my sister works for ssa (not in baltimore) and she says they absolutely have phone numbers but theyre only for internal use. the public cant call them directly but the field offices can. sounds like your local office just doesnt want to make the call for you. try going to a DIFFERENT local office maybe?

One clarification on my earlier comment - when working with your Congressional Representative, make sure you complete a privacy release form allowing them to inquire about your case. This is required before SSA will discuss your specific situation. Most representatives have these forms available on their websites. The Congressional inquiry process typically takes 2-3 weeks but can be expedited if you explain the financial hardship your delayed recalculation is causing.

My brother just went through this last month. He ended up going to the local SS office in person and they helped him file right there. Took about 2 hours total with waiting but at least it got done!

One more thing to consider - since your husband is exactly at his FRA, there's no financial penalty for waiting a few days or even a week to file. Benefits are paid the month after filing, so as long as you file in May, the first payment will come in June regardless. The only time exact timing is critical is when you're filing: - In your birthday month to start benefits that same month - When turning exactly 70 to maximize delayed retirement credits - When coordinating spousal benefits with specific start dates Since he's already at FRA and you mentioned you planned for him to start exactly at FRA, a few days delay won't impact his benefit amount or payment schedule.

My dad died in 2023 and we never got his final 1099. The IRS ended up sending us a nasty letter saying we underreported his income! Make SURE you get that form one way or another!

One more thing I forgot to mention - if you're filing the final tax return, you'll need to indicate that the taxpayer is deceased. Usually this is done by writing "DECEASED" and the date of death at the top of the 1040 form. The SSA-1099 will show all benefits paid to your father during the months he was alive in 2025. Any benefits paid for the month of death need to be reported, even if they were received in the following month.

what about if they take money out for medicare does the 1099 show the amount before or after they take that out?

The SSA-1099 typically shows the gross benefit amount before Medicare premium deductions, and then separately indicates the amount deducted for Medicare premiums. The

I called the SSA office today for clarification, and after a 45-minute wait, I can confirm that COLA does apply to the entire benefit amount once you're receiving it. The representative also mentioned that the spousal benefit is recalculated at the time the higher-earning spouse files. So in my Scenario 1, my total would indeed be $2,000 ($1,375 + $625), not accounting for any potential COLA on my wife's PIA over those three years.

It's worth noting that your specific birth dates can also affect optimal filing strategies. Since you mentioned you're both turning 67 next year, if your birthdays are several months apart, there might be some additional strategic opportunities around the specific month of filing. Also, if you have any earnings history with pensions from jobs not covered by Social Security (like some government positions), the WEP and GPO provisions might affect these calculations.

My birthday is August 15, 1959 so my FRA is 66 and 10 months. I think that means I reach FRA on June 15, 2026. Is that right? Or is it July 15? The months always confuse me.

Thank you all for the helpful information! I've been looking at the SSA retirement calculator and I think I understand our FRA situation better now. One last question - does anyone know if the spousal benefit is also affected by FRA? My wife worked part-time for many years while raising our kids, so her benefit will be much smaller than mine.

One other factor to consider: When your wife reaches her retirement age, the SSA will give her the larger of either her own retirement benefit or the spousal benefit she qualifies for. She doesn't get both. So if her teacher career ends up giving her a Social Security benefit that's more than half of your FRA amount, the spousal benefit would be irrelevant. If the GPO applies though, it could significantly reduce or eliminate any spousal benefits. Definitely worth contacting SSA directly to get a personalized analysis of your situation. They can do calculations specific to your earnings records.

Since she's only 52 now any planning you do is just rough estimates anyway. The rules might change by the time she's old enough to claim anything!

One thing nobody mentioned - if your wife goes back to work in a job covered by Social Security after retiring from teaching, those additional earnings won't eliminate the GPO but could help her qualify for her own benefit eventually. Just something to consider if she's planning any post-retirement work.

wait i just rememebred my cousin's husband did something with his pension and military time??? i think he got some kind of exception because he was in the military before being a firefighter? maybe theres exceptions for some people??

also don't forget about survivor benefits! if your husband passes away first (since he's older) you get to take the larger of your benefit or his full benefit. so another reason for you to maximize yours if possible.

One more thing to consider: If you wait until your FRA to claim, but your husband is already collecting his retirement benefit, you can choose to take ONLY the spousal benefit (50% of his PIA) at your FRA and let your own retirement benefit continue to grow until age 70. This could be beneficial if your own benefit plus delayed retirement credits would eventually exceed the spousal amount. However, this strategy only works if you wait until your FRA to claim anything. If you claim even one month early, you're deemed to be filing for all benefits you're eligible for at that time.

anybody know if she can do this online? my mom needs to do the same thing but shes in rural area cant get to office easily

Update: I called our local office this morning and got some answers. They confirmed my wife needs to call to apply for the spousal benefit. It won't be retroactive to when I applied unless she applies within 6 months of my benefit approval (not application date). And yes, the calculation is her benefit plus the difference to get her to the reduced spousal amount. Thanks everyone for your help with this!