Social Security Administration
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Can I collect reduced survivor benefits from disabled husband's SS while letting my own benefits grow until FRA?
My husband passed away 2 months ago after battling lymphoma for 3 years. He was receiving SSDI (disability) payments for about 2 years before he died. I'm 62 and still working part-time. I'm trying to figure out the best strategy for maximizing our Social Security benefits. Can I claim survivor benefits based on his disability record now (even though I'm under FRA) and then switch to my own retirement benefits when I reach my full retirement age at 67? Would his benefits be reduced because he was on disability rather than regular retirement? I'm so confused about how this works. Does anyone know if taking reduced survivor benefits now will permanently reduce what I can get later from my own record? The SSA website is so hard to navigate for these specific situations!
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Social Security and WEP recalculation with self-employment income - how to verify SS calculated my benefits correctly?
I reached full retirement age (FRA) this year and just started collecting Social Security while still working as self-employed. My situation is complicated by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) due to my teaching career. I'm confused about how/when my benefits will be recalculated to account for my ongoing self-employment income. My work history is messy: about 15 years in education with only half those years paying into Social Security. The non-SS years were early in my career when my salary was much lower (seriously, I make about 12 times more now than I did back then). The last 14+ years I've been self-employed and consistently paying into SS. My concern is that last year's self-employment income should qualify as another "substantial earnings" year, which should reduce my WEP penalty, but this income wouldn't have been available when I initially applied. When I called my local office, they said recalculations typically happen by November. Here's my real worry - I never received any detailed calculations showing how they arrived at my benefit amount. I provided all my teacher retirement records and clearly indicated which schools did/didn't contribute to SS. I know I'll eventually "wear off" the WEP reduction as I continue working, but how do I verify they're calculating everything correctly given my complicated history? Is there any way to request or view their detailed calculation process?
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Update: I should have mentioned that for self-employment income specifically, there's a lag time because the SSA doesn't receive your earnings information until after you file your tax return. If you filed extensions, this could delay the AERO process. For complicated cases like yours with both WEP and ongoing self-employment, it's best to speak directly with a Technical Expert (TE) at SSA, not just a regular claims representative. When you call, specifically request to speak with a TE who specializes in WEP calculations.
That's a great tip! I did file an extension this year, so that probably explains part of the delay. I'll specifically ask for a Technical Expert when I call.
IMPORTANT QUESTION: Are you also subject to GPO (Government Pension Offset)? That's different from WEP and applies to spouse/survivor benefits. The combination of WEP and GPO can be really complex. Just making sure you're aware of both if they apply to your situation.
Thankfully no - I'm not eligible for any spousal benefits so GPO doesn't apply in my case. But you're right that the combination would make things even more complicated!
Social Security application confusion - same-sex marriage recognized in Canada before US legalization
I'm applying for SS retirement benefits next month and I'm unsure about how to list my marital status. My wife and I got legally married in Toronto in 2006 when same-sex marriage wasn't legal in most US states. Even though it's been legal nationwide since 2015, we've maintained separate tax filing status all these years (I file as Head of Household since I have custody of my son and own our home). Do I need to list her as my spouse on the Social Security application? Will they recognize our Canadian marriage certificate from 2006? And would changing how I report our relationship affect my benefit amount at all? I'm turning 66 in June 2025 which I believe is my full retirement age. Also, does anyone know if this might trigger any tax filing status reviews for those previous years? I'm worried about unintended consequences of suddenly "officially" acknowledging our marriage after filing separately for so long. Thanks for any insights!
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@casual_commenter - Yes, Claimyr absolutely works. My call was connected to SSA in under 15 minutes after trying for days on my own. Saved my sanity during my disability application process.
thx ill try it. need to talk to someone about my application status and im tired of waiting
@OP - Regarding your question about your Quebec marriage certificate being in French and English: The English portion should be sufficient for SSA purposes. However, if the certificate is predominantly in French with just some English elements, having a certified translation ready might save time. SSA may accept it as is, but they could request a translation if they have difficulty verifying details. Also, since your wife worked in a non-covered position (teacher's aide in a district not participating in Social Security), she may be subject to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO) if she receives a pension from that employment. This could affect both her own benefits and any spousal benefits. Be sure to mention this when applying.
