I'm new to this community but found myself in a very similar situation and wanted to share what I learned from my recent experience. I'm 63 and just went through a $32,000 age discrimination settlement while collecting early Social Security benefits. The key advice everyone has given about getting proper categorization in your settlement agreement is absolutely critical. I was able to work with my attorney to allocate 80% to "emotional distress, dignitary harm, and pain and suffering" and only 20% to "lost wages and economic losses." This kept me well under the annual earnings limit since only that 20% counted toward the $21,240 threshold. The 7 AM calling strategy for SSA really works - I got through in about 18 minutes and the representative was very helpful. She confirmed that the specific language in your settlement agreement is what they rely on for determining how different portions are treated. She even provided some sample language that would be clear for their processing. One tip I haven't seen mentioned yet - consider asking your attorney about including language that explicitly states the settlement is "not compensation for services rendered" for the non-wage portions. My lawyer suggested this and said it provides additional clarity for both tax and Social Security purposes. Don't rush into signing anything without getting this structured properly. Your attorney should be willing to work with you on this since it's a legitimate concern that affects the real value of the settlement. In my case, explaining the Social Security implications actually helped strengthen our negotiating position because it showed we were being thorough about all aspects of the agreement. Good luck with your negotiations - take the time to get this right upfront rather than dealing with complications later!

I'm new to this community but currently dealing with a very similar situation and wanted to share some additional considerations I've discovered. I'm 63 and facing a $27,000 workplace discrimination settlement offer while on early Social Security benefits. After reading through all these incredibly helpful responses, I've learned so much about the importance of proper settlement categorization. The consistent advice about the 7 AM calling strategy for SSA and getting explicit language in the settlement agreement has been invaluable. One thing I wanted to add that I discovered through my research - if your settlement includes any component for attorney fees, that portion typically doesn't count toward the Social Security earnings test either. So if you can negotiate to have attorney fees listed separately in the settlement agreement rather than deducted from a lump sum, it might help reduce the "wages" portion even further. Also, I found out that some settlement agreements include language about "future medical expenses" related to stress or health impacts from the discrimination. If that applies to your situation, that portion would also typically not count as earnings for Social Security purposes. The real-world examples everyone has shared (ranging from 70/30 to 85/15 splits between emotional damages and lost wages) have given me a great framework for approaching my attorney. It's clear that proper documentation upfront is absolutely critical - much easier than dealing with overpayment issues later. Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences so openly. This community is proving to be an incredible resource for navigating these complex intersections between legal settlements and Social Security benefits!

Just wanted to add something that might help others in similar situations - if you're approaching 65 and unsure about your work credits, you can create a my Social Security account online at ssa.gov to check your exact credit count and earnings history. This will show you precisely how many quarters you've earned and help you understand which Medicare options apply to your situation. It's much faster than calling and waiting on hold, and you'll have the information right in front of you when you do need to speak with an agent. Also, the account will show your estimated Social Security benefits, which can help you plan for retirement. It's free and takes just a few minutes to set up with some basic verification questions.

I'm so glad to see this thread has been so helpful! As someone who works in benefits counseling, I wanted to add that you should also consider looking into Medicare Supplement insurance (Medigap) once you're enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B. Since you'll be eligible for premium-free Part A through your husband's work record, a Medigap policy can help cover the out-of-pocket costs like deductibles and coinsurance that Original Medicare doesn't pay. The best time to buy Medigap is during your 6-month Open Enrollment Period that starts when you're 65 and enrolled in Part B - during this time, insurance companies can't deny you coverage or charge more due to health conditions. After this window closes, it becomes much harder and more expensive to get coverage. Just something to keep in mind as you plan your Medicare strategy!

This is really helpful information! I'm 64 and planning to work until 70 while collecting benefits starting at my FRA. One question I have - does the automatic recomputation also apply to delayed retirement credits? I know you get 8% per year for delaying past FRA, but if I'm working those years too, do I get both the delayed credits AND the benefit recalculation from higher earnings? Or is it one or the other? I'm trying to figure out if working those extra years gives me a double benefit boost or if there's some limitation I should know about. Thanks for all the insights everyone has shared!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the timing of when you'll actually see the money. Even though SSA does the automatic recomputation every year, there can sometimes be delays in processing, especially if there are any discrepancies in your earnings record. I'd recommend keeping copies of your pay stubs and W-2s from these high-earning years just in case you need to provide documentation later. Also, if you're self-employed or have any 1099 income in addition to your W-2 wages, make sure you're reporting all of it correctly on your tax returns since that's what SSA uses for the recomputation. The extra documentation might save you headaches down the road if there are any questions about your earnings record.

