I've been through this exact situation! The first thing you should do is request a written PEBES statement showing the detailed calculation. Having everything in writing really helped me straighten out the discrepancy in my case. When I talked with Claimyr's customer service, they mentioned that a lot of their users are survivors dealing with similar benefit calculation issues. The SSA seems particularly prone to inconsistency with survivor benefits calculations for some reason.

Whatever you do, DON'T trust what they tell you over the phone!!! Get EVERYTHING in writing!!! When my husband passed, I got THREE different benefit amounts from THREE different reps, and the actual amount I received was LOWER than all three estimates! I was counting on that money and it created a real financial hardship. The SSA makes "mistakes" that conveniently always seem to save THEM money, not us! 😡

One more thing - DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!! Write down every conversation with SSA, get names of reps, take screenshots of your MySocialSecurity account info!!!! Trust me on this!!!!!

Thank you all for the helpful advice! I'm going to put together all these calculations before I make my filing decision. It sounds like my husband should definitely apply for the spousal benefit once I file, regardless of when I decide to start taking benefits. I'll make sure to document everything and specifically mention the WEP-spousal benefit calculation when we apply. And I'll definitely look into that Claimyr service - sounds like it could save a lot of frustration with the phone calls. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this complicated situation!

I want to add some clarification about when and how to report earnings to SSA in your situation: 1. Initial report: When you start working, call and inform them of your employment start date and estimated earnings. 2. Monthly reporting is NOT required for most beneficiaries. However, given your variable income, you might want to report quarterly or whenever you have a significant change from your estimate. 3. Annual reporting: You'll receive a form (SSA-632) at the beginning of each year to report your previous year's earnings. 4. Once your mother's benefits terminate in October, your earnings will no longer matter for Social Security purposes until you decide to file for your own retirement benefits in the future. 5. Keep documentation of all your communications with SSA (dates, representative names, what was discussed). The earnings test can be confusing, but in your case, focusing on the monthly limit until October is the correct approach.

When my husband passed a few years ago, I had a similar situation with the earnings test. My main advice is to OVER-report rather than under-report. I called SSA at the beginning of the year, mid-year when my income changed, and then again near year-end. It was annoying but I never had an overpayment issue. Just make sure you're tracking everything. Also, don't forget that your children's benefits continue until they graduate high school (if they're still in school at 18) - you'll need to complete some additional paperwork for that extension.

One more thing you should know: The fact that you didn't file earlier may actually work in your favor regarding retroactivity. Since you never received a formal denial, you could potentially argue that misinformation from an SSA employee prevented you from filing. This is called \

This is incredibly helpful information I had no idea about. I'll definitely bring up the misinformation form and ask about establishing a protective filing date from my 2020 visit. I remember it was in March 2020, right before the pandemic shut everything down. I imagine that might have contributed to the rushed service. Thank you so much for this suggestion!

make sure u have all ur documents!!! birth certificate, marriage license, divorce papers, death certificate for ex, etc. i forgot my divorce decree and had to reschedule my whole appointment and wait another 6 weeks!!

One other important thing to know - when you're receiving survivor benefits from 67-70, you can still work without any earnings limit penalties. The earnings test doesn't apply after you reach your full retirement age. So if you want to work part-time during those years, your survivor benefits won't be reduced no matter how much you earn.