I went through the same confusion last year! Also totally unrelated but does anyone know if the earnings limit changes if you're on widow benefits instead of retirement? My sister is dealing with that now after losing her husband.

As a newcomer to this community, I really appreciate all the detailed responses here! I'm in a similar situation at 62 and was totally confused about the earnings limit rules. The clarification that retirement account withdrawals don't count toward the $23,000 limit is incredibly helpful. One follow-up question - I see mention of the limit being different in the year you reach FRA. If my FRA is 67 and I turn 67 in November 2025, does that higher $61,800 limit apply to my entire 2025 earnings, or just from November forward? I'm planning my work schedule for this year and want to make sure I understand the timing correctly. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice that's so hard to find on the official SSA website!

someone told me that if u keep checking your mysocialsecurity account and clicking on different things it can slow down your application because the system thinks someone might be trying to hack your account. dunno if thats true but i stopped checking mine so much after that

I'm currently waiting on my retirement application too - submitted online about 4 weeks ago. Based on what I'm reading here, it sounds like 4-6 weeks is pretty normal, though some are taking longer recently. The lack of communication during processing is definitely frustrating! I've been checking my mySocialSecurity account every few days but it just keeps saying "processing" with no other details. Planning to wait until the 6-week mark before attempting to call, since the phone wait times seem brutal. Hang in there - sounds like most people do eventually get their approval, it's just a waiting game unfortunately.

Just wanted to add that you can actually check your estimated benefit amount at different claiming ages by creating a my Social Security account at ssa.gov. This will show you exactly what your monthly benefit would be at age 70 versus earlier ages, which can help confirm you're making the right decision to wait. The online account also lets you see your complete earnings history to make sure everything is accurate before you file. It's really helpful to have all this information in front of you when you're making such an important decision!

One more important detail I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure you understand how Medicare premiums will be handled once you start receiving Social Security benefits. If you're already enrolled in Medicare Part B, those premiums will automatically be deducted from your monthly Social Security payment. This is actually convenient since you don't have to worry about separate billing, but it does mean your net Social Security payment will be lower than the gross amount you see in your benefit estimates. Also, if you have Medicare Part D or a Medicare Advantage plan, those premiums may also be deducted if you set that up. Just something to factor in when you're planning your budget around your new Social Security income. The Medicare.gov website has good information about how this all works together.

One additional thing to keep in mind - the SSA does recalculate your benefit amount when you reach Full Retirement Age to give you credit for the months they withheld benefits due to the earnings test. So while your wife may see reduced benefits now if she exceeds the earnings limit, her benefit amount will increase at FRA to account for those reductions. Many people don't realize this adjustment happens automatically.

Just wanted to add some practical advice based on what I've learned helping my mom navigate this same situation. Since your wife is 65 and her FRA is 67, she has two years where this earnings limit will apply. The key thing is to track her earnings monthly - don't wait until the end of the year! I created a simple spreadsheet for my mom that tracks her gross pay each month against the annual limit ($23,400 for 2025). Also, if she does go over, the SSA typically doesn't catch it until they get her W-2 the following year, so you might not know about any overpayment until 2026. One strategy that worked for us was having her employer reduce her hours in November/December if she was getting close to the limit. School districts are usually pretty flexible about this since they understand the SS earnings test issue with older employees.

MY NEIGHBOR JUST DID THIS!!!! She married her friend and got his benefits when he died but she had to fight with SSA for MONTHS because they said it was a "marriage of convenience" or something like that. They investigated her!!! Be careful what you say to them about why you're getting married!!

Just wanted to add something that might be helpful - if you do decide to get married, make sure you understand how it could affect any other benefits you might be receiving. I learned this the hard way when my grandmother got married in her 80s and it impacted her food stamps and housing assistance because they started counting her new husband's income. Also, since you mentioned this is more of a practical arrangement with longtime friends, you might want to look into whether a legal domestic partnership or civil union would give you some of the same protections without all the Social Security complications. Some states have different options that might work better for your situation. The 9-month marriage requirement for survivor benefits is pretty strict - I've seen cases where someone married in January and their spouse died in September (8 months later) and they got nothing. So timing really matters if that's part of your planning.