Based on what you've shared, here's a summary that might help you plan: 1. Your SSDI benefits will NOT change after marriage 2. His SSDI benefits will NOT change after marriage 3. His SSI ($110/month) will likely be reduced or eliminated after marriage 4. Any income-based benefits like SNAP, housing assistance, Medicaid, Extra Help for Medicare, etc. will need to be reassessed based on your combined income If losing the $110 in SSI and potentially some adjustments to other benefits is manageable for your budget, you should be in an okay position financially after marriage. I would recommend scheduling an appointment with SSA to get a precise calculation of how your specific benefits would be affected.

One more tip - after you get married (if you decide to), make sure you both contact Social Security right away to report the change. For the SSDI recipient, it's mostly just updating your name if you change it. For the SSI recipient, they need to report the marriage immediately to avoid overpayments. Those overpayment notices are a nightmare to deal with!

OP you might want to check if your state has that thing called Social Security totalization or something? My friend in Ohio said her state retirement system lets employees pay into both systems at same time to avoid WEP completely. Might be too late for you now but worth checking!

I want to thank everyone for their incredibly helpful responses! I've learned so much about WEP and now understand I need to confirm exactly how many years of "substantial earnings" I have according to SSA's specific thresholds. I'm going to try contacting SSA to get my full earnings record and request written confirmation about my WEP status. It sounds like with my 32 years in the private sector, I'm likely exempt from WEP reductions as long as my earnings met the thresholds for at least 30 of those years. I'll also look into whether my state highway department might have a Section 218 Agreement, though I'm pretty sure we don't pay into Social Security there. Thanks again for clarifying this confusing topic - I feel much better prepared to finalize my retirement plans now!

So I'm now collecting at 70 (started last year) and was SHOCKED at tax time!!! I had no idea so much would be taxable. My neighbor told me only 85% MAX can be taxed, which was small comfort when I saw my tax bill. Just be prepared and maybe make quarterly estimated tax payments to avoid a surprise. I'm still glad I waited though - the bigger check each month is worth it.

One more consideration: Social Security at any age (62, FRA, or 70) counts toward your provisional income that determines Medicare IRMAA surcharges (those extra premium amounts for Parts B and D if your income is above certain thresholds). So if you're approaching 65, factor in how your total income including Social Security might affect your Medicare premiums too.

Sorry to go off-topic a bit, but I just wanted to add that when you DO eventually apply, make sure you specify that you want to RESTRICT your application to survivor benefits only. Don't let them talk you into filing for your own retirement at the same time. I've heard horror stories of people accidentally filing for both when they only meant to file for one, and then being stuck with a permanently reduced retirement benefit. And when you approach 70, you'll need to proactively file to switch to your retirement benefit - it won't happen automatically!

wait i'm confused about something - if you're making 65k why do you even care about survivor benefits? thats way more than most of us get from ss and work combined. just curious

I think they're changing their policy again. My nephew works at Social Security and he says they're getting new guidance every week about this. Some offices have the updated system and others don't yet. Maybe try a different office?

Quick update for everyone following this thread - the official policy change is outlined in SSA Emergency Message EM-23056, which officially limits recovery of most overpayments to 10% of monthly benefits. However, there are exceptions for fraud cases. The implementation date was March 15, 2025, but as others have noted, the actual rollout has been inconsistent across field offices. If you're getting resistance, specifically mention EM-23056 and request to speak with a Technical Expert or the Office Manager who should be familiar with this directive.