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!

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!

i think they just take your full retirement amount for 6 months and subtract what survivor benefits you already got for those 6 months. that's what happened with my uncle last year when he did this exact same thing.

I'm in a similar situation and meeting with an SSA representative next week. One thing I've been told is that you can request a benefit verification letter through your online account once you get back in. This will show your current survivor benefit amount which helps when making comparisons. Also worth noting - when you switch from survivor to retirement, your Medicare premium payment method might change. I was told to watch out for this to avoid any gaps in coverage.

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??

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!