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.

dont forget RIB (retirement insurance benefits) and DIB (disability insurance benefits). they love throwing those around too lol

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.

Sorry but what is a PIA? Seeing that term in one of the comments and not sure what it means.

Thank you everyone for all the helpful responses! I've learned so much from this thread. To summarize what I understand now: 1. I cannot receive spousal benefits until my husband actually files for his own retirement benefits (the "file and suspend" strategy is no longer available) 2. When he does file (likely at age 67), I'll need to apply for the spousal top-up - it won't happen automatically 3. The maximum spousal benefit would be 50% of his PIA, minus my own SSDI amount 4. His strategy to wait until 67 is probably best for maximizing our lifetime benefits, especially considering potential survivor benefits I really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this to me!

I know several people mentioned calling SSA is difficult, and it really is these days. When I was trying to sort out my own benefits (with a similar ex-spouse situation), I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent. They have this system that navigates the phone menus and waits on hold for you, then calls you when an agent is on the line. Their video demo (https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU) shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration and the agent was able to calculate exactly what my options were with specific numbers rather than generalities.

A couple more points that might help you: 1. Your alimony has zero impact on Social Security benefits - they're completely separate systems. 2. If your ex passes away before you (hopefully not!), the rules change completely. As a surviving divorced spouse, you'd be eligible for survivor benefits which could be up to 100% of what he was receiving or eligible to receive. 3. Since you're planning to work until 70+, each additional year of higher earnings can potentially replace a lower-earning year in your benefit calculation. Social Security uses your highest 35 years of earnings (indexed for inflation). 4. When you eventually speak with SSA, ask them to calculate both your projected benefit at 70 based on your earnings AND what your ex-spouse benefit would be. That way you'll know exactly which will be higher. Hope this helps!

I filed at 62 last year and was in a similar situation with my husband. After several calls to SSA where I either couldn't get through or got conflicting information, I finally just went to my local office in person. Took almost 3 hours of waiting but I got clear answers about my specific situation. If you can't get through on the phone, try going in person with all your documents and questions written down. They can run your actual numbers there.

One important correction to my earlier comment: The reduction for taking spousal benefits early is actually calculated differently than for your own retirement benefits. At age 62, the spousal benefit reduction is actually MORE than the reduction for your own benefit. For retirement benefits, filing at 62 results in approximately a 30% reduction. For spousal benefits, filing at 62 results in approximately a 35% reduction. So if your full spousal benefit would be 50% of your husband's PIA, at age 62 you'd get closer to 32.5% of his PIA. This is why getting precise calculations for your specific situation is so important. The difference could significantly impact your long-term planning.