My mom just went through this when she retired from teaching last yr. Make sure you report your pension to SS as soon as you start receiving it! They don't automatically know.

have u checked if ur eligible for any exemptions? i think if u were getting SS spouse benefits before 2004 there's some kind of exception. my neighbor mentioned something about that

One more important point regarding your husband's situation: Since he has a CSRS pension, he's significantly impacted by WEP. However, had he been under FERS (Federal Employees Retirement System), which began in 1987, the impact would have been less since FERS employees pay into Social Security. If he has exactly 27 years of substantial earnings under Social Security, his WEP reduction should be 65% of the full WEP penalty (rather than 100%). For 2025, with the maximum WEP reduction being approximately $621 per month, his actual reduction should be around $403 per month (65% of $621). If he's seeing a larger reduction, it's definitely worth requesting a recalculation. Also, keep in mind that as of January 2025, the substantial earnings threshold is $33,750.

my dad just gave up trying to fight this... said its not worth the stress at his age. sucks that they can just take money he earned!

this happened to my aunt last year! the ssa people told her different things every time she called! one said she would get her husbands full amount, another said it would be reduced cause she was only 62. so frustrating! she ended up getting most of his benefit but not all of it. the whole process took like 3 months.

Thank you everyone for your helpful advice. I called the local office this morning and explained my situation. They were able to move my appointment up to next week after I mentioned I was recently widowed. I'm going to bring all the documents suggested and have made a list of questions based on your comments. I'm also going to try that phone service if I need to call again before my appointment. This is all so overwhelming on top of the grief, but I feel more prepared now. I'll update after my appointment in case it helps someone else in the future.

No personal info needed except for payment. They just connect you directly to SSA's phone system but get you past the hold times. You still talk directly to official SSA representatives. I was skeptical too but it worked as advertised. The video on their site shows exactly how it works.

Coming back to your original question: In Iowa specifically, there are no state-specific rules that would make POA arrangements affect Social Security or Medicare differently than federal guidelines. The same federal rules apply in all states. As long as your father's own income and resources haven't changed, his benefits should remain the same regardless of the POA arrangement.

I just want to add one more important piece of advice: when your benefits are finally approved, double-check the retroactive payment carefully. Processing center delays often result in calculation errors for the back payments. Make sure they've properly calculated benefits from your initial filing date in September, not just from when they finally process the claim. Also, verify that both your widow's benefits and your daughter's benefits are calculated correctly. Many people don't realize that a surviving spouse caring for a minor child under 16 is entitled to benefits equal to 75% of the deceased worker's PIA, while the child is entitled to 75% as well (subject to family maximum limits). Likewise, ensure you've received the $255 lump sum death payment. It's small but often overlooked during problematic claims processing.

I want to thank everyone for the helpful advice. I called my Congressional Representative this morning and spoke with a caseworker who was incredibly helpful. She took all my information and said she'd submit an official inquiry to SSA today. She also gave me her direct number for follow-up. I'm also going to try that Claimyr service to reach someone at SSA directly so I can request the "critical case" flag and ask to speak with a Technical Expert or District Manager. I'll keep you all posted on what happens. It helps to know I'm not alone in this frustrating process.