anyone else notice how the SS website is ALWAYS down for maintenance when you actually need to use it? so frustrating!!

To directly answer your question about checking - if you get a Form SSA-1099 in January/February, it will show in Box 3 if any federal taxes were withheld during the previous year. Since 2025 just started, you won't have this form yet for your benefits. Going forward, the easiest way to verify withholding is to check your bank deposits against your gross benefit amount. A difference (besides Medicare premiums) would indicate tax withholding.

my mom just went thru this... got ALL her social security plus my dads csrs survivor. no cuts at all

One thing no one has mentioned yet - make sure your husband's CSRS survivor benefit election is properly documented with OPM. There should be a form (I believe it's SF 2801) on file that confirms his election of survivor benefits. Might be worth checking that everything is in order while you're both still here to address any issues.

i had trouble loggin in after i filed. had to make a new password. just warning u it might happen

Oh, and regarding your specific concern about being paperless - you will still need to check your physical mail. Some communications from SSA are only sent by mail for security reasons, especially anything involving direct deposit changes or benefit verification. They're slowly improving their online services, but they're not completely paperless yet.

My sister had to deal with this. For her they did a trial work period where she could earn over the limit for 9 months (not in a row) without losing benefits. You should ask if your wife qualifies for that. It gave my sister a chance to test if she could handle working more without risking her benefits right away.

Thank you all for the incredibly helpful information! I've learned so much - the $2,200 monthly limit, the importance of tracking gross wages based on when work was performed, and even about the Trial Work Period option. I've written everything down and will discuss with my wife. We'll definitely stay well under the limit to be safe and make sure to report her earnings promptly. I may use that Claimyr service to get through to SSA and confirm everything for our specific case. Really appreciate all the help!

My mom had the same situation!!! She got disability first and then when she turned 60 she applied for my dads survivors benefit and got it no problem! But that was back in 2019 so maybe rules changed?

Here's a specific tip that might help: when you call SSA, specifically ask to speak with a "Technical Expert" who specializes in survivor benefits. Regular claims representatives often don't deal with these complex situations daily. Technical Experts have additional training on the nuances of survivor benefits, deemed filing, and switching strategies. Also, there's a helpful publication called "If You Are The Survivor" (SSA Publication No. 05-10084) that explains many of these rules. You can find it on ssa.gov and bring it with you to any in-person appointments as a reference.

You're right about the Privacy Act request timeframe - it's not a quick solution. However, you can also ask during a phone call for them to verify specific documents in your file, which gives you immediate information about what they have.

My brother applied for SS disability last year and they told him they lost his medical records too! He had to start his whole application over. Then they denied him anyway even with all his evidence! The whole system is broken. Good luck but don't get your hopes up.

I need to apologize for my earlier incorrect information! I was confusing the rules for spousal benefits with survivor/widow benefits. The other commenters are correct - you CAN switch from widow benefits to your own retirement benefits if yours would be higher. I'm so sorry for the confusion I caused.

When you contact SSA, make sure you have your recent tax returns handy. They may want to verify your earnings for the recalculation. Also make sure to specifically ask about: 1. What your current widow benefit amount is (with exact figures) 2. What your own retirement benefit would be if you switched now 3. Whether waiting longer to switch would increase your own benefit further Get all three numbers so you can make an informed decision. And consider asking them to document this in your file, even if you don't make a change immediately.

Have you tried calling SSA directly to ask about this? When I had questions about my spousal benefits last year, I spent literally WEEKS trying to get through on their 800 number. Kept getting disconnected or waiting on hold for hours. I eventually found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They basically call SSA for you and then connect you when an agent answers. Saved me so much frustration! You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU or check out claimyr.com. Definitely worth it for complex questions like yours that the website doesn't clearly address.

One more important point - you mentioned having a permanent disability but not qualifying for SSDI. If your disability meets SSA's criteria but you were denied because of insufficient recent work credits (which happens when people develop disabilities after being out of the workforce), you might want to explore SSI (Supplemental Security Income). It's needs-based rather than work-based, and while the benefit is typically lower than SSDI, it could provide some income before you turn 62. SSI has strict asset and income limits, but it's worth investigating if your resources are limited while waiting to reach 62.

This reminds me of when I retired. I think what's happening is the monthly test vs. annual test confusion. When you first retire, you get to use the monthly test which is definitely better for people who work part of the year then stop completely.

I just called SSA again using that Claimyr service someone mentioned (it actually worked!), and got through to a very knowledgeable agent. She confirmed I can absolutely start benefits in December for January payment using the monthly earnings test since I haven't worked since July. She also said I could technically apply for benefits going back to August (first payment in September) if I wanted to, but I'd need to specifically request retroactive payments for those months. I'm going to start with December/January payment as originally planned. Thanks everyone for helping clear this up! The monthly earnings test vs. annual test distinction was the key piece I was missing.

To directly answer your original question: The WEP applies when you receive a pension based on work where you didn't pay Social Security taxes. The key factor is not whether you receive monthly payments or a lump sum, but whether the payment is based on non-covered employment. An important exception exists if your pension is based on a mix of covered and non-covered employment. If that's the case, the SSA will only apply WEP to the portion derived from earnings where you didn't pay Social Security taxes. Request a detailed WEP calculation from SSA before making your decision.

Another consideration: depending on your age and specific situation, you might want to look into whether the "substantial earnings test" might help reduce your WEP impact. If you can demonstrate that you had substantial earnings under Social Security for enough years (the magic number is 30, but there's a sliding scale), your WEP reduction can be lessened or eliminated. This would be true whether you take the pension as a lump sum or monthly payments.