I believe there's some confusion in the responses you're getting. Let me clarify based on SSA rules: 1. When a wage earner dies during the 5-month waiting period for SSDI, survivors don't have to serve the remainder of that waiting period. Benefits can begin the month of death. 2. For your brother as a Disabled Adult Child (DAC), benefits would typically start with the month of your father's death (January 2025). 3. There's a provision called "Deemed Filing Date" that might help in certain situations. If your father mentioned your brother's disability when he first applied in September 2024, there's a possibility this could be considered a protective filing date for your brother. 4. Request a detailed explanation in writing regarding the earliest possible entitlement date. Ask specifically about any protective filing provisions that might apply. 5. If your brother was receiving SSI, the rules for back payments get even more complex, as SSI payments may need to be repaid if retroactive SSDI is awarded. I recommend requesting a meeting with a Technical Expert at your local SSA office who specializes in disabled adult child benefits, not just speaking with the frontline representatives who may not be familiar with all the nuances.

One more important thing - if your brother was already receiving SSI (Supplemental Security Income) benefits on his own record, switching to the higher DAC benefits on your father's record will affect his Medicaid eligibility. There's a special provision called "Section 1634(c)" or the "DAC Medicaid protection" you should ask about to ensure he keeps Medicaid coverage even with the higher SSDI payment.

For those interested in current legislative efforts, there are two main bills that have been introduced to address WEP: The Social Security Fairness Act (which would fully repeal both WEP and GPO) and the Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act (which would modify WEP with a new formula). The fairness act has more cosponsors but the Protection act is seen as more fiscally feasible. Neither has passed yet, but you can contact your representatives to express support.

ive heard that if you work after you start getting your pension like a parttime job that pays into ss it can help reduce the wep penalty over time is that true??

So from what everyone's saying, since I'll keep working anyway and don't need the income right now, waiting until 70 makes the most sense - especially since it would give my wife a higher survivor benefit if needed. I appreciate all the input - will probably try to get an appointment with SSA to get my specific numbers before making the final decision.

omg everyone's making this so complicated lol. just take it when u need it. all these calculations and projections... nobody knows when they're gonna die!

SSA IT specialist here. The current outage is due to scheduled maintenance that was supposed to complete by 6am EST but encountered some technical difficulties. Engineering teams are working to resolve the issues, and full service should be restored within the next 8-12 hours. Regarding your application timeline: The current processing time for retirement benefits is 75-90 days in most cases. Your online status may not update frequently during this period, but rest assured your application is still being processed even when the website is unavailable. If you have immediate concerns about your specific application, calling your local office with your confirmation number is your best option.

UPDATE: The website is working again this morning! I was able to log in and check my application status. It's still showing as "processing" but at least I can see it's in the system. Thanks everyone for your help and commiseration!

Yes, the GPO calculation is the same for survivor benefits (2/3 of your government pension), but as mentioned, the survivor benefit amount is higher to begin with (potentially up to 100% of your husband's benefit if you claim at your FRA, versus 50% for spousal benefits). I'd recommend scheduling an appointment with SSA to discuss both your current options and future planning. They can provide benefit estimates specific to your situation.

Thank you all for the helpful information! I'll definitely apply and see what happens, but I won't count on receiving anything given the GPO reduction. I appreciate the tip about Claimyr for reaching SS - might try that instead of spending hours on hold. And I'll make sure to ask specifically about both spousal and potential future survivor benefits when I speak with them. This forum has been so much more helpful than trying to figure it out on my own!