One other benefit to consider: if you work after starting Social Security benefits and pay FICA taxes, the SSA will automatically recalculate your benefit amount annually. If your current earnings are higher than one of the 35 years used to calculate your initial benefit, your benefit amount could actually INCREASE. So working could potentially give you a permanent raise in your Social Security payment!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact situation last year. I reached my FRA at 66 and 8 months, then went back to work full-time making about $55,000. My Social Security benefits continued without any reduction whatsoever. The only surprise was that my tax bill was higher at the end of the year since more of my SS became taxable, but that's just regular income tax - not a penalty or reduction in benefits. Also, make sure to factor in that you'll be paying FICA taxes again on your wages, but as others mentioned, this could actually boost your future SS payments if your current salary is higher than some of your lower earning years from the past. Definitely take the job if you need the income - the earnings test really does disappear completely once you hit FRA!

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who went through this process recently. One thing that really helped us was getting everything in writing from SSA about the living arrangement rules BEFORE my daughter moved in. We scheduled an in-person appointment at our local SSA office and brought a list of specific questions about ISM calculations, rental agreements, and reporting requirements. The caseworker was able to walk us through exactly how different scenarios would affect her benefits, and we got a written summary of what was discussed. This prevented any surprises later and gave us documentation if there were ever any disputes about what we were told. Also, regarding the tax situation - we consulted with a tax professional who specializes in disability benefits. It was worth the cost because the rules around SSI, dependency claims, and Head of Household status can be really complex when combined. They helped us understand exactly what documentation we'd need to keep for both SSA and IRS purposes. The whole process feels overwhelming at first, but having everything properly documented from the start makes it much smoother. Good luck with your daughter's transition to SSI!

As someone who's been helping families navigate SSI for over 10 years, I want to emphasize a few critical points that haven't been fully covered yet: 1. **Timing is everything** - You need to report the living arrangement change to SSA within 10 days of when your daughter moves in, or you risk overpayment issues like others mentioned. 2. **The "presumed maximum value" rule** - If SSA can't determine the exact value of the room and board you're providing, they'll automatically apply the full 1/3 reduction ($314 in 2025). This is why documentation is so crucial. 3. **Consider the "household goods and personal effects" exception** - Items like furniture, clothing, and personal care items that you provide don't count as ISM, so don't worry about documenting every small expense. 4. **State supplement programs** - Many states provide additional payments on top of federal SSI. These can have different rules about living arrangements, so check with your state agency too. The rental agreement approach others mentioned works, but make sure it covers ALL household expenses proportionally (utilities, internet, property taxes, maintenance) - not just rent. SSA looks at the total picture of what constitutes "fair share." Also, keep copies of EVERYTHING you submit to SSA. Their record-keeping isn't always perfect, and having your own documentation has saved many families from lengthy appeals processes.

I just went through this exact process with my two kids after my SSDI approval 6 weeks ago! You absolutely do NOT need separate MySocialSecurity accounts for your children - they're minors and can't create their own accounts anyway. Here's the exact process that worked for me: Call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 RIGHT at 8:00 AM when they open (this timing is absolutely critical!) and say these exact words: "I need to file Form SSA-16 applications for auxiliary benefits for my three dependent children based on my approved SSDI record." Before you call, have these documents ready: birth certificates and Social Security cards for all three kids, plus your SSDI approval letter. The representative can actually process all three applications over the phone, which saves you from having to drag three kids to the SSA office. Important details to know: - Each child can receive up to 50% of your benefit amount, but with three kids you'll definitely hit the family maximum (typically 150-180% of your Primary Insurance Amount) which will reduce their individual amounts proportionally - You'll automatically be appointed as their representative payee to manage their benefits - Their benefits should be retroactive to the same month your SSDI started - so file TODAY to maximize those back payments! - Processing typically takes 6-8 weeks once applications are submitted - Each child will receive their own separate debit card/payment (not combined) I received 4 months of retroactive payments for both my kids because I filed immediately after my approval. The whole process was surprisingly smooth once I got through to someone who actually knew what they were doing. Don't wait another day - every single day you delay means potentially losing retroactive benefits! After waiting almost a year for your own approval, you deserve every penny of those back payments for your kids. Good luck and congrats on finally getting approved!

I just went through this exact process with my three kids after my SSDI approval 4 months ago! You definitely don't need separate MySocialSecurity accounts for your children - minors can't create accounts anyway. Here's what worked perfectly for me: Call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 RIGHT at 8am when they open (this timing is absolutely crucial!) and say exactly: "I need to file Form SSA-16 applications for auxiliary benefits for my three dependent children based on my approved SSDI record." Have everything ready before calling: birth certificates, Social Security cards for all three kids, and your SSDI approval letter. The representative processed all three applications over the phone, which saved me from taking three kids to the office! Key points: - Each child gets up to 50% of your benefit, but with three kids you'll hit the family maximum (150-180% of your benefit) which reduces individual amounts slightly - You're automatically their representative payee - Benefits are retroactive to when your SSDI started - file IMMEDIATELY to get those back payments! - Processing takes 6-8 weeks - Each child gets their own separate debit card I got 5 months of retroactive payments for all three kids because I filed right after my approval. Don't wait another day - every day you delay means losing potential back payments! After your year-long wait, you deserve every penny. The process was surprisingly smooth once I reached someone knowledgeable. Good luck!

