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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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congrats on having a good 401k! thats amazing these days
Thank you! I was fortunate to work for a company with a good matching program and started contributing early. It definitely provides peace of mind now.
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.
That's an excellent point I hadn't considered! Getting the COLA on the higher amount would definitely amplify the benefit of waiting. Thank you for that insight!
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Update: I called SSA again (had to try three times to get through) and finally spoke with someone helpful! You were all right - there is NO time limit for applying for survivor benefits. The 2-year limit only applies to the one-time $255 death payment. The rep told me that based on my husband's earnings, my survivor benefit would be about $2,450/month at my full retirement age of 67, or about $1,750 if I take it now at 63. My own benefit at FRA would be around $1,900. She recommended I take the reduced survivor benefit now and then switch to my own benefit at 70 when it would be about $2,350. Thank you all so much for your help! I was so worried I'd lost everything due to that misleading recording!
FANTASTIC!! That switching strategy is exactly what my financial advisor recommended too. So glad you got good information finally!
FYI - Since you're still working, remember the 2025 earnings limit is $22,320 if you're under full retirement age. They'll deduct $1 for every $2 you earn above that. So if you make $30,000, they'll deduct $3,840 from your annual benefit ($30,000-$22,320 = $7,680 ÷ 2 = $3,840). Make sure to factor this into your planning if you're continuing to work.
Thanks for breaking down the math! I'm planning to fully retire this summer, so I'll only have about $18,000 in earnings for 2025. Sounds like I'll be under the limit and won't have any deductions. This is all so complicated!
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Something nobody mentioned - what about Medicare? Doesn't that start at 65 regardless of when you take SS? Make sure you're not confusing the two dates.
Good point! Medicare enrollment is separate from Social Security benefits. You should enroll in Medicare at 65 regardless of when you claim Social Security benefits, unless you have qualifying coverage through an employer. Missing your Medicare enrollment period can result in lifelong penalties.
I want to thank everybody for their opinions, they were helpful. I've decided to wait the two months. Should my wife survive me, it is more important to me that she get the absolute most benefit. We do not need the money now, so I think it better to wait.
That sounds like a well-thought-out decision. Prioritizing your wife's potential survivor benefits makes a lot of sense when you don't immediately need the money. Best wishes to both of you!
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To give you the most precise answer: In the year you reach FRA, the earnings test changes in the month you reach FRA. For January through March 2025, you'll be subject to the standard test (approximately $2,000/month or $25,000/year in 2025), with $1 withheld for every $2 above the limit. However, this uses a MONTHLY test in your first year claiming benefits. So if your monthly income exceeds the limit in February and March, you might not receive benefits for those months. But starting in April (your FRA month), you'll receive your full benefit regardless of earnings. And as someone else mentioned, any benefits withheld aren't permanently lost - SSA recalculates your benefit when you reach FRA to account for months benefits were withheld.
This is SO helpful, thank you! I think I understand now. Since I'll definitely earn more than the monthly limit in Feb and March, I'll probably have those benefits withheld. But it sounds like waiting until April would be the simplest approach if I want to avoid the withholding completely.
Just curious why not just wait the extra 2 months til April? Seems like it would be easier than dealing with all this withholding stuff.
You know, after hearing all this, I'm leaning toward just waiting until April. I was hoping to start benefits a little earlier, but the complexity doesn't seem worth it for just two months. Thanks for the perspective!
Dylan Cooper
Based on your additional information about the surgery occurring in 2019 with documentation, you have a legitimate path forward. Here's what I recommend: 1. Use Claimyr or visit your local SSA office to confirm your exact date last insured 2. If your DLI was after your 2019 surgery, proceed with gathering your medical evidence 3. In your application, clearly specify an onset date in 2019 when the surgical complications began 4. Include all medical documentation from 2019-present showing consistent treatment 5. Consider getting a statement from your doctor specifically addressing how your condition prevented substantial gainful activity since 2019 The fact that you weren't working at the time of onset doesn't matter as much as proving the disability began before your DLI expired. The key is establishing that your medical condition would have prevented you from working since 2019 if you had attempted to return to work.
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Fatima Al-Farsi
•This is incredibly helpful - thank you! I'll start gathering all these records and contact my neurosurgeon for that statement. It's still daunting but at least now I have a clear plan.
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Miguel Diaz
I will say, based on personal experience, applying for a closed period SSDI claim with an onset date from several years ago is challenging but absolutely possible. The key is having thorough documentation and being VERY specific about your onset date. The SSA will want to see that you've been receiving consistent treatment for your condition since 2019. Any gaps in treatment can be problematic, so be prepared to explain any periods where you might not have seen doctors regularly.
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