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One more critical piece of advice: Request a "Technical Expert Review" specifically. These are SSA employees with specialized knowledge of complex provisions like WEP/GPO. The regular claims representatives often make mistakes with these rules. Also, if your mother's teaching service was after 1957, SSA should have records of her Social Security covered earnings from those years. Request her complete earnings record (SSA-7004) which might help prove her case. If the reconsideration is denied, you have 60 days to file for a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge. The success rate is much higher at this level because ALJs are more familiar with the nuances of these provisions.
We will definitely ask for a Technical Expert Review. I think that's been part of the problem - talking to representatives who don't fully understand these exceptions. She taught from 1968-2003, so all her service should be covered under SS based on what you're saying.
my uncle had something like this happen he said just keep calling every week for a status update or theyll forget about your case lol. the squeaky wheel gets the grease with these govt agencies
You're probably right! I've been trying not to be a pest, but maybe that's exactly what's needed to get some movement on this.
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To respond to your follow-up question - yes, you should contact SSA when your husband files for his benefits. There's no automatic notification system, so you'll need to either: 1. Ask your children to let you know when he mentions filing for Social Security 2. Contact SSA periodically starting around his 62nd birthday to check his filing status 3. Wait until he reaches his Full Retirement Age (probably 67 for someone who's 60 now) when he's more likely to file And you're correct that from a purely Social Security benefits perspective, there's no financial advantage or disadvantage to getting divorced at this point. The benefits calculation would be identical either way since you were married well over 10 years. The only practical difference is the documentation process - as a current spouse, the connection is already established in SSA's system, while as a divorced spouse, you would need to provide marriage and divorce documentation.
u know what tho, if ur husband is making good money maybe talkin to a lawyer bout a divorce and some spousal support might actually be worth it. just because ur separated dont mean ur not entitled to a share of his current income in some states. might be worth checkin on, just sayin
That's an interesting point I hadn't considered. It's been so many years of complete financial separation that I never thought about that. Maybe I should at least consult with a lawyer about my options.
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I've been on this forum for about a year, and I've seen plenty of posts about COLA increases, Medicare premium changes, and even discussions about proposed legislation that might affect benefits. The moderators seem pretty reasonable as long as you stick to the facts and how they impact recipients rather than getting into which political party is better/worse.
That's reassuring to hear from someone with experience here! I just want to stay informed about changes that might affect my retirement timeline. I'll make sure to focus on the practical aspects when discussing any updates.
I'm so confused about all this already. I'm turning 62 next year and still trying to decide when to claim. If they keep changing the rules, how am I supposed to plan?? Will they at least grandfather in people close to retirement if they make big changes??
That's a great example of exactly the kind of discussion that's appropriate here! Most major Social Security changes do include grandfathering provisions or phase-in periods for people near retirement age. When policy changes are announced, we encourage sharing information about these transition rules so people in your situation can make informed decisions.
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One more thing that might help your husband - if he can work longer at his current job (the one covered by Social Security), every additional year of "substantial earnings" will help reduce the WEP penalty. For 2025, substantial earnings means making at least $31,275 in Social Security-covered employment. If he can get to 30 years of substantial earnings under Social Security, the WEP won't apply at all. With 12 years already, that would mean 18 more years which probably isn't feasible. But even a few more years will reduce the penalty incrementally.
That's actually encouraging. He's planning to work until at least 65, so that would give him about 7 more years of substantial earnings, bringing his total to 19 years. While not enough to eliminate WEP entirely, it sounds like it would reduce the impact significantly.
Zoe Papanikolaou
My sister went through this and just didn't report some of her cash jobs. Just saying...
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QuantumQuasar
•I should point out that failing to report income to SSA is considered fraud and can result in penalties, repayment with interest, and even criminal charges in serious cases. All income should be properly reported to both the IRS and SSA.
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Carmen Lopez
Based on your description, you may want to consider whether your husband qualifies for the Retirement Earnings Test (RET) exemption if he's in certain situations: 1. If he's truly retiring (reducing hours and earnings significantly) 2. If he's self-employed and will perform minimal services There's also a special rule when calculating benefits if he's truly stopping substantial work mid-year. In that case, regardless of annual earnings, he can receive full benefits for months where he earns under the monthly limit ($1,930 in 2025) AND doesn't perform substantial services in self-employment. I suggest scheduling an appointment with SSA to discuss these special rules, as they might apply to your husband's seasonal work situation.
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Yuki Ito
•Thank you for mentioning these exceptions! His landscaping work definitely slows down dramatically in winter, so maybe the RET exemption would apply. I'll definitely ask about this when we talk to SSA.
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