This is such valuable information for families dealing with SSDI dependent benefits! I'm relatively new to understanding how Social Security works, but I've been helping my elderly father navigate some benefit questions recently. One thing I want to emphasize from reading through all these responses is how important it is to get everything in writing from SSA. When I was helping my dad, we had three different phone representatives give us three different answers to the same question. It wasn't until we got the official documentation that we knew what was actually correct. For your neighbor, in addition to all the great suggestions here about getting the BOAN report and visiting the local office, I'd recommend she ask for any benefit changes or calculations to be sent to her in writing. That way she has official documentation of exactly when the twins' benefits will end and what the new payment amounts will be. Also, has she looked into whether there are any local organizations that help families navigate Social Security benefits? Sometimes community centers, disability advocacy groups, or even libraries have volunteers who are familiar with the system and can help interpret the documentation once she gets it from SSA.

I'm new to this community but have been following this discussion closely as my sister is in a similar situation with SSDI benefits and aging-out children. The information everyone has shared here is incredibly helpful! One additional resource I wanted to mention is the Red Book that Social Security publishes - it's a comprehensive guide to work incentives and benefit programs. You can find it online at ssa.gov or request a printed copy. Chapter 2 specifically covers family benefits and the family maximum calculations that everyone has been discussing. Also, your neighbor might want to start documenting everything now - dates of phone calls to SSA, names of representatives she speaks with, reference numbers for any cases or inquiries. This creates a paper trail that can be really helpful if there are any discrepancies later. The financial planning aspect that others mentioned is so important. When my sister's oldest aged out last year, the income drop was exactly as significant as everyone here described. She found it helpful to practice living on the reduced budget for a few months before the change actually happened, just to identify what adjustments she'd need to make. Thank you all for sharing such detailed and practical advice - this thread should be required reading for anyone navigating SSDI family benefits!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly enlightening discussion! I'm 65 and have been procrastinating on claiming Social Security because the earnings limit rules on the SSA website made everything seem so overwhelming and complicated. This thread has been a complete revelation - especially discovering that the earnings limit disappears the exact MONTH you reach your Full Retirement Age, not just sometime during that calendar year. I was completely misunderstanding this and thought I'd need to worry about the limit for the entire year I turn 67, which would have caused me to make some terrible financial planning decisions. The breakdown of the different limits ($23,400 vs $63,840 depending on whether you reach FRA during the year) is absolutely crucial information that I've never seen explained this clearly anywhere else. Plus all the practical tips about tracking monthly earnings, understanding when bonuses count toward the limit, and how pre-tax retirement contributions can actually help you stay under the threshold before FRA - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance you can't find in official government materials. I'm also incredibly grateful to learn about Claimyr as an alternative for reaching SSA representatives. After reading all these stories about hours-long hold times and constant disconnections, knowing there's a service that can get you through to an actual agent in 15-20 minutes seems like a lifesaver when you need answers about your specific situation. What amazes me most is how this community provides the practical context that makes these intimidating government rules actually manageable. The SSA website gives you the technical rules, but only real people who've navigated this process can share the wisdom about how it all works in practice. Thank you all for being so generous with your knowledge and creating such a valuable resource for those of us trying to make these important decisions!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to add my sincere gratitude for this incredibly comprehensive and helpful discussion! I'm 66 and have been anxious about claiming Social Security while continuing to work because the earnings limit rules seemed so confusing and intimidating on the SSA website. This thread has been absolutely game-changing for my understanding - especially learning that the earnings limit disappears the exact MONTH you reach your Full Retirement Age, not just during that calendar year. I had been planning to severely restrict my work hours for all of 2025 since I turn 67 in June, not realizing I only need to be careful about the limit from January through May! The clarification about the different earnings limits ($23,400 if under FRA all year vs. $63,840 if reaching FRA during the year, only counting pre-FRA months) is absolutely crucial information I never found explained clearly elsewhere. Combined with all the practical advice about monthly tracking, bonus timing, and how pre-tax retirement contributions can help you stay under the limit before FRA - this is exactly the real-world guidance I needed. I'm also grateful to learn about Claimyr as an option for getting through to SSA when needed. After reading all these horror stories about endless phone waits and disconnections, having a service that can actually connect you to an agent in 15-20 minutes seems invaluable. What strikes me most is how this community provides the practical wisdom that makes these complex government rules actually manageable. The official SSA materials give you the technical rules, but only real people with experience can explain how they work in practice and share the timing details that can save you from costly mistakes. Thank you all for creating such a supportive and knowledgeable resource!