Social Security Disability benefit DECREASED at Full Retirement Age - why is my husband's payment going down?

This definitely sounds wrong. When SSDI converts to retirement at FRA, the amount should stay exactly the same - it's essentially just an administrative change on their end. The only time I've seen amounts change is when there were previous overpayments being recouped or if he was receiving some additional benefits that had age limits. Did the letter explain any reason for the reduction?

my uncle had something like this happen!!! turned out he was getting some extra disability thing that stops at retirement age. check if the disability payment had some kinda special addition to it maybe??

There are a few possible explanations for this confusing situation: 1. Worker's Compensation Offset: If your husband received Worker's Comp in addition to SSDI, there may have been an offset that ends at FRA. 2. Disability Freeze: During disability, SSA doesn't count low/no-earning years toward benefit calculations (called a "disability freeze"). When converting to retirement, they sometimes recalculate without this protection. 3. Early Retirement: If he took early retirement benefits before going on disability, the reduction factor might be reapplied at FRA. 4. Special Disability Benefits: Some forms of disability include supplemental payments that terminate at retirement age. I strongly recommend requesting an appointment with your local SSA office to get a detailed explanation. Ask specifically for a "BPQY" (Benefits Planning Query) which breaks down all components of his benefit calculation.

Wow that is cRaZy they would just cut benefits like that when someone is already struggling! The system is totally rigged against disabled people. My cousin had her benefits cut completely when she turned 62 and they said she had to reapply for retirement! She went 3 months with NO income at all. This government is a JOKE!

Have you been on my Social security website to check his benefit estimates? Sometimes the letters have errors. I'd look online first then call if the numbers still don't match up.

If you need to speak with someone at Social Security about this reduction (which you absolutely should), try using Claimyr.com to help get through to an agent quickly. I was having a similar issue with benefit calculations last month and spent days trying to reach someone. After using their service, I got through to an SSA rep in less than 20 minutes. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU showing how it works. Saved me hours of frustration and the agent was able to explain my benefit calculation in detail.

After thinking about your situation more, I recalled another possibility: if your husband took reduced retirement benefits first and then later qualified for SSDI, his disability benefit would have included both his reduced retirement benefit PLUS an additional amount to bring it up to the full disability rate. When he reaches FRA, the additional amount stops, and he goes back to just his reduced retirement amount. This scenario would explain the significant drop. Did he by chance apply for early retirement before being approved for disability?

Glad you figured it out! This is a perfect example of why it's important to understand how the original benefit was calculated. When someone takes early retirement and then qualifies for SSDI, they receive their reduced retirement benefit plus an additional amount to reach the full disability benefit level. At FRA, they return to their original reduced retirement amount plus any COLAs. For others reading this thread: this is why claiming strategy and timing matters so much with Social Security benefits. Taking early retirement can have long-term impacts even if you later qualify for disability.