I've been receiving SSDI since 2015 (severe neurological condition affecting cognitive function). My current benefit is about $2,948 monthly before Medicare deductions. I'm 56 years old now. My situation is a bit complicated. I married my husband in June 2021, and he just turned 62 last month. He's a high-income earner (around $225,000 annually) and has maxed out his Social Security contributions for most of his career. I'm trying to understand what happens with MY benefits when HE decides to file for Social Security. If he delays until 70 for maximum benefits, would I be eligible to receive any spousal benefits on top of my disability? I've heard conflicting things about the 50% spousal benefit and whether it applies when someone is already on SSDI. Does anyone know if I'd qualify for any additional amount as his spouse once he files? Sorry if this is confusing - my memory issues make these complicated rules hard to follow sometimes.

I'm debating whether to take SS benefits at 62 next month or wait until later. My situation is complicated and I'd love some feedback. If I file now, I'd receive about $2,100/month versus around $3,000 if I waited until my FRA of 67. The wrinkle is my wife is significantly younger (16 years) and makes nearly $190,000 annually as a hospital administrator. We also have a 7-year-old son who would qualify for benefits until he's 18. Health is another factor - I was diagnosed with stage 2 lymphoma last year. Treatment has gone well and doctors are optimistic, but I'll need regular screenings indefinitely. I'm working part-time at a hardware store (about 25 hours weekly) and plan to continue. I'm leaning toward filing early because: 1) My son could receive benefits for 11 years 2) My health situation, while stable, creates some uncertainty 3) My wife's earnings provide financial security regardless. Am I missing anything important in my thinking? Has anyone been in a similar situation with the younger spouse/child benefits scenario? Any perspective would be greatly appreciated!

I just discovered I'm being penalized on my Social Security spousal benefits because of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and I'm absolutely devastated. After dedicating 20+ years raising our children, I finally started working at age 60 for a school district with a non-SS-covered pension (403b). I worked there until 66 when I retired to help with my daughter's twins.When I applied for spousal benefits last year (I'm now 73), Social Security slashed my monthly payment by TWO-THIRDS because of this WEP rule! Meanwhile, coworkers who stayed 5 more years with the district got switched to a different retirement plan that doesn't trigger WEP. Some colleagues even transferred their 403b funds elsewhere before claiming SS and avoided the penalty completely.I delayed taking my pension until 72 hoping this would get fixed, but SSA says this reduction continues FOR LIFE even though my modest pension will likely run out in 10-12 years. I'll be getting around $870/month instead of $2,450 because of this provision I never knew existed!Has anyone successfully fought this? Is there any appeal process or exception I can apply for? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

My husband (68) wants to delay claiming Social Security until 70 to maximize his benefit, but he's willing to step back from his high-stress job and work part-time at a much lower wage for the next two years. I'm worried this might actually hurt his SS benefit calculation. Will those last two years of lower earnings reduce what he'd get at 70? I'm also confused about something an SSA rep mentioned about a "35 year calculation" and "highest earning years." She said something about how they use your top 35 years and there was a 3-year something-or-other that I couldn't follow. Another concern: If he passes away before reaching 70 without filing, would my survivor benefit be based on what he would have received at FRA? Or is it based on what he actually filed for? Different people have told us different things. We're in Alabama and getting pretty stressed about making the right decision. I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who's navigated this successfully. We're planning to meet with a financial advisor, but I want to understand the basics first so I don't feel completely lost during the meeting.

I started collecting Social Security when I was 63 (about 8 months ago), but I'm still working part-time. My current income is much lower than what I earned during my top 35 years that SSA used to calculate my benefit. I'm wondering what happens to the SS taxes I'm still paying from my paychecks? Does SSA recalculate my benefit amount each year based on new earnings? Do these contributions just disappear? Will I ever see any benefit from the money I'm still paying into the system or am I basically throwing money away at this point?