As a newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely amazed by the incredible support and expertise shared in this thread! Aurora's story really highlights both the complexity of the disability benefits system and the power of community knowledge. What strikes me most is how quickly Aurora's situation went from crisis to manageable solutions once she connected with the right specialists. The fact that regular Medicaid staff often don't know about programs like Medicaid Working Disabled or WIPA counselors is both frustrating and eye-opening. It really shows why communities like this are so valuable - sometimes you need people who've walked this path before to point you toward resources that even government workers aren't aware of. I'm taking notes on all the programs and organizations mentioned here: WIPA, Disability Rights offices, Protection & Advocacy organizations, Centers for Independent Living, and the various Medicaid transition programs. As someone who might face similar challenges in the future, having this roadmap could be lifesaving. Aurora, thank you for sharing your journey so openly and for providing updates. Your experience demonstrates that even when the system seems designed to make people give up, there ARE solutions if you know where to look and don't accept the first "no" as final. Your story gives hope to anyone facing similar benefit transitions. To everyone who shared their expertise and experiences - this is exactly what community support should look like. You helped prevent a family from facing a devastating coverage gap, and your collective knowledge will help many more families in the future!

As someone completely new to this community and the disability benefits system, I'm incredibly moved by Aurora's story and the amazing support she's received here. Reading through this entire thread has been both an eye-opening education and a testament to how powerful community knowledge can be during crisis situations. What really strikes me is how Aurora's situation went from absolute panic to having concrete solutions within just a few days, all because this community connected her with the right specialists and programs. The fact that regular Medicaid workers often don't know about these specialized transition programs is both frustrating and scary - it shows how easy it would be to fall through the cracks without access to this kind of community wisdom. I'm taking extensive notes on all the resources mentioned: WIPA counselors, Disability Rights offices, Protection & Advocacy organizations, Centers for Independent Living, and programs like Medicaid Working Disabled. As someone who may need to help family members navigate similar challenges in the future, having this roadmap could be absolutely invaluable. Aurora, thank you for your courage in sharing both the terrifying uncertainty and the positive updates. Your willingness to document this journey openly is going to help countless other families who find themselves blindsided by DAC transitions. Your story proves that even when the system seems impossible to navigate, there ARE solutions if you know where to look and refuse to accept the first "no" as final. To everyone who shared their expertise and experiences - this is exactly what supportive community looks like. You literally helped prevent a family from facing a devastating medical coverage crisis, and your collective knowledge will continue helping families for years to come. This thread should honestly be required reading for anyone dealing with disability benefits!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact situation a few years ago. I was a CalPERS retiree with only 23 quarters of Social Security coverage, and like you, I initially got zero spousal benefits due to GPO. However, I'd strongly recommend following up on what @698cf40d106d and @e25bcdc944e7 mentioned about verifying if your CalPERS service is actually subject to GPO. This is crucial! If you worked in a position where Social Security taxes WERE deducted from your pay (which did happen for some California state positions, especially in later years), then GPO wouldn't apply to you at all. I spent months assuming I got nothing, only to discover later that a portion of my state service was actually covered by Social Security. It took some digging through old records, but I was eventually able to claim a reduced spousal benefit. Don't give up just yet - get a complete earnings statement from SSA and verify with CalPERS exactly which years (if any) had Social Security coverage. The rules are complex, but it's worth double-checking before you close the book on this!

@71c79734e414 You're absolutely right to pursue this further! California state employment had some complex Social Security coverage rules over the decades. Many CalPERS members are surprised to learn that certain positions or time periods were actually covered by Social Security. Here's what I'd recommend for your verification process: 1. Request a detailed Social Security Statement online at ssa.gov - this will show ALL earnings where SS taxes were paid, year by year 2. Contact CalPERS member services and ask specifically about Social Security coverage for your positions and employment dates 3. If you still have any old pay stubs from different years, check if OASDI (Social Security) taxes were deducted The key thing to remember is that if ANY portion of your government service was covered by Social Security, it changes the GPO calculation significantly. Even partial coverage could result in you receiving some spousal benefits rather than zero. Given that you worked 35 years (1985-2020), there's a real possibility that at least some of those years included Social Security coverage. California made various changes to state employee Social Security participation over that time period, so don't assume it was all non-covered employment. Keep us posted on what you find out - your situation could help other CalPERS retirees who might be in similar circumstances!

Great discussion here! As someone who went through this exact process last year, I can confirm that requesting a voluntary suspension is definitely the way to go. A few additional tips from my experience: 1. When you call SSA, be very clear that you want to "voluntarily suspend" your retirement benefits - not "withdraw" or "terminate" them. The terminology matters. 2. They'll ask for the effective date of suspension. I recommend making it the month before you start your new job to be safe. 3. If you're enrolled in Medicare Part B and having premiums deducted from your SS check, you'll need to set up direct billing with Medicare. SSA should help coordinate this, but follow up to make sure it happens. 4. Consider keeping a log of all your interactions with SSA - dates, times, representative names, confirmation numbers. This saved me when there was a processing delay. The math really works in your favor here. I suspended at 63 and restarted at my FRA - my monthly benefit went from $1,620 to $2,340. Plus no stress about earnings limits or overpayments. Congratulations on the job opportunity!

