I'm confused why youd even consider claiming now?? If your still working full time at a good job just wait until you ACTUALLY retire! Your getting penalized with the earnings limit AND taking reduced benefits before FRA. Makes no sense to file early in your situation, just my 2 cents!

To address your follow-up question - claiming ex-spouse benefits doesn't impact your own retirement benefits. When you eventually claim your own benefits, if they're higher than what you're receiving as an ex-spouse, you'll be automatically switched to the higher amount. This is different from spousal benefits strategies that existed before 2016. Given your full-time work and earnings level, you might want to consider these options: 1. Wait until your FRA (66+10 months) to avoid the earnings test entirely 2. Wait until you actually retire from your job 3. Speak with SSA to compare both benefit amounts to make an informed decision Remember that your own benefit increases by 8% per year if you delay claiming beyond your FRA, up until age 70, while ex-spouse benefits don't increase after your FRA.

dont forget to bring ur marriage certificates and divorce papers!! they wont be able to tell u accurate info without those!! my sister went in 3 times before they could help her with ex spouse benefits bcuz she didnt have right paperwork

Something no one has mentioned yet: if your current husband passes away, you could take widow's benefits at 60 (reduced), then switch to your own retirement at 62 if higher, then potentially switch AGAIN to ex-spouse survivor benefits if ex-spouse #2 passes away and those benefits would be higher. This maximizing strategy is complex but could mean thousands more in benefits over your lifetime. Make sure to ask the SSA rep to explain all possible sequencing scenarios. And definitely mention the RIB-LIM rule specifically - not all reps are familiar with how it works unless you use the technical term.

I'm so confused about all this COLA stuff. I'm on SSDI (not SSI), will I get the same 3.2% increase? And when will it show up? My payment date is January 24th this month.

Thanks everyone for the helpful info! I'll let my sister know about the PA state supplement too - she probably doesn't even know about that extra $22. Seems like such a small amount though when everything costs so much these days.

What state are you in? Some states have different rules about how their pensions interact with Social Security.

Based on the numbers you've shared, here's what your situation might look like: 1. Your TRS pension will be $3,750/month 2. Your survivor benefit is $2,280/month 3. Your own SS benefit would be about $840/month Under GPO, they would reduce your survivor benefit by $2,500 (2/3 of $3,750), which would eliminate your survivor benefit completely. However, your own SS benefit of $840 would be subject to WEP but not GPO. The WEP reduction is generally less severe than GPO and depends on your years of substantial earnings under Social Security. So your best option might be to take your TRS pension and your own reduced SS benefit rather than the survivor benefit. I'd recommend speaking with an SSA representative who can calculate the exact WEP reduction based on your work history.

One other thing worth noting: the determination of whether you're exempt from WEP due to 30+ years of substantial earnings is made at the time you become eligible for Social Security benefits. So even if you leave your county job before vesting, those years of non-covered employment will still count as "zeros" in the substantial earnings calculation. This doesn't sound like it will affect you since you already have 36 substantial years, but it's an important nuance for others who might be close to the 30-year threshold. Each year of non-covered employment essentially "uses up" one of your potential substantial earnings years.

To clarify what the previous commenter said: Whether you vest in the pension or not doesn't affect your WEP calculation. What matters is whether you have 30+ years of substantial earnings under Social Security. Since you already have 36 years of substantial earnings, you're fully protected from WEP regardless of whether you vest in your county pension or not. Your Social Security benefits will be calculated using the regular formula, not the reduced WEP formula. Vesting only determines whether you get the county pension - it doesn't change how your Social Security is calculated. So you might as well stay and get that pension!