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To clarify the confusion in this thread: @profile5 - I suspect there's some misunderstanding about your situation. It's possible that: 1. You were born before January 1, 1954 (making you eligible for the restricted application) 2. You may have filed for your own benefit, then your spouse filed later, making you eligible for the higher spousal amount 3. You might be receiving a spousal benefit because it's higher than your own benefit The rule is very clear in SSA's Program Operations Manual System (POMS): individuals born after January 1, 1954 cannot file restricted applications for just spousal benefits while their own retirement benefit grows. @OP - If you're experiencing difficulty getting consistent information, I recommend: 1. Get an appointment with an SSA claims specialist (not just a service representative) 2. Ask specifically about "deemed filing rules for people born after January 1, 1954" 3. Request a written explanation of your filing options
Thank you so much for the detailed explanations. I'll definitely request an appointment with a claims specialist and ask about the deemed filing rules specifically. It sounds like waiting until 70 might be my best option if my own benefit would be larger than spousal at that point. I appreciate everyone's help!
Something no one has mentioned yet - even though you're approaching FRA, working part-time earning $25K won't affect your benefits because you'll be past your FRA when you file. Also, don't forget to consider how these benefits would be taxed when making your decision. Up to 85% of your Social Security can be taxable depending on your combined income. Since you're working part-time, you might want to calculate how the additional SS income would impact your tax situation.
That's an excellent point about taxes I hadn't fully considered. I'll definitely look into the tax implications before making my final decision.
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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!
Jamal Thompson
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.
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Yuki Nakamura
•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.
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Aisha Ali
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!
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Andre Moreau
•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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