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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 I had no idea about that restricted application strategy being eliminated - I guess I was reading outdated information.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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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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Thank you all for the helpful responses! This is much clearer now. I'm going to gather my documents (birth certificate, divorce decrees, etc.) and try to reach SSA. I'll definitely check out that Claimyr service since calling SSA directly has been so frustrating. One last question - once I start receiving benefits from one ex-spouse, if the other ex gets a big raise or promotion years later, can I switch to claiming on their record instead? Or am I locked into my initial choice?
Good question! Your ex-spouse's future earnings wouldn't affect your benefit amount once they're already receiving Social Security. Benefits are calculated based on their lifetime earnings up to the point they claim. However, if one ex-spouse was significantly younger and hasn't claimed yet, there could potentially be some additional earnings added to their record. In that case, SSA should automatically adjust your benefit if it would result in a higher payment. But generally, once you're receiving benefits, major changes are uncommon.
oh and dont forget bout taxes! up to 85% of SS can be taxable if ur other income is high enuf. caught me by surprise first year
That's a good point about taxes - I hadn't thought about that. I do have some investment income and a part-time job, so I'll need to look into how that affects the taxation of Social Security benefits. Thanks for the reminder!
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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.
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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