours through the phased retirement program. I'll probably use that Claimyr service to get through to SSA and discuss my specific situation. If I do the phased retirement starting in July 2025 (which would drop my income to about $43,000 for the year), would I still lose most of my benefits? Or would that lower income help with the earnings test?

i forgot to ask but does your husband know ur applying for this? my moms ex found out when she did this and he got really mad about it for some reason even tho it didnt affect his check at all lol

Just to follow up on my earlier comment - I want to emphasize that claiming spousal benefits will NOT reduce your husband's benefit amount in any way. This is a common misconception. His benefit remains exactly the same regardless of whether you claim on his record or not. This is important to understand, especially if there's any tension in your relationship.

my aunt tried to get her ex husband benefits and they made her go to court to get his info! but that was like 10 years ago so maybe rules changed

when i filed for ss they kept askin for stuff i already sent!! check ur mail careful cuz they send letters asking for same stuff over n over. took me 4 months to get approved

By the way if your own benefit will be higher at age 70, you were smart to take survivors at 60 even with the reduction. It's actually the optimal strategy in many cases - take the reduced survivor benefit while continuing to work and build up your own record, then switch to your own maximized benefit at 70. So you've actually handled this correctly!

wait i'm confused... doesnt the earnings limit go away at 62? or is it 67? my brother is dealing with this too

The whole process is MUCH more complicated than they make it sound!!! I tried doing mine online and kept getting ERROR messages when I was nearly finished! Lost ALL my work! Had to start over THREE TIMES!!! Then waited on hold for 2+ hours trying to get help. ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE. Just go to the office in person if you can!!!

Thank you everyone for all the helpful information! I feel much better prepared now. I've got my SS card, birth certificate, bank info, and I'll make sure I know my employment history for the past couple years. Good to know I probably won't need to upload actual documents for a standard retirement application. I'm going to set aside an hour this weekend to start the process. Really appreciate all the advice!