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After reviewing everything more carefully, here's what will likely happen in your case: 1. January counts as a month where you exceeded the limit ($4,000 vs $1,950) 2. If you stay under $1,950 for all remaining months of 2025 AND work part-time, you'll only have January counted against you 3. SSA will likely withhold your February payment (the first one) to account for the January excess 4. Starting March, as long as you stay under the monthly limit, you should receive regular payments But as others have suggested, it's essential to confirm this with SSA directly regarding your specific case.
Thank you for breaking it down so clearly. This makes a lot of sense. I'll definitely get confirmation from SSA, but this helps me understand what to expect.
EVERYBODY'S SITUATION IS DIFFERENT!! My friend and I both started survivors benefits within a month of each other and SSA treated our earnings completely differently. Don't assume what happened to someone else will happen to you.
This is so true! My sister and I both get SSDI and they calculated our benefits totally differently even though our situations seemed similar. The system feels completely random sometimes.
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My friend just went thru this. Her benefit went up when hubby filed but not by as much as she thought. They take your wifes FRA benefit subtract it from half of your FRA benefit. If thats a positive number she gets an addition. If its negative she just keeps hers. Thats my understanding anyways.
That's partially correct. The calculation is more complex when someone has filed early. When your wife took benefits at 62, she accepted a permanent reduction. When calculating potential spousal benefits, SSA will compare her reduced benefit to her potential reduced spousal benefit (which is less than 50% of his PIA because she took benefits early). She'll receive whichever amount is higher, not an addition of the two.
I appreciate all the responses. This is much more complicated than I thought! So basically, since my wife took her benefit early at 62, she'll always have some kind of reduction applied, and the best we can hope for is that she might get some additional amount on top of her current benefit if half of my FRA amount (reduced for her early filing) is more than what she gets now. I think I'll need to talk directly with SSA to get exact numbers. Really wish they made this clearer on their website.
That's exactly right! And don't feel bad - almost NOBODY understands how this works until they're in the middle of it. Even some SSA reps get confused about the details. If you do talk to them, make sure to ask specifically for the spousal benefit calculation with the early retirement reduction factor applied. Good luck!
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just a random thought but did u check if taking your OWN retirement might be better than survivor? my neighbor discovered her own benefit was higher than her husbands!
This is a good point. You can take one benefit now and switch to the other later if that would maximize your lifetime benefits. For example, some widows take reduced survivor benefits early, then switch to their own maximum retirement benefit at 70. But this depends on your individual circumstances.
Update: I called back today and got a much more knowledgeable representative. He confirmed that starting in January would indeed reduce my benefit slightly compared to waiting until my FRA in February. He corrected my application to show February 1st as my start date and gave me a confirmation number. Thanks everyone for giving me the confidence to push back!
Great news! Always trust your gut when dealing with government agencies.
Perfect! Good job advocating for yourself. This is exactly why it's so important to understand your benefits and options. That small percentage will add up significantly over your lifetime.
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I think everyone is making this more complicated than it is lol. Just give her half the business income going forward and pay the taxes. My husband and I did this when I was 56 and I got enough credits for my own benefit by 66. It was better than spousal. Talk to an accountant but it's not that hard.
Thank you all for the helpful advice! I've scheduled a meeting with our accountant for next week to discuss restructuring our payroll. It sounds like it's definitely worth getting my wife on the books properly for these remaining years. I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and knowledge - this has been really eye-opening for us.
Sofia Peña
I dont know why people are telling you to delay benefits. My sister and her husband waited and now regret it. They could have traveled more when they were younger and healthier. Money now is worth more than money later! TAKE IT NOW and enjoy life while you can!!!
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Levi Parker
•This is actually a very personal decision that depends on many factors: financial needs, health status, family longevity, other income sources, etc. Mathematically, delaying benefits provides insurance against longevity - you'll get more total money if you live beyond the break-even age (usually early 80s). But quality of life considerations like your sister's are equally valid. There's no universal right answer.
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Libby Hassan
quick question - does your husband have any pensions from government jobs? if yes make sure you look into WEP and GPO rules those can really mess up your SS benefits
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Savannah Weiner
•No government pensions for either of us, thankfully! I've heard those WEP/GPO rules can be quite complicated.
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