I just wanted to jump in and say this thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been dealing with a similar SSA account lockout for the past few weeks and was starting to think I was the only one having these issues. Reading through everyone's experiences and solutions has given me a much clearer action plan. I'm particularly interested in trying the library computer approach that @DeShawn Washington mentioned - that's such a clever workaround that I never would have thought of. And the detailed technical advice from @Liam Cortez about using tax return information instead of SS card details is really insightful. It's both frustrating and reassuring to learn that these verification failures are so widespread. The fact that multiple people have had success with congressional caseworkers makes that route seem much less intimidating than I initially thought. Has anyone tried reaching out to SSA through their social media accounts (Twitter/Facebook)? Sometimes companies respond faster to public complaints, though I'm not sure if that applies to government agencies. Just curious if anyone has had luck with that approach before escalating to congressional offices. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community support is exactly what I needed when the official SSA resources were completely unhelpful!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really grateful to find this thread! I've been struggling with the exact same SSA account lockout issue for over a month now. The "cannot match information" error has been driving me absolutely crazy, especially since I know I'm entering everything correctly. Reading through all these experiences has been both validating and incredibly helpful. I had no idea that congressional offices routinely handle SSA account issues - I always thought that was reserved for major benefit disputes. The success stories with caseworkers are really encouraging! I'm definitely going to try the systematic approach that several people have outlined: starting with the library computer idea (brilliant!), using a clean browser session with my Gmail account, and being extra careful about entering information exactly as it appears on official documents. If that doesn't work, I'll reach out to my representative's office. One question for those who've successfully resolved this - approximately how long did the whole process take from when you first contacted your congressional office to when your account was actually working again? Just trying to set realistic expectations for myself. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences here. It's such a relief to know I'm not alone in dealing with this frustrating system!

As someone new to this community and facing a similar decision timeline, I'm amazed by the comprehensive advice shared here! I'm turning 65 in about 8 months and my husband is still working with an income around $90K, so this discussion has been incredibly timely for me. What I'm finding most valuable is how everyone emphasizes that this isn't just a Social Security decision - it's really about optimizing your entire retirement tax and income strategy. The points about IRMAA, Roth conversion opportunities, and coordinating both spouses' benefits as a "total household optimization" have completely changed how I'm thinking about this. I'm particularly intrigued by the decision matrix approach Jessica mentioned and the sensitivity analysis that StellarSurfer suggested. It seems like stress-testing your decision against different scenarios (like what if your spouse retires earlier than planned, or what if there are changes to tax policy) could be just as important as the base case analysis. One thing I'm curious about - for those who did extensive analysis before deciding, how much did the final decision align with what your "gut feeling" was initially? Did the detailed analysis confirm your intuition, or did it lead you to a completely different conclusion than what you originally thought made sense? Thanks to everyone for creating such an educational thread. I'll definitely be getting my official SS statement and consulting with professionals before making this important decision!

As someone new to this community who's facing a very similar decision, I'm incredibly grateful for all the detailed insights shared in this thread! I'm turning 65 in about 6 months with a husband still working (making around $88K), and this discussion has been absolutely eye-opening. What really strikes me is how interconnected all these retirement decisions are. I initially thought this was just about "when to claim Social Security," but reading through everyone's experiences, I now understand it's really about optimizing our entire household's retirement tax strategy, Medicare planning, and long-term financial security. A few things that have particularly resonated with me: **The "total household optimization" concept** - Looking at both spouses' benefits together rather than making isolated individual decisions. This seems crucial when one spouse is still working with good income. **The timing flexibility within the tax year** - Jacinda's point about strategically timing when to start benefits within 2025 to manage that first year's tax impact is brilliant and something I never would have considered. **The decision matrix approach** - Jessica's systematic way of weighing all factors based on personal priorities rather than just mathematical optimization really appeals to me. Sometimes the "perfect" math answer isn't the right life answer. I'm definitely going to get my official SS statement from ssa.gov, and based on all this advice, I think consulting with both a fee-only financial planner and a CPA who specializes in retirement taxes is essential. The complexity of coordinating SS benefits, taxes, Medicare premiums, RMDs, and Roth conversion opportunities is way beyond what I can figure out on my own. Thank you all for such an educational and supportive discussion - this community is an amazing resource for navigating these complex retirement decisions!