my mom got benefits from 2 exhusbands at the same time so it might depend on ur situation call them and check dont listen to ppl on here

Has anyone actually successfully claimed on an ex-spouse's record after being widowed from a subsequent marriage? I'm just trying to understand what the process will be like when the time comes. Should I go to my local SSA office or try to handle it by phone?

my mom started her SS at 67 last year while dad was still working part time at 64. her check wasnt affected by his work at all, but they did have to plan for taxes. they set aside about 15% of her SS check just to be safe. also they found out that when dad does retire she can switch to a spousal benefit if its higher than her own which was news to them! good luck with everything

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I'm going to go ahead and file for my benefits at FRA next month. I'll set aside some money for potential taxes, and we'll look at whether spousal benefits make sense when my husband is closer to retirement. I managed to get through to SSA using that service someone mentioned above - the agent confirmed everything you all told me and helped me understand our specific situation. Really appreciate this community!

u should also think about taxes if u take ss and work parttime. my friend did that and got hit with a huge tax bill she wasnt expecting

Thank you all for the helpful advice! I've decided to talk to my employer about reducing my hours first before completely retiring. If that doesn't work out, I'll go ahead with retirement knowing what to expect with the benefit reduction and making sure I handle the Medicare enrollment correctly. I'm also going to check my earnings record on my.ssa.gov to see if working longer would significantly improve my benefit calculation. I really appreciate all your insights!

After reading more details on the bill, I want to clarify something important: The proposed formula would give you credit for your non-covered earnings (your nursing job) but would still result in a proportionally reduced benefit. The good news is that the arbitrary WEP reduction would be replaced with a formula that treats everyone fairly based on their actual earnings history. But since your covered earnings were minimal, your increase would be at the lower end of the range. If you can access your SSA earnings record, I could give you a better estimate of the potential increase.

With earnings figures like that, I can give you a rough estimate. Under the proposed proportional formula, they would calculate your benefit as if all earnings were covered, then multiply by the proportion of covered to total earnings. With $58,500 covered out of $1,458,500 total (4% covered), your benefit would be approximately 4% of what you'd get if all earnings were covered. That's actually close to what you're getting now, so your increase might be modest - perhaps 10-15%. The people who benefit most from the reform are those with substantial covered earnings (10+ years) alongside their non-covered work.

The WHOLE SYSTEM is designed to confuse us!!! Different rules for withdrawal vs suspension, deadlines we don't know about, and impossible to get answers!!! Why make it so COMPLICATED???

Based on what you've shared, it sounds like you likely did properly withdraw your application. The fact that you remember submitting the SSA-521 form and repaying benefits is very encouraging. When you apply at your FRA, your benefit should be calculated as if you never claimed early at all. One suggestion: when you apply again, be sure to mention your previous withdrawal in the remarks section of the application. This helps ensure the claims specialist handling your case looks for that information in your record. While their system should show the withdrawal, it never hurts to flag it explicitly.