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That's not accurate for this situation. Your neighbor may be referring to filing for her own retirement benefits early, which does permanently reduce them. But in the OP's case, they're on SSDI, which doesn't involve an early filing reduction. At FRA, the SSDI converts to retirement at the full rate, and the spousal benefit is recalculated. The current small spousal supplement won't affect the FRA calculation.
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Has ANYONE mentioned the tax implications?? If you're still working full-time AND collecting SS, up to 85% of your benefits could be TAXABLE depending on your combined income! This is another reason to DELAY until you're actually retired or at least working less.
This is absolutely correct. With your full-time income plus Social Security benefits, you would almost certainly have 85% of your benefits subject to federal income tax. This tax consideration does strengthen the case for delaying until closer to when you stop working, as it effectively reduces the real value of benefits received while earning a substantial income.
Honestly all this math and planning is great but nobody can predict how long they'll live. The perfect plan means nothing if you pass away at 71. My husband delayed and then only collected for 14 months before he passed. I wish we'd taken the money earlier and gone on that Alaska cruise we always talked about. Just something to think about.
I'm so sorry for your loss. That's a heartbreaking perspective and definitely gives me something to think about. There is certainly a quality of life consideration that can't be captured in pure mathematics. Thank you for sharing your experience.
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Trying to contact SSA to ask questions like this is IMPOSSIBLE these days!! I tried calling for THREE WEEKS straight and couldn't get through. Then I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real SSA agent in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent I spoke with confirmed everything the first commenter said - you can't do restricted applications anymore if you were born after 1954. Saved me from making a big mistake with my filing strategy.
This is good advice. Getting accurate information directly from SSA is critical for making these decisions. While the rules I outlined are correct, everyone's situation has unique aspects that might affect their optimal filing strategy.
I tried calling the SS office for MONTHS! Keep getting busy signals or disconnected. Might check out that service, getting frustrated trying to figure this out on my own.
Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! It sounds like my best option is to simply wait until 70 to maximize my own benefit, since the restricted application strategy isn't available to me. I'll encourage my spouse to stick with their plan to file at their FRA. We're fortunate to have savings to bridge the gap until then. I really appreciate all the insights and personal experiences shared here. Social Security filing strategies are so much more complicated than I initially thought!
Sounds like you've made a good decision based on your circumstances. One final tip: about 3-4 months before you plan to file at 70, create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov if you haven't already. This will let you verify your earnings record is correct and get familiar with the online application process. Good luck with your retirement planning!
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Did they tell u about taxes? I had NO idea survivors benefits could be taxable and got hit with a huge tax bill my first year. Up to 85% can be taxable depending on your other income. Just a warning so u can prepare...
They mentioned something about taxes but didn't go into detail. With my part-time job, I might need to have taxes withheld from my SS payments. I'll look into this more - thanks for the warning!
my sister tried to get surviver benefits but they denied her because she was married for only 9 years not 10 years! so unfair!!!
The 10-year marriage duration requirement applies to divorced spouse benefits, not to widow(er)'s benefits for a current marriage. For survivor benefits after the death of a spouse, you generally only need to have been married for 9 months (with some exceptions like accidental death). Your sister should appeal if she was denied survivor benefits from a current marriage that lasted at least 9 months.
Jasmine Hancock
Quick update on HR 82 - there was actually a hearing scheduled for March 2025 in the House Ways and Means Committee. While this doesn't guarantee passage, it's the furthest the bill has progressed in years. Consider joining advocacy groups like the Social Security Fairness Coalition who are organizing virtual lobbying days this spring. Also, regarding your specific situation, if your spouse's benefit increases in the future (like when he turns 70 if he's delayed claiming), your potential spousal benefit would increase too, which might exceed the GPO reduction at some point.
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Lindsey Fry
•That's the first bit of good news I've heard about HR 82! I'll definitely look into the Social Security Fairness Coalition. And that's a great point about my husband's benefit - he's 66 now and planning to delay until 70, so his benefit will increase. I hadn't considered that might eventually overcome the GPO offset. Thank you!
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Saleem Vaziri
Has anyone else noticed that the SSA website barely even EXPLAINS GPO properly???? I had to find out about it from my teacher's union, SSA never warned me until it was too late!!!! The whole system is designed to keep us in the dark!!!!
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Cole Roush
•so true. my dad got blindsided by this after 40 yrs as a firefighter. no warning at all until he applied
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