What happens when SSDI appeal continues past Full Retirement Age - should my husband file for regular SS benefits?

You're in a tough spot that many people face. Here's what you need to know: If your husband is eventually approved for SSDI, even if the appeal process extends past his Full Retirement Age, Social Security will pay backpay from his established onset date through the approval date. So you don't necessarily "lose" those months. However, once he reaches FRA, the disability claim essentially converts to retirement benefits automatically, but at the full amount (not reduced). The main advantage of having the disability claim approved at that point would be the backpay for all those months you waited, plus potentially earlier Medicare eligibility if he's approved. Many people do decide to take early retirement while waiting on disability because it provides some income during the wait. If he's approved for disability later, SSA will pay the difference between what he received in early retirement and what he should have received in disability.

my brother went thru this exact thing!! he waited almost 2 years total but got approved right after he turned 67. SSA gave him all his backpay from when he first applied at 65 and the monthly amount was the same as what his full retirement would have been. but the backpay was a HUGE help for all the medical bills hed racked up while waiting. tell your husband DON'T GIVE UP!!!

You might want to consider filing for reduced retirement benefits NOW while the disability claim is pending. If the disability is eventually approved, they'll adjust everything and pay the difference. But at least you'd have SOME income coming in during this long wait. After 50 years of work he deserves something!

The disability system is a JOKE!!! My husband waited 28 months and then got denied for ridiculous reasons. We gave up and just took the reduced retirement. He had CANCER for crying out loud and they still said he could work!!! The whole system is designed to wear you down until you give up. Sorry but that's the TRUTH.

have you hired a disability lawyer yet????? if not DO IT RIGHT NOW!!! they only get paid if you win and the fee is capped by law. my cousin was denied twice but won with a lawyer at the hearing. he got over $45000 backpay and the lawyer only got like $6000 of it. WORTH IT!!!

To directly answer your FRA question: If your husband's disability claim is approved after he reaches FRA, SSA will still pay all backpay at the disability rate (which is equal to his full retirement rate) from his established onset date through his FRA. Once he reaches FRA, his benefit automatically converts to retirement, but at the full non-reduced amount. One important note: If he chooses to take reduced retirement benefits while waiting and is later approved for disability, the disability benefits paid for the same period would be offset by the retirement benefits already received. He would receive the difference as backpay. However, after his FRA, his ongoing benefit amount would remain at the full retirement rate regardless of whether it's technically coming from the disability or retirement program. There's no "wrong" choice here - it depends on your current financial needs balanced against potentially maximizing benefits long-term.

Getting through to SSA to check status or request an expedite can be nearly impossible these days. I was in a similar situation with my disability claim and was getting desperate after months of waiting. I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an SSA agent in under 10 minutes when I'd been trying for weeks. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I got through, I was able to request a critical need expedite based on financial hardship. You need documentation to back this up, but it can move things along faster. It's worth asking about since your husband has been waiting so long already.

i just remembered somethin else important - if your husband takes early retirement now but then gets approved for disability later, his RETIREMENT benefit after he reaches FRA will STILL be reduced!!! the reduction doesnt go away!!! my brother almost made this mistake but luckily he waited

Thank you all for the helpful information. I think we're going to continue waiting for the disability decision and not file for reduced retirement benefits yet. The potential long-term reduction isn't worth it if we can manage financially for a few more months. I'm going to try that Claimyr service to see if we can get through to someone about possibly expediting his case based on financial hardship. And we'll make sure our lawyer knows about the FRA timing issues so they can advise us properly. It's so frustrating that the system is this complicated and slow, especially for someone who worked and paid into it for 45+ years. But at least now I understand what happens with the timing better.

You're making a smart decision to wait it out, especially given the significant difference between reduced and full retirement benefits ($690/month is substantial over a lifetime). Since you already have legal representation, that puts you in a much better position than many applicants. One additional thing to consider - if your husband's condition has worsened since the initial application, make sure your lawyer documents any progression or new limitations. Sometimes cases get approved not just on the original condition but on how it has deteriorated during the waiting period. Also, keep detailed records of all your financial hardship during this waiting period (medical bills, lost income, etc.) as this documentation can be helpful both for expedite requests and potentially for calculating any additional backpay periods. The financial stress of waiting is real and legitimate grounds for requesting faster processing. Hang in there - 11 months is frustrating but not unusual, and having a lawyer significantly improves your odds at each stage of the process.

I went through a very similar situation with my father who applied for SSDI at 64 after a workplace injury. What helped us was understanding that you can actually request a "dire need" or "critical case" expedite if you're facing serious financial hardship - which it sounds like you definitely are. The key is having documentation ready: unpaid medical bills, utility shutoff notices, mortgage/rent arrears, etc. Your lawyer should be able to help request this expedite, but sometimes calling SSA directly (when you can get through) works better. Also, I learned that even if the decision comes after his FRA, the "protective filing date" from his original application protects his rights to full disability backpay from that original date. So you're not losing those months - they're just being delayed. One more thing - if your husband's medical condition has worsened during this waiting period, make sure your lawyer documents that progression. Sometimes cases that might not have been approved initially get approved based on how the condition has deteriorated over time. The waiting is absolutely brutal, but don't give up. The system is slow but it does eventually work for people with legitimate claims.