Social Security benefits after WEP reduction - should I claim at 62 or wait until FRA with survivor benefits?

There's a lot to unpack here, but I'll try to clarify some things: 1. What you're experiencing is actually GPO (Government Pension Offset), not WEP. GPO reduces survivor benefits for those with government pensions not covered by Social Security, while WEP affects your own SS retirement benefits. 2. Survivor benefits and "drawing off your late husband's record" are the same thing. 3. For someone born in 1960, your FRA is 67. You can claim your own SS retirement as early as 62 with a 30% reduction. 4. Given your situation, you should compare these options: - Continue with reduced survivor benefits - Switch to your own reduced benefits at 62 - Wait until FRA to claim unreduced benefits The best strategy depends on the exact benefit amounts. Generally, you'd want to take the higher benefit now and switch to the other at the age when it becomes larger.

The SSA is TERRIBLE at explaining this stuff!! I went through something similar with my pension from the county government. They hit me with an overpayment of $6,200 and denied my waiver too, even though I reported EVERYTHING on time!! Have you tried appealing the overpayment decision? You can request a reconsideration and then go to an Administrative Law Judge if needed. DON'T give up on that $4,375!!! As for your benefits, did they give you estimates of what YOUR retirement benefit would be at 62 vs. 67? That's the CRITICAL information you need to make this decision.

I was in a very similar situation last year - teacher's pension plus survivor benefits after my husband passed. Getting through to SSA was impossible until I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They got me connected to a live agent in under 10 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours or getting disconnected! They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I finally spoke with an actual claims specialist, they were able to run calculations showing me the exact amount I'd get at different ages. Made my decision so much easier. Worth checking out if you're struggling to get through.

my husband was a firefighter too and i had similar confusion. best thing is to take the HIGHEST benefit now. for me that was survivors even after GPO reduction. then at 70 i switched to my own ss which had grown bigger with delayed credits. worked out great

You need to run the exact numbers. This is actually a math problem! I did a whole spreadsheet when making this decision. Have SS print out your estimated benefits at different ages and then calculate your lifetime total based on your expected lifespan.

I'm a retired financial advisor who specialized in Social Security planning, and I can tell you there's no one-size-fits-all answer here. The best approach depends on several factors: 1. The exact amount of your survivor benefit after GPO reduction 2. Your own earning history and projected SS benefit 3. Your health and family longevity 4. Your current and future income needs Generally speaking, if your own benefit at FRA would be significantly higher than your reduced survivor benefit, it might make sense to: - Keep the reduced survivor benefit now - Switch to your own benefit at FRA (67) But if your survivor benefit is substantially higher than your own would ever be, then keeping it long-term may be best. Regarding the overpayment: unfortunately, this is common with GPO situations. Even when you report correctly, SSA often doesn't process the information properly. Definitely appeal if possible, or request a payment plan with the lowest possible monthly amount if you must repay.

u can definitely file for ur own SS at 62 but youll get a reduced amount. whether thats better than survivor benefits depends on the numbers. most ppl dont realize u can switch between the two at different times to maximize.

My cousin had an overpayment because of GPO too and it was a nightmare! She ended up on a 36-month payment plan. But about your actual question - call SSA and ask for a PEBES statement that shows your estimated benefit amounts at different ages. That's the only way to make an informed decision.

After getting clear numbers from SSA, I'd recommend calculating your "break-even age" for different filing scenarios. For example, if you take reduced benefits at 62 vs. full benefits at 67, how long would you need to live past 67 for the delayed filing to pay more in total? Many people don't realize that filing early can make sense if you don't expect to live well into your 80s or if you need the income now.

did u try asking for a supervisor when they denied your waiver? sometimes the first person just says no to everything but a supervisor can actually help