My brain hurts trying to understand all this lol. But I do know that the SSA workers are SUPER OVERWORKED so sometimes they don't have time to look into complicated cases. I would definitely try again and maybe go in person like others have said. Phone calls are useless for complicated stuff!!

One more important point that hasn't been addressed: Your friend mentioned her first husband was on disability when he died. This means his SSDI benefit amount would have already been calculated before his death, making it easier to determine what the survivor benefit would be with COLAs applied. She should request what's called a "Survivor Benefit Estimate" from both deceased spouses and compare them to her current benefit. If either would be higher, she can switch. The fact that the SSA representative dismissed her quickly suggests they either: 1. Didn't understand the full complexity of her case 2. Didn't check both deceased spouses' records with COLAs applied 3. Saw something specific that would disqualify her, but didn't explain it properly Definitely worth following up with a scheduled appointment. Make sure to bring: - Marriage certificates for both marriages - Death certificates for both husbands - Any old benefit award letters she might have kept - Her own Social Security statement showing current benefits Persistence often pays off with these complex cases.

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!!! 🤬

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.

Yes, the Government Pension Offset (GPO) would still apply to spousal benefits if you receive a pension from work not covered by Social Security. The GPO typically reduces spousal/widow(er) benefits by 2/3 of your government pension amount. For example, if your government pension is $3,000/month, your spousal benefits would be reduced by $2,000. If the spousal benefit would have been $1,500, you'd receive $0 after the GPO reduction ($1,500 - $2,000 = less than $0). This is separate from the WEP, which affects your own benefit based on your own work record. The GPO affects benefits based on someone else's work record.

The whole WEP/GPO thing is just the government STEALING money from teachers and public servants who worked hard their whole lives!!! My aunt lost over $700/month because of this garbage. Called her congressman and everything but nothing changed. Complete scam!!!!

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.