I didn't even consider the WEP/GPO implications! Her pension is very small (about $750/month) but we should definitely get clear on how that affects potential spousal benefits. Thank you for mentioning this - it's exactly why I'm glad I asked here before applying.
GPO affecting my spousal benefits - when should I apply before my FRA in August 2025?
I've been a schoolteacher in Texas for 31 years before retiring last year. Unfortunately, my pension is affected by the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which I understand will reduce any Social Security spousal benefits I might receive. My husband worked in the private sector his whole career and is already collecting his Social Security retirement. My Full Retirement Age (FRA) is in August 2025, and I'm trying to figure out the best time to apply for spousal benefits. I know there's that recommended window before your FRA to submit applications, but I'm not sure if GPO changes that timeline? Does anyone know how far in advance I should apply? And will applying early (like 3-4 months before FRA) cause any reduction in benefits beyond what GPO already does to me? This whole process is confusing and I don't want to mess it up!
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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.
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.
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!
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?
Social Security timing dilemma at 63 with ex-spousal benefits - worth taking early?
I'm really torn about when to claim my Social Security benefits. I'm 63 now, working full-time in healthcare management which pays well (about $85K) but the stress is getting to me. I have passive income from a small apartment building (around $4,125/month) plus I help my partner with his special needs nephew which brings in another $2,500 monthly from a care stipend. My ex-husband is 74 and delayed claiming until 70. We were married 22 years before divorcing in 2012. Based on my SSA statement, at my full retirement age (67), I should get approximately $2,250 on my own record, but I might qualify for ex-spousal benefits that could be higher since he was a high earner. Financially, I'm stable - mortgage is my only debt ($1,750/month), and I have decent retirement savings. But some days the job stress feels overwhelming. I keep debating if claiming early at 63 or 64 makes sense or if I should push through to 67. Has anyone done the math on this kind of decision? I know I'd get a reduced benefit by claiming early, but at what point does mental health outweigh the financial advantage of waiting? And how do ex-spousal benefits fit into this equation?
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I'm just here to say DON'T TRUST the breakeven calculators out there!!! They're all based on a bunch of assumptions that probably don't apply to YOUR specific situation! They don't account for investment returns if you took early benefits and invested them, they don't account for inflation properly, and they COMPLETELY IGNORE the emotional value of reducing your stress NOW rather than later!!! If your job is making you miserable and you have other income sources, claiming early might be the right choice FOR YOU regardless of what the math says about some theoretical future that might never happen!
Fair point about the emotional value - that's hard to quantify. But the SSA calculators do account for cost of living adjustments. And if someone is disciplined enough to actually invest the early benefits rather than spending them, that's great, but most people don't do that in reality.
Thank you all for the helpful responses! I've decided to set up an appointment with SSA to get exact benefit estimates for both my own record and ex-spousal benefits at different ages. I'm also going to talk with my employer about possibly reducing to part-time hours - that might be the perfect compromise to reduce stress while still maximizing my SS benefits. I appreciate all the different perspectives here. This is exactly the kind of thoughtful discussion I was hoping for when I posted my question.
CosmicCowboy
I'm surprised no one has mentioned that you should make an appointment at your local SSA office. While getting someone on the phone is difficult, in-person appointments can be scheduled online. I found it much more helpful to sit down with someone who could look at all my options. For survivor benefits, they often prefer to handle these cases in person anyway. When my sister was widowed, she tried doing everything by phone and ended up with incorrect information.
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Paolo Longo
In person is still like a 2 month wait for an appointment where I live. phones are impossible. this whole system is broken
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Connor Gallagher
Thank you all for the helpful information. I think my best strategy is to take the reduced survivor benefits now since I need the additional income, and then switch to my own retirement benefit when I reach FRA. I'll try to get an appointment at the local office and also check out that Claimyr service to speak with someone sooner. I definitely want to make sure I understand exactly how much I'll receive and how my part-time work will affect things before making any decisions. This community has been so helpful!
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AstroAlpha
That sounds like a good plan. Just make sure when you talk to SSA that you specifically ask them to calculate both: 1) Your reduced survivor benefit now, and 2) Your projected retirement benefit at FRA. That way you can see the numbers side by side and confirm this strategy makes financial sense in your specific situation. Wishing you all the best during this difficult time.
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