Got totally different survivor benefit amounts from two SS agents and I'm confused! Called SSA yesterday (waited nearly 5 hours - ridiculous!) to ask about survivor benefits since I'm turning 66 next year (my FRA). My husband passed away in 2023, and I currently receive his pension. The rep said I'd get approximately $2,375/month if I wait until my FRA to claim, which is about $1,250 LESS than what another rep told me back in January! Can they really be this far off from each other? More concerning is what the rep said about my husband's pension affecting my survivor benefits. When I asked if the pension counts as income for tax purposes when calculating my SS benefits, he said yes. But I thought pensions were handled differently with survivor benefits? I always believed only my own earned income would affect how my SS is taxed, not my husband's pension that I receive. Can someone please explain if the pension will count toward the income threshold that determines if my SS benefits are taxable? I'm worried I'll end up with much less than expected when I finally claim.

I need some guidance on spousal benefits with WEP involved. My situation is complicated! My husband is 71 (his FRA was 66) and started his Social Security at 62. His benefit got hit hard by the Windfall Elimination Provision because he receives a pension from working overseas. His FRA benefit would've been about $1,240 before the WEP reduction knocked it down. I'm approaching retirement at 62.5 (my FRA is 67), and planning to stop working in about 6 months. My Social Security benefit at FRA would be around $4,025, substantially higher than his. I'm thinking about starting my benefits somewhere between 64-65, definitely before my FRA. We never looked into spousal benefits before because we assumed the WEP made it pointless, but now I'm wondering - with the significant difference in our benefit amounts, would my husband qualify for spousal benefits even with his WEP reduction? And would his age (already past his FRA) affect how much he could get? The online calculators confuse me when WEP is involved.

I'm a recent widow trying to figure out the Social Security earnings test since I'll be returning to work. I'm currently receiving mother's benefits (child-in-care) for myself and survivor benefits for my kids (ages 15 and 14) based on my late husband's record. My children will turn 16 and 17 in October, which I know means my mother's benefits will end. I've been getting conflicting information about how the earnings limit works in my situation. Is it $23,400 for the entire year even though I'll only be receiving benefits until October? Or is it calculated monthly at $1,950 until my benefits stop? Also, my new job will have variable income (commission-based sales) - some months might be way over the limit while others might be under. How do I report this to SSA? Do I need to call them every single month when my paycheck changes? I'm scared of creating an overpayment situation but I need to work to support my family once these benefits end in October.

I lost my wife back in 2020 and at that time I was told I wouldn't qualify for survivor benefits because my firefighter pension was too high due to WEP/GPO. During my SSA office visit, the agent looked at her computer and we both kind of laughed about me getting 'zero' because of my pension. The thing is, I don't think I ever completed an actual application for survivor benefits or received a formal denial letter. Same thing happened when I went in for Medicare enrollment - just a quick conversation about not qualifying.I have an appointment coming up next week to discuss my benefits, and I'm suddenly worried - if I was technically eligible for SOMETHING (even a small amount) after my wife passed, would I lose out on any retroactive benefits from January 2024 because I never formally applied? I'm not even sure if I'm entitled to anything at all with my $5,800 monthly pension, but now I'm wondering if I made a mistake by not filing paperwork. Anyone know if an informal discussion counts as an 'application' in SSA's eyes?

I'm trying to maximize my Social Security and need some guidance. I'm planning to retire at my full retirement age of 67 next year. My ex-husband passed away last December, and we were married for 22 years before divorcing in 2011. I've been looking at the numbers, and it seems like his benefit amount would be about $2,150/month if I claim survivor benefits based on his record at 67. Meanwhile, if I delay my own retirement benefits until 70, they would increase to around $3,500/month. Would it be possible for me to claim the survivor benefits at 67 based on my ex-husband's record, and then switch to my own higher retirement benefits at 70? Or does Social Security force you to choose one path and stick with it? I've been getting conflicting information from friends and even when I called SSA (couldn't get through to an actual person). Thanks in advance for any help!