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.

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.

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.

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.

Thanks everyone for the advice! I'm going to gather all our documents and apply this week. I'll try calling again first to set up an appointment, but if I can't get through, I'll try that Claimyr service someone mentioned. I'll update once I hear back from SSA about my application!

Good luck! Definitely let us know how it goes. The child-in-care benefit can be so helpful for families in your situation.

Another consideration is the future of Social Security itself. While benefit cuts aren't imminent, the trust fund is projected to face challenges in the 2030s. Some financial planners argue this uncertainty provides a slight preference for claiming earlier rather than later, though any actual changes would likely impact future beneficiaries more than current ones. However, it's worth noting that historically, when changes have been made to shore up the system, existing beneficiaries and those close to retirement age have typically been protected. The most prudent approach is to make your decision based on current rules while staying informed about potential legislative developments.

After reading through this discussion, I want to suggest a specific strategy for your situation: Since you're both still working part-time, consider having one of you file at FRA (not 62) and the other delay until 70. This accomplishes several things: 1. Avoids the early filing reduction of 30% at age 62 2. Minimizes the earnings test impact since you'll be at FRA for one benefit 3. Provides some Social Security income during your 60s 4. Still maximizes one benefit for longevity protection 5. Creates a higher survivor benefit for whichever of you outlives the other With nearly identical earnings records, it doesn't matter significantly which one of you delays and which claims at FRA. This approach provides a balanced middle ground between claiming everything early vs. delaying everything.

I'm so confused about all this. Is WEP the same as GPO? My husband has a pension from his county job but I worked regular jobs all my life. Will my SS be reduced too? Sorry if this is a dumb question, just trying to figure this all out before we retire next year.

To answer your original question more specifically, here's how to see what your benefit would be without WEP: 1. Call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 or visit your local office 2. Request a "Detailed Earnings Query" and a "WEP Computation" 3. The WEP Computation will show your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) both before and after the WEP reduction 4. Ask them to explain which years counted as "substantial earnings" toward reducing your WEP penalty With 22 years of substantial earnings in Social Security-covered employment, your WEP reduction should be 90% of the maximum reduction (which is $647 in 2025). So instead of losing $647, you would lose about $582 per month. However, if some of those 22 years didn't meet the substantial earnings threshold for their respective years, the calculation would be different.