There's actually a specific process called "voluntary suspension" that is available, but ONLY if you've already reached your Full Retirement Age (FRA). You can suspend retirement benefits after FRA and restart them later (they'll grow by 8% annually until age 70). Your brother-in-law might have been trying to suspend before reaching his FRA, which isn't allowed. Or perhaps the SSA representative he spoke with was misinformed (unfortunately this happens). The relevant section of SSA's POMS manual is GN 02409.100 if anyone needs to reference it when speaking with an agent.

Oh wow, I had no idea! My brother-in-law should definitely call them back then because he was definitely past his FRA. Thanks for clarifying and even providing the manual reference. This system is so complicated.

That's a wise decision. Waiting those 4 months until FRA gives her much more flexibility. Another tip: when she eventually contacts SSA about this, she should specifically ask about the "voluntary suspension" option and the switch to survivor benefits. Sometimes the frontline representatives aren't familiar with these strategies, so she might need to ask to speak with a technical expert if she encounters resistance. Wishing your sister and family all the best during this difficult time.

Smart plan! And yes get ALL the paperwork together now. When I had to deal with survivior benefits they wanted marriage certificate, death certificate, proof of age, and tax returns. Having it all ready saved me so much hassle. Social Security can be confusing but they actually have lots of good options for survivior situations.

Thanks for clarifying. We don't have young children at home, so that exception wouldn't apply to us. Looks like we'll need to figure out how to manage until she turns 62 in 10 years. I appreciate everyone's help in understanding these complicated rules.

She applied for SSI (not SSDI) and was denied because of our assets, not because they didn't believe she was disabled. From what I understand, that's not something you can really appeal - either you meet the resource limits or you don't. Maybe we should talk to a Social Security attorney though to make sure we've explored all options.

You're absolutely right about the COLA adjustments. The past few years have seen substantial COLA increases (5.9% in 2022, 8.7% in 2023, 3.2% in 2024). These adjustments compound over time when built into your base benefit amount. It's another factor that typically favors waiting if you can afford to do so.

That's an interesting alternative I hadn't considered. We do have some funds we could tap without penalties. I'll add this option to our list to evaluate - might be a good middle ground approach.

It depends on several factors. The Government Pension Offset (GPO) reduces spousal/widow(er) Social Security benefits by 2/3 of the government pension amount. If your wife receives a pension from teaching in a state where she didn't pay into Social Security (like California, Texas, or several others), then yes, her spousal benefits would be reduced by 2/3 of her pension amount. For example, if she would be eligible for $1000 in spousal benefits, but receives a $1200 monthly teacher's pension, the GPO reduction would be $800 (2/3 of $1200), leaving her with $200 in spousal benefits. If her pension is large enough that 2/3 of it exceeds her potential spousal benefit, she would receive $0 in spousal benefits. However, if she taught in a state where teachers DO pay into Social Security, GPO might not apply. I'd recommend consulting with a financial advisor who specializes in government pensions.

Good plan. For peace of mind, it's worth confirming your status. When you do reach them, also ask them to explain why those annual letters stopped coming after 2015. There might have been a policy change about notifications that's good to understand.

That's an excellent breakdown. I would add a 4th item that causes confusion: Medicare enrollment at age 65, which is separate from SS but often gets mixed into these discussions as well.

Thanks for sharing that real-world example! It's really helpful to hear about actual experiences.