Great to see this worked out for you! I'm actually in a similar situation - just got my login.gov set up for SSA and need to use it for another agency soon. Your post gave me the confidence to go ahead with it. It's reassuring to know that the system really does work as intended for most people. Thanks for following up with your results!

Just want to add my experience for anyone else reading this - I've been using the same login.gov account for SSA, VA benefits, and USAJOBS for over a year now with zero issues. The key thing I learned is to make sure you complete the identity verification process fully when you first set up login.gov. Sometimes people rush through it and miss steps, which can cause problems later when connecting to additional agencies. Also, if you ever change your phone number or email, update it in login.gov BEFORE trying to access any of your connected services. This prevents most of the lockout issues people experience.

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for such a comprehensive and helpful discussion! I'm 65 and will reach my FRA of 67 in about two years. Reading through all these real-world experiences has been incredibly reassuring and educational. What really stands out to me is how consistent everyone's experience has been once they reached their exact FRA - absolutely no earnings limits, no matter how much they earn from work. The distinction between "before FRA" (with earnings limits) and "after FRA" (complete freedom) is so much clearer now thanks to all of you sharing your personal stories. I'm currently making about $55,000 annually in my current job and was worried about whether I could continue working after filing for benefits. Now I understand that once I hit 67, I can work as much as I want without any impact on my Social Security payments. The peace of mind this gives me for retirement planning is enormous. Thank you all for being so generous with your experiences - it's exactly what someone new to this process needs to hear!

As someone who just joined this community, I have to say this thread has been absolutely incredible! I'm 64 and approaching my FRA of 66 and 6 months, and I was completely overwhelmed trying to understand the Social Security rules about working while collecting benefits. The SSA website made it so confusing with all the technical language. What's been amazing is reading all these real-world experiences from people who are actually living this situation successfully. The key insight that really clicked for me is understanding there are essentially two phases - before FRA where earnings limits apply, and after FRA where there are NO limits whatsoever. Seeing people like Connor, Yara, Danielle, and others share their actual experiences of working while collecting full benefits after reaching their FRA gives me complete confidence. I'm planning to continue my part-time real estate work that brings in about $42,000 annually, and now I know that once I hit my exact FRA date, I can earn that amount (or even more) without losing a single penny of my Social Security benefits. Thank you everyone for being so generous with sharing your personal experiences - it's exactly what newcomers like me need to make informed decisions about our retirement planning!

Just wanted to add one more consideration - make sure to keep detailed records of your earnings throughout the year. SSA will want documentation when they do their annual earnings review, and having everything organized will make the process much smoother. Also, if your income varies month to month, you might want to estimate conservatively and report any changes to SSA promptly. They can adjust the withholding mid-year if your circumstances change, which could help you avoid overpayment situations that need to be sorted out later.

One more thing to consider that hasn't been fully addressed - the timing of when benefits get withheld during the year. SSA doesn't spread the withholding evenly across 12 months. They typically withhold your entire monthly benefit starting in January until they've recovered the projected annual withholding amount. So if they calculate you'll have $30,000 withheld for the year and your monthly benefit is $2,600, they'll withhold your benefits for about 11-12 months, then you might get benefits again in November/December. This can create cash flow challenges if you're counting on any SS income during certain months. Just something to factor into your budgeting when you take that job!

One thing to keep in mind with the withdrawal option - make sure you have the cash flow to handle both paying back the 4 months of benefits AND potentially waiting several more months for your contract payments to come in. Contract work can sometimes have delayed payment schedules, and you don't want to be caught short on funds. Also, since you mentioned this is lucrative work, consider setting aside money for self-employment taxes (15.3% for Social Security and Medicare) if you'll be working as an independent contractor rather than an employee. The tax hit on a $60K contract can be pretty substantial when combined with repaying your SS benefits.

Just a heads up - when you file Form SSA-521 for withdrawal, SSA will send you a letter showing the exact amount you need to repay, including any interest. You typically have 60 days to make the repayment, but they may grant extensions if needed. The process usually takes 4-6 weeks from when they receive your form to when they send the repayment letter. Also, make sure to keep detailed records of everything - the withdrawal form, repayment documentation, and any correspondence with SSA. You'll need these for your taxes and when you eventually reapply for benefits. Some people forget that the repayment amount might include spousal or survivor benefits if applicable, so double-check all the details before proceeding.

As a disability benefits specialist, I want to emphasize a few critical points that haven't been fully addressed yet: 1. **Asset limits matter**: If your son transitions from SSI to DAC, he'll no longer be subject to the $2,000 asset limit that restricts SSI recipients. This means he could potentially save money or receive gifts without losing benefits. 2. **State supplemental payments**: Some states provide supplemental payments to SSI recipients. Check if your son receives any state supplements, as these might be affected differently than federal benefits during the transition. 3. **ABLE accounts**: If your son doesn't already have one, consider opening an ABLE account before the transition. These accounts allow disabled individuals to save money without affecting benefit eligibility and can be especially valuable when moving from SSI to DAC. 4. **Medicare enrollment timing**: If your son qualifies for DAC, he'll be eligible for Medicare 24 months after his disability onset date for DAC purposes (not necessarily when he first became disabled). Understanding this timeline is crucial for maintaining continuous health coverage. The consensus here about exploring DAC benefits is absolutely correct - in most cases, it results in higher payments and more flexibility. Just make sure to get everything in writing from SSA and don't rely solely on phone consultations for such an important decision.

I'm going through a very similar situation with my 29-year-old son who has cerebral palsy and currently receives SSI. My husband is 61 and we've been debating whether he should file at 62 or wait until his full retirement age. After reading all these responses, I'm realizing we need to seriously explore the DAC benefits option. Like your son, mine was disabled well before age 22, so he should qualify. The idea that his monthly payment could actually INCREASE rather than decrease is incredible - we had assumed any change would hurt him financially. I'm particularly interested in what several people mentioned about the Medicare/Medicaid dual coverage possibility with DAC benefits. Our son has significant medical needs, so maintaining comprehensive coverage is our top priority. One thing I'm curious about - for those whose children successfully transitioned from SSI to DAC, did you have to reestablish eligibility for any other programs like food assistance or utility help? Or do those programs typically recognize DAC as equivalent to SSI for eligibility purposes? Thank you for starting this discussion - it's opened my eyes to possibilities I never knew existed. I'm definitely going to request that BPQY report and find a benefits counselor before we make any decisions about my husband's retirement timing.