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What about that thing where they increase ur benefit if they withhold some? My uncle said they recalculated his benefit when he hit retirement age and it went up because of the months they didn't pay him when he was working too much?? Anyone know about this?
Yes, that's correct! When benefits are withheld due to the earnings test, SSA will recalculate your benefit amount when you reach Full Retirement Age. They essentially give you credit for the months when benefits were withheld by removing the early retirement reduction for those months. This is a commonly overlooked aspect of the earnings limit - the money isn't permanently lost, but rather deferred with an adjustment at FRA. However, most financial advisors still suggest waiting to claim if you know you'll exceed the earnings limit significantly.
Based on everything shared here, it seems your best option is to: 1. Continue working through December 2. Apply for retirement benefits around October (for January start date) 3. Start benefits in January when you're no longer working This avoids the earnings limit issue entirely, prevents possible overpayments, and gives SSA enough processing time. Plus, waiting gives you a slightly higher benefit amount anyway due to delayed retirement credits.
Thank you everyone for all this advice! I'm definitely going to wait until January to start benefits, but apply in October like suggested. This has been incredibly helpful - way more useful than the confusing SSA website!
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my mom always said you should apply on your birthday month is that true?
There's no special advantage to applying in your birthday month. Social Security benefits can begin as early as the first full month you're eligible. For retirement benefits, that eligibility can start at age 62 (with permanent reduction), at Full Retirement Age (with no reduction), or anytime in between or after.
You need to watch out because they make you pick a Medicare plan too when you file for SS if he hasn't already done that part. My husband got totally confused by all the Medicare options when he was trying to do his SS application. Just a heads up that might slow things down.
I think he already enrolled in Medicare when he turned 65, so hopefully that part is taken care of. It's all so complicated!
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just wondering if u ever got this resolved? im in a similar boat and scared about how long it might take
Not yet! It's been 9 weeks now. I did contact my Congressional rep's office as someone suggested here, and they've opened an inquiry. They said they typically hear back from SSA within 30 days on these inquiries, which isn't great but at least it's something. I also tried calling the payment center directly (different than the main SSA number) but couldn't get through to anyone helpful.
After reading through this thread, I think contacting your Congressional representative was a smart move. Their constituent services can often push things forward much faster than we can as individuals. Just to confirm a few technical points: 1. The form you filed (SSA-521) requests withdrawal of a claim, which is different from simply changing your month of entitlement. If you only wanted to delay by 3 months, a withdrawal might have been more complicated than necessary. 2. For Social Security retirement benefits, changing your month of entitlement can affect your benefit amount due to the monthly delayed retirement credits you earn after Full Retirement Age until age 70. 3. When transitioning from survivor to retirement benefits, there's often confusion about the Medicare premium transfers, which is why you're experiencing the issues with having to pay out of pocket. Keep detailed records of all your out-of-pocket Medicare payments. When your case is resolved, you'll need to submit Form SSA-795 (Statement of Claimant) with copies of your receipts to request reimbursement. This won't happen automatically.
Thank you for the additional information! You're right - it does seem like the SSA-521 withdrawal might have been more complicated than necessary if I just needed to change the start date. The rep at the office insisted this was the right approach, but now I'm wondering if there was a simpler way. I've started organizing all my Medicare payment receipts and bank statements showing the payments. Hopefully that will make the reimbursement process smoother when we finally get there.
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dont bother with the phone unless you want to wait 3 hours!!! go to the offfice in person and bring your mom's ID and your dad's too
OP specifically mentioned their mother is homebound with Parkinson's and in a wheelchair, so visiting an office isn't a viable option for them. In these cases, SSA has protocols for handling applications without requiring in-person visits.
I went through something similar with my grandparents last year. One thing to consider - if your mom gets approved for the higher spousal benefit, make sure SSA knows where to deposit it. If she's been getting her own benefit via direct deposit, they should use the same account, but sometimes they mess up and send a paper check for the new amount which can cause confusion. Also, when you call SSA, specifically ask about their "Compassionate Allowances" process since both your parents have serious medical conditions. This won't affect the benefit amount but might expedite the processing. And definitely pursue the Medicaid application simultaneously - at their ages with those medical conditions, they'd likely qualify for home health aide services which would be life-changing given what you described.
Thank you for the advice on the direct deposit - I wouldn't have thought about that! Mom still gets paper checks (old school) but I should probably set up direct deposit when applying for the increased amount. I'll definitely ask about Compassionate Allowances too - anything that speeds up the process would be helpful at this point.
Melody Miles
One more important thing: if your friend's husband worked in both SS-covered employment AND government employment not covered by SS, the SSA will need to carefully review his earnings record to calculate the correct benefit. Make sure she brings his complete work history if possible. Also, the fact that she receives a small SS benefit suggests she might have enough SS-covered work quarters to potentially reduce the GPO impact. The rules are extremely technical, which is why an in-person appointment with documentation is crucial.
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
•This is why the system is so broken! How is any normal person supposed to understand all these technical rules?? My mom got different answers from 3 different SS workers about her GPO calculation.
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Jace Caspullo
Just to add - there's a movement to repeal GPO and WEP with multiple bills introduced in Congress over the years, but nothing has passed yet. The Social Security Fairness Act would eliminate both provisions, but it's been stalled for years despite bipartisan support. Public pension recipients should follow this legislation.
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Eva St. Cyr
•I've been following those repeal efforts for years. Don't hold your breath - they keep introducing bills but they never get voted on. The issue affects teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public servants in many states. It's so frustrating!
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