Just want to agree with the comments above saying each year over 20 reduces the WEP penalty by 5%. My husband's situation was almost identical to yours - teacher pension then work under Social Security. Make SURE you keep proof of your earnings each year, especially for years you're right around the substantial earnings threshold. The SSA made a mistake on one of my husband's years and it took months to fix.

has anyone here had luck getting wep completely eliminated? my neighbor said after 30 yrs of work under SS they removed his wep completely?

my freind tole me that SS benefits have a maximum amount maybe u both hit the max?

After looking at all the responses, I think this is just one of those strange coincidences that can happen with the complex Social Security formula. Since multiple SSA representatives have confirmed your amounts are correct, and others here have experienced similar situations, I wouldn't worry about it. If it gives you peace of mind, you could schedule an in-person appointment at your local SSA office where they can pull up both records and show you the detailed calculations side by side. But it sounds like everything is working as intended, just with an unusual outcome!

@commenter above - No, it's 5% per year. The WEP penalty is reduced by 5% for each year of substantial earnings beyond 20 years. So at 20 years, the penalty is reduced by 5%, at 21 years by 10%, and so on until at 30 years, you reach a 50% reduction, effectively eliminating the WEP penalty entirely.

Thanks everyone for all this helpful information! I think my takeaway is that unless I can earn enough to hit the substantial earnings threshold (which would be tough with just part-time work), there's minimal benefit to working just for Social Security purposes. I'm going to try that Claimyr service to get some specific calculations from SSA about my situation. It's definitely complicated juggling the WEP reduction on my own benefits with the potential GPO reduction on survivor benefits if my spouse passes before me. Feels like I'm being penalized twice for having a government pension, but at least now I understand the mechanics better.

To clarify for everyone: YES, the earnings test applies to ALL Social Security benefits taken before FRA - retirement, spousal, and survivor benefits. The 2025 limit is $22,320 if you're under FRA the whole year. They withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 earned above that limit. For the original poster: Since you earned so little last year and presumably will earn a similar amount this year, this won't affect you. But the SSA needs to verify that with documentation, hence the Schedule C request. You should be able to call and explain you don't have the Schedule C yet. They may accept alternative documentation or place a note on your record. And yes, once approved, you'll receive retroactive benefits to your application date.

Just out of curiosity, have you considered waiting until your FRA to claim spousal benefits? The reduction for claiming early can be substantial - up to 35% less if you claim at 62 vs. FRA. Each year you wait, the monthly amount increases. Of course, there's the trade-off of getting smaller checks sooner versus larger checks later.

good point about taxes! up to 85% of SS can be taxable if your combined income is high enough

Thank you everyone for all these helpful responses! I've learned so much. Based on what I'm hearing, it makes the most sense for me to claim at my FRA since delaying won't increase my total benefit beyond the 50% spousal benefit cap. And it's good to know that my husband delaying until 70 will increase the survivor benefit I'd receive if he passes away first.I appreciate all of you taking the time to explain this to me with actual numbers!