Another option worth considering is visiting your local SSA field office in person if you're having trouble getting through by phone. I know it's not always convenient, but sometimes face-to-face interactions can be more effective, especially for important requests like benefit suspension. You'll need to bring photo ID and your Social Security card. The staff there can process your suspension request on the spot and give you written confirmation right away. Plus, they can help set up the Medicare premium billing transition at the same time. I've found that local offices often have shorter wait times than the national phone line, and you won't have to worry about getting disconnected mid-call. Just call ahead to check their hours and see if appointments are available - some offices do walk-ins but scheduling ahead can save you time.

I'm a newcomer here but went through this exact situation with my late spouse's benefits about 3 years ago. The advice about NOSSCR is spot-on - I ended up working with a Social Security disability attorney who also handled survivor benefits, and it made all the difference. One thing I learned that might help: you can actually request what's called a "hypothetical benefit calculation" from SSA if you frame it as needing the information for financial planning purposes. It's not guaranteed they'll provide it, but I had better luck when I explained I was trying to coordinate with my financial advisor for retirement planning. Also, regarding the family maximum - this was crucial in my case. When I started receiving survivor benefits, it didn't reduce my stepson's DAC benefits because we weren't hitting the maximum, but every situation is different. The attorney was able to help me understand exactly how the family maximum would apply before I filed. The windexing calculation really can result in significantly higher benefits than you might expect, especially for deaths that occurred 10+ years ago. In my case, my husband's indexed earnings were about 40% higher than his actual final year earnings due to wage growth indexing. Don't feel bad about needing professional help with this - the system is intentionally complex, and even some SSA employees don't fully understand all the nuances of survivor benefits with windexing.

I'm in a very similar boat as a widow trying to navigate these decisions! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly enlightening - I had no idea about some of these strategies and resources. The suggestion about requesting a "hypothetical benefit calculation" for financial planning purposes is something I'm definitely going to try. I've been frustrated by the same runaround from SSA offices where they say they can't help until you actually apply. One thing I wanted to add from my research: I've found that some SSA offices have "claims specialists" who are specifically trained in complex survivor benefit cases. When you call or visit, you might want to ask specifically to speak with someone who handles windexing calculations for survivor benefits from deaths that occurred many years ago. Regular customer service reps often don't have access to the more sophisticated calculation tools. Also, for those mentioning NOSSCR attorneys - I reached out to one last month and learned that many of them will do a preliminary consultation at no charge specifically for survivor benefit timing questions, since these cases don't typically involve appeals (unlike disability cases). They only charge if you need ongoing representation for disputes or appeals. The complexity of coordinating the earnings test, family maximums, windexing, and optimal claiming strategies really does seem to require professional guidance. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this thread has been more helpful than three trips to my local SSA office!

As someone who went through this exact transition with my autistic daughter two years ago, I want to emphasize something that really helped us - start keeping a detailed "Activities of Daily Living" journal RIGHT NOW. Document every single thing your son needs help with over the course of a week: Does he need reminders to shower? Help managing his schedule? Assistance with grocery shopping or meal planning? Problems with social interactions at work or school? The SSA disability examiners really focus on functional capacity, and having concrete examples of daily limitations is incredibly powerful. We kept a simple notebook for about a month before the application, writing down things like "needed help understanding bus schedule," "required step-by-step guidance to prepare a sandwich," "became overwhelmed and had meltdown when routine changed." This documentation was crucial during the interview process because it showed the real-world impact of his autism beyond just the medical diagnosis. The examiner specifically asked for examples of daily challenges, and we had pages of specific incidents to reference. Also, if your son has any repetitive behaviors, sensory issues, or communication difficulties that would interfere with work, make sure those are thoroughly documented by his doctors. Good luck - you're already ahead of the game by starting this process early!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now with my 17-year-old son who has autism! Reading through all these responses has been so incredibly helpful - I had no idea about so many of these resources and requirements. I especially appreciate the advice about starting the Activities of Daily Living journal and contacting the developmental disabilities services office. My son needs help with so many things that I just do automatically now - like helping him understand social cues at his part-time job, reminding him to take breaks when he gets overstimulated, and walking him through any changes to his routine. One thing I wanted to add that our family support coordinator mentioned - if your son is currently receiving services through your state's autism waiver or similar program, those service coordinators are often really knowledgeable about the SSI transition process too. Ours has been helping us understand how his current support services might change or continue once he transitions to adult benefits. The timeline everyone mentioned (starting 3-4 months early) seems so important. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service to get through to SSA since our local office has been impossible to reach. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it's making this scary transition feel much more manageable!