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Yes, the "file and suspend" strategy was eliminated by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. It's no longer available for anyone who wasn't already grandfathered in at that time. Some restricted application strategies were also eliminated for people born after January 1, 1954. The Social Security claiming rules have changed significantly over the past decade, which is why many online articles can be outdated or confusing.
Thank you all for the helpful information! I think I understand my options much better now. Just to summarize what I've learned: 1. The 8% delayed retirement credit is real, and it's simple interest (not compound) 2. After FRA, I can earn unlimited income from self-employment without benefit reductions 3. I'll get all COLA increases even while delaying 4. My wife's claiming decision doesn't affect my benefits 5. If I die first, my wife can switch to my higher benefit as a survivor, but she must APPLY for it (not automatic) 6. I need to consider taxation if I work while collecting I think I'm leaning toward delaying to 70 now, especially since it provides that "insurance policy" of a higher survivor benefit for my wife if I die first. I'll use that Claimyr service to get through to SSA and confirm these details for my specific situation. Really appreciate everyone's input!
BE CAREFUL!!!! My brother-in-law got hit with a HUGE overpayment bill because he misunderstood how this works! Make sure you report your earnings to SSA right away when you start benefits. They don't find out about your earnings until tax time the NEXT YEAR and by then you could owe thousands back if you went over the limit!!
This is a valid concern. To avoid potential overpayments, you should proactively report to SSA if you expect to exceed the monthly earnings limit in any month. You can do this through your my Social Security account online, by calling, or visiting an office. It's always better to report changes in advance than to deal with an overpayment later.
Just to add - when you do hit the earnings limit, they don't take away your entire benefit. They withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above the limit. So if you go over by $1,000 in a month, they'd withhold $500 in benefits.
one thing nobody mentioned is that back in my day you couldn't get benefits from an ex... the rules keep changing so make sure your actually entitled to it
The rule about survivor benefits from ex-spouses has actually been consistent for decades. If you were married for at least 10 years before divorcing and haven't remarried before age 60, you can claim survivor benefits on your ex-spouse's record. This is different from spousal benefits during life, which have different requirements. The SSA wouldn't approve and pay benefits unless eligibility was verified.
One additional factor to consider: If you wait until December 2025, you'll also be positioned better for any Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) that takes effect in January 2026. The COLA will apply to your higher base amount, further increasing the long-term advantage of waiting that extra month. With inflation patterns the way they've been, even a modest 2-3% COLA would add meaningful additional benefits over time.
Yara Khalil
whats ur pension monthly amount? The GPO reduction is 2/3 of that amount gets taken from ur spousal benefit. So if ur pension is $3000/month, they'll reduce ur spousal benefit by $2000. If ur spousal benefit would be $1500, you'd only get about $0 after GPO. A lot of teachers find out they get nothing after GPO is applied.
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Dmitry Petrov
•My pension is about $4,250 monthly, so 2/3 of that would be around $2,833. I'm not even sure what my potential spousal benefit would be based on my husband's record, but I'm guessing it might be less than the offset amount, which means I'd get nothing? This whole system seems designed to penalize teachers and other public servants.
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Keisha Brown
For your actual application process with GPO, here's what to have ready: 1. Your government pension award letter showing monthly amount 2. Dates of all government employment where you didn't pay into Social Security 3. Any W-2s or earnings records from jobs where you DID pay into Social Security 4. Your marriage certificate 5. Your husband's Social Security number With your FRA in August 2025, I'd apply in early May 2025. This gives them 3 months to process while avoiding any early filing reductions. GPO is complicated enough without adding early filing reductions to the mix!
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Dmitry Petrov
•Thank you for this detailed list! I'll start gathering these documents now so I have everything ready when it's time to apply. Do you know if they need the original marriage certificate or if a certified copy is acceptable?
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