To the person who asked if Claimyr works - yes, it definitely did for me. After weeks of frustration trying to get through to SSA about my WEP calculation, I was connected in about 15 minutes. The agent was able to pull up my record and give me exact benefit amounts with WEP reductions for ages 62, FRA, and 70. Made my decision so much clearer having the real numbers. For the original poster, having those exact figures from SSA is really valuable for WEP situations since the reductions can vary based on your specific earnings history.

my moms friend waited til 70 to get the maximum and said its the best decision she ever made. but she didn't have WEP so idk if that applies to you

One important thing to note: You should receive Form SSA-L9790 every December. This is your annual GPO/WEP notice that shows how your benefits will be calculated for the coming year. It will include your reported pension amount, the 2/3 offset calculation, and the resulting SS benefit amount. This form is your opportunity to verify SSA has the correct pension amount. If there's an error, contact SSA immediately. Filing it away without checking can lead to those overpayment situations others mentioned. You can also check your current calculation anytime in your my Social Security account.

One more thing - don't assume SSA gets automatic pension updates from your pension system. Some pension systems report regularly to SSA, but many DON'T! In my case, my state teacher retirement system doesn't report to SSA at all. I have to report any pension changes myself by calling SSA or visiting the office. If you don't report increases and SSA finds out later (which they eventually will), you'll face an overpayment situation. They can take your entire SS benefit until it's repaid!

btw that 73 days felt long to you but my sister waited almost 6 MONTHS for her disability claim (SSDI) to go through. SS retirement is WAY faster than disability. just be thankful you werent applying for that!!

I actually had to adjust all my automatic bill payments when I found out about the payment schedule. Most of my utilities were set to draft on the 5th of each month assuming my SS would arrive on the 1st. Had to change everything to the day after my scheduled payment date. Bit of a hassle but worth it to avoid potential overdrafts.

I think ur misunderstanding how this works. If ur kids r on SSDI from their dad then u can still get full survivors without being affected by the maximum. My neighbor's situation is like this and she gets the full amount. The max only applies to minor kids not disabled adults I'm pretty sure.

Im confused about something... you said ur reaching FRA in 4 years but ur husband already died. Are you not getting any social security now? Shouldnt you be getting survivors benefits already? Or are you still working?

I was in a similar situation last year. Divorced after 22 years, started my own SS at 66. Found out my ex was a high earner so I applied for divorced spouse benefits. Took FOREVER to process (about 3 months) but I ended up getting an additional $320/month because half of his benefit was higher than my full benefit. Definitely worth checking into!! They did ask for my marriage certificate and divorce decree, so tell your friend to have those ready.

To answer your follow-up question: No, she doesn't need his SSN to apply. The SSA can locate his record with his name, date of birth, and place of birth. She should bring her own identification, her Social Security card, birth certificate, marriage certificate, and divorce decree to prove she meets the requirements. Also, to clear up some confusion in this thread: If she's entitled to both her own retirement and a divorced spouse benefit, she'll receive her own benefit plus the difference if the divorced spouse benefit is higher. So if her own benefit is $1000 and 50% of his is $1400, she would receive $1400 total (not $2400). But if her own benefit is $1500 and 50% of his is $1400, she would just continue to receive her $1500.