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.

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

Im surprised nobody mentioned health yet?? If either of u have health issues or family history of not living long then taking it early makes more sense. My husband and me both took SS at 62 because both our parents died before 75. We figured we'd rather have smaller checks for longer than risk waiting for bigger checks we might never get.

Whatever calculator you use, make sure you understand the "break-even point" concept. If you claim at 62 vs waiting until FRA (66-67 depending on birth year), you'll need to live to around 78-80 for the waiting strategy to pay off. If you wait until 70, the break-even against claiming at FRA is usually around 82-83. The calculators others have mentioned will show you these breakeven ages based on your specific numbers. That's what makes them so valuable compared to the basic SSA calculator.

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

anybody know if taking care of a sick parent counts for anything with social security? like do u get credits or something for being a caregiver?

To definitively resolve this, you need to request a detailed earnings record and benefit calculation from SSA. They can provide a year-by-year breakdown showing exactly which 35 years are being used in your calculation and how changes in future earnings might affect your benefit amount. This is the only way to get complete clarity on your specific situation. One tip: When you speak with SSA, specifically ask for your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) based on your current earnings record, and ask them to explain how continued work until FRA might have changed that amount. Be persistent in getting a detailed explanation rather than a general answer.

my nieghbors daughter got denied 3 times for her lupus and then finally got approved when she hired a lawyer. sometimes you just gotta fight the system. good luck!!

If your brother's condition is particularly severe, he might qualify for a Compassionate Allowance which can expedite processing. Also, make sure he's considering applying for SSI as well if his assets are below the threshold ($2,000 excluding home and one vehicle). While SSDI is based on work credits, SSI is needs-based and can provide some income during this waiting period. Finally, has he looked into any state-level temporary disability programs in Michigan? Some states offer short-term benefits while federal applications are processing.