If you don't mind me asking, what conditions are you dealing with? Some conditions have much higher approval rates than others.

my mom is getting benefits from my dad and they divorced like 30 years ago so yeah it definitely works for exes

i was worried about the same thing i had heard people saying ur benefits get recalculated at retirement age but thats not true. its the same payment don't worry!

Thank you all SO much for your responses! I feel so much better now knowing the payment won't change. I've been losing sleep over this for weeks. I'll definitely set up that online account to double check everything, and might try that Claimyr service to get official confirmation. This community has been incredibly helpful - I really appreciate you all taking the time to share your experiences and knowledge!

These survivor benefit rules are SO CONFUSING!!! 😫 I've called SSA like 5 times and gotten different answers each time about switching between deceased spouses. One person told me I could only get benefits from my most recent spouse (WRONG), another said I couldn't switch at all once I started taking benefits (ALSO WRONG). The whole system is a mess. I wish they would train their employees better or at least have a clear explanation on their website. Why is it so hard to get consistent information??!! Sorry for the rant, just been dealing with this for 7 months and I'm at my wit's end.

I just wanted to thank everyone for all the helpful information! I feel so much better knowing I CAN switch to my second husband's survivor benefit when I reach FRA, regardless of when each spouse passed away. I've been stressing about this for weeks! I'll pass the information along to my sister about her spousal benefit situation too. It sounds like she should probably wait until her FRA if she wants to maximize her options, or at least carefully compare both ex-spouses' benefit amounts before making any decisions. I'm still nervous about dealing with SSA when the time comes to make the switch, but at least now I know what to expect and that I'm entitled to make this change. I really appreciate all your experiences and expertise!

i thought WEP only applies if you retire from that non SS job? my friend said if you leave the teacher job and work somewhere else with SS for 5 years you dont get the WEP penalty?? is that true?

One more thing to keep in mind - if your pension payment amount ever changes (like with cost of living adjustments), you should contact Social Security to update your WEP information. Otherwise, you could end up with an overpayment that they'll want back later. I learned this the hard way when my pension got a 3% increase and I didn't report it. SSA discovered it during their annual verification and I had to pay back $420 in SS benefits!

Just to add one more important point: If you've just started collecting Social Security in November 2024, your benefit amount might be different in 2025 due to the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). This adjustment took effect with December 2024 benefits (payable in January 2025). Make sure to budget accordingly for any tax implications based on your new benefit amount going forward.

Thank you everyone for all the helpful answers! I'll keep an eye out for the SSA-1099 in the mail, but I'm also going to set up my online account to access it there if needed. Since I'm past FRA, it sounds like I don't need to worry about the earnings limit, which is a relief. I'll look into that W-4V form to have some taxes withheld from my SS benefits going forward to avoid a surprise tax bill. This community has been incredibly helpful!

another thing to keep in mind is that the subsantial earnings threshold changes every year. my husband thought he had 25 years but when SSA actually calculated it, only 22 years counted because some of his earlier jobs didn't meet the threshold for those years. make sure you check the year-by-year substantial earnings table on SSA.gov!

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I'm going to try using the WEP calculator on the SSA website, but I think we'll also need to talk directly with an agent to get our specific situation figured out. It's frustrating that something as important as retirement planning has to be this complicated. I'll update once we get our actual calculation from SSA.

My understanding was it's when you EARNED the money not when it's paid??? That's what the SSA agent told me on the phone last month. Now I'm confused 🤔

One important thing no one has mentioned yet: if you exceed your monthly limit, Social Security will withhold your ENTIRE benefit for that month, not just the amount you went over. This trips up a lot of people. For example, if your monthly limit is $1,950 and you earn $2,000, you don't just lose $50 in benefits - you lose your entire SS payment for that month. Plan accordingly!

My friend tried to do the ex spouse thing and SSA lost her paperwork TWICE!! Then they told her she hadnt been married long enough but she had proof it was 12 years! The system is so broken. If I were u id just wait till next year when ur done working and do it all at once

Since you'll be working until June 2025 and your FRA isn't until August 2025, here's what I recommend: 1. Continue working as planned until June 2025 2. Wait until August 2025 when you reach your exact FRA of 66 and 6 months 3. At that point, apply for your retirement benefits 4. During the application, indicate you were married for over 10 years and provide your ex's information 5. SSA will automatically calculate both benefits and pay you the higher amount This approach simplifies everything, avoids the earnings test complications, and ensures you get the highest possible benefit. Your continued work through June 2025 will likely increase your own primary insurance amount (PIA), possibly making the ex-spouse benefit irrelevant.

To answer your original question more precisely: Your son's DAC benefits will be paid on the 4th Wednesday since your SSN ends in 62. The payment date is determined by the primary number holder's SSN (presumably yours), not your son's. For those reading this thread with similar situations: - SSNs ending in 00-09: paid on 2nd Wednesday - SSNs ending in 10-19: paid on 3rd Wednesday - SSNs ending in 20-99: paid on 4th Wednesday And yes, you should contact Medicaid separately as soon as possible. In most states, the transition from SSI-related Medicaid to another Medicaid category requires your action - it doesn't happen automatically.

One more bit of advice - print out the SSA payment calendar for the year (available on ssa.gov) and keep it handy. Note that if the Wednesday payment date falls on a federal holiday, the payment will come the day before. Planning ahead with this calendar really helped us manage the transition for my daughter.

What about if your grandson gets disability later?? My friend's adopted son got SSDI and they made him choose between SSDI and survivor benefits from bio parents. Don't know if it's the same for retirement tho?? SSA rules are SO CONFUSING!!!!!

One more thing I didn't mention earlier - when your grandson turns 16, you should look into whether he qualifies for SSI (Supplemental Security Income) in addition to his Social Security benefits. The income limits are strict, but if his combined Social Security benefits are below the threshold, SSI could provide additional monthly support. This becomes his own benefit based on age and limited income, separate from either survivor or retirement-based benefits. Also, ensure you're keeping his benefits in a properly designated account. Benefits paid to children require annual representative payee accounting to SSA, and they can audit how funds are being used. I recommend setting up a dedicated account just for his benefits to make this reporting easier.