Wait so your own benefit is higher than your husbands? In my case my husbands benefit was way higher than mine would ever be so I just took his. But if yours is higher then yeah do what everyone is saying.

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I'm going to try making an appointment at my local office instead of dealing with the phone system. I'll be very clear that I ONLY want survivor benefits for now. I'll also bring printouts of the SSA rules about this to the appointment, just in case. It's so frustrating that even the SSA employees seem confused about their own policies sometimes. I just want to make sure I'm not leaving money on the table while I wait for my FRA in a few months.

my cousin said something about a 60 day window after applying where u can withdraw ur application if u change ur mind about taking early benefits. might be worth asking about that too in case she decides to wait for full amount later

Another thing she should consider is that survivor benefits taken early are reduced differently than regular retirement benefits. The reduction for survivor benefits at age 62 is about 28.5%, while regular retirement at 62 would be reduced by about 30%. The exact percentage depends on her specific FRA. The SSA representative should be able to calculate the exact amount during her appointment.

Make sure to ask about the Lump Sum Death Payment too! If you were living with your second husband when he passed, you might qualify for the $255 payment even if you don't qualify for monthly survivor benefits. It's not much but every bit helps. Also, something I learned the hard way - bring proof of ALL your marriages and divorces to your appointment. They wanted my marriage certificate from 30 years ago! I had to reschedule and hunt through old boxes. Have birth certificates, social security cards, death certificates, marriage/divorce papers all ready to go so you don't have to do multiple appointments.

when u go on SS at 60 u get 71.5% of what youd get at full retirement age. make sure u can live on that amount. my sister thought shed get full amount and was shocked how much less it was taking early.

i dont understand why SSA dosent just SAY whats changed? like tell us exactly what the diffrence is now vs before. im affected by WEP not GPO but its all so confusing!!!!

Just an update - I called SSA this morning (was on hold for almost 2 hours!) and the agent confirmed they're seeing many GPO-affected people filing now. He said they're processing these applications faster than normal because of the increased volume. He also mentioned something about "protective filing dates" being important, though I didn't fully understand what that meant.

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.