Thank you everyone for the helpful advice! I'm definitely going to pursue this correction right away. I'll try to get the wage transcript from the IRS, gather my tax returns and pay stubs, and make an appointment at my local SSA office. The potential $300+ monthly difference is definitely worth fighting for, especially considering that's thousands of dollars every year for the rest of my life. I'll look into Claimyr too if I have trouble getting through on the phone. Does anyone know if there's a specific department at SSA that handles earnings corrections that I should ask for when I call?

my neighbor had something similar happen and it took TWO YEARS to fix!!! and then they had the nerve to say they "expedited" it!!! 🤬

is she getting medicare too? make sure to tell them to keep her medicare part b payment the same if she gets higher ss. otherwise they might increase the premium based on higher income

Just to clarify on the retroactive benefits question you asked: For survivor benefits, SSA can pay up to 6 months of retroactive benefits before the application date. Unfortunately, they won't go back to the date of death if it's been almost 2 years. One important note: When she's approved for survivor benefits, SSA will stop her current retirement benefit and start paying the survivor benefit instead (assuming it's higher, which sounds likely in your case). This is a complete switch, not an add-on to her current benefit. Also, while gathering documents, make sure she has her banking information ready for direct deposit if she wants to change where the payments go.

Thank you all for such helpful information! I understand much better now. I'll make sure to specifically request the spousal benefit when I file for my own retirement, and I'll bring all our documentation. It's good to know the approximate amount too - every extra bit helps with today's costs. I might use that Claimyr service when the time comes since getting through to SSA seems to be a common frustration. One last question - if I decide to file at exactly 67 (my FRA), how long does it typically take for my husband's spousal addition to start showing up in his payments? I want to make sure we budget correctly.

If you apply for your benefits and your husband's spousal benefit at the same time, they typically process both together. Usually, it takes about 30-60 days for the first payments to begin, though the spousal adjustment might take an additional payment cycle to appear. I recommend applying 3 months before you want benefits to begin to allow processing time. Keep in mind that Social Security pays benefits in the month following the month they're due for, so there's always that one-month delay in the payment schedule. If you run into any issues with the spousal benefit not appearing after 2-3 months, definitely follow up with SSA directly.

this reminds me i need to figure out my own ss stuff, just turned 62 last month and got that packet in the mail but havent opened it yet lol

Thank you everyone for all the helpful responses! I feel much better knowing that our strategy is sound. I'll make sure to organize all our documentation in case something happens to me before I file at 70. I appreciate all your insights and personal experiences - this community is wonderful.

One crucial detail that hasn't been mentioned: the earnings limit only applies to wages or self-employment income. If you have investment income, interest, dividends, capital gains, pension payments, or annuity payments, those don't count toward the earnings test at all. Only the money you actively earn through working counts. Also, if you do exceed the limit and have some benefits withheld in 2025, you'll get those withheld benefits back gradually after you reach FRA through a recalculation of your monthly benefit amount. So it's not permanently lost money, just temporarily withheld.

BTW the exact 2025 numbers haven't been announced yet right? These are just estimates based on 2024?