One more critical point: Social Security is inflation-adjusted. This is HUGELY valuable and often overlooked. When you delay and get a larger benefit, you're getting a larger inflation-protected annuity, which is extremely expensive to purchase in the private market. With inflation running high in recent years, this protection becomes even more valuable. The 8.7% COLA in 2023 and 3.2% in 2024 meant significant increases for recipients. If you have other retirement assets, many financial planners now recommend spending down your non-inflation-protected assets first, while delaying Social Security to maximize this inflation-protected income stream.

Thank you all for such thoughtful responses! This is exactly the kind of real-world experience I was hoping for. Based on your comments, I think I need to: 1) Call SSA to get my personalized projections for different ages, 2) Consider my family health history more carefully, 3) Think about how my decision affects my spouse if I die first, and 4) Look at our overall retirement assets. I'm leaning more toward waiting now, at least until my FRA, if not 70. The difference in monthly benefits is much larger than I realized, and since my family tends to be long-lived, the math probably works in my favor to wait. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and knowledge!

my wife's friend said if you work after getting benefits they can make you pay some back if you earn too much??

Thanks everyone for the helpful answers! I feel much better knowing the money isn't just disappearing. I'll watch for any potential increase around October, though I won't expect much since his current job pays way less than his career. And definitely appreciate the warning about tax implications - we'll talk to our tax person to avoid surprises!

one thing nobody mentioned is that youre on survivor benefits not regular retirement so theres different rules sometimes. but at your age it doesnt matter youre good to work

To summarize what everyone has said: 1) At 67, you're past FRA so there's NO earnings limit 2) You will keep 100% of your survivor benefits no matter how much you earn 3) Working could potentially make some of your benefits taxable if your total income exceeds certain thresholds 4) Working now might actually increase your benefit slightly if you replace lower-earning years in your calculation. Sounds like taking that bookstore job is a good move for you!

One thing to keep in mind about HR 82 - even if it doesn't pass in its current form, there are other compromise bills that might help your situation. The Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act would create a new formula that would give relief to many WEP-affected retirees, especially those with many years of substantial covered earnings like you have. Additionally, you might want to check if any of your county employment was actually covered employment. Some county positions do pay into Social Security alongside their pension system. This would increase your years of substantial earnings and potentially further reduce your WEP penalty.

That's interesting about the compromise bill. I'll look into that too. As for my county job, I'm pretty sure we didn't pay into SS because they specifically mentioned that when I was hired - they said it was a Section 218 issue or something like that. But I'll double-check my old pay stubs to make sure.

my dad got hung up on twice last month trying to deal with his GPO situation its like they dont want to help csrs people

To update on your specific question - yes, most SSA offices will help you with a walk-in, but be prepared for significant wait times. For establishing a protective filing date related to WEP/GPO specifically, I recommend: 1. Bring your CSRS pension documentation 2. Bring both your and your wife's SS cards and IDs 3. Have a simple written statement explaining you want to establish a protective filing date for spousal benefits in anticipation of potential legislative changes 4. Arrive first thing in the morning (ideally 30+ minutes before opening) 5. Be polite but firm about needing written documentation of the protective filing date Also, your wife does need to be present since it's her benefit application. The current GPO reduction is significant with CSRS pensions, so be prepared for them to try to discourage filing, but stand firm on establishing that date regardless.