I'm in a similar boat with foreign work credits! I worked in Japan for 4 years in the early 2000s and was panicking about the same documentation issues. One thing that really helped me was contacting my old university's career services office - they actually had records of international placement programs and could provide letters confirming my participation in their overseas work program. Also, if you filed US tax returns while abroad (even if you didn't owe anything due to foreign earned income exclusion), the IRS has those records going back years and they show your foreign addresses and can help establish your timeline. You can request transcripts online. Another tip - if you used any international money transfer services like Western Union to send money home to family or to transfer funds between countries, they sometimes keep transaction records that can show regular income patterns. It's worth checking! The key is building a complete picture from multiple small pieces of evidence rather than relying on one perfect document.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation - worked in Australia for 8 years in the late 90s/early 2000s and lost all my paperwork in a flood a few years back. Reading through everyone's experiences, I'm realizing I have way more options than I thought. I still have my old passports with entry/exit stamps, and I just remembered I was part of a professional accounting association there. I'm going to start with gathering whatever documentation I can find and then make an appointment with SSA requesting someone who specializes in international cases. One question though - for those who have been through this process, did you find it helpful to organize all your evidence into a timeline or folder system before your SSA appointment? I want to make sure I present everything in the most helpful way possible.

I'm glad I found this thread! I'm in a very similar situation - I'm 65 and work as a medical assistant in New Jersey, planning to transition to part-time work when I hit my FRA next year. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly helpful. One thing I wanted to add is about quarterly estimated tax payments. Since you'll potentially have income from both part-time work and Social Security benefits, you might need to make quarterly payments to avoid owing a large sum at tax time. I learned this the hard way when I started receiving a small pension last year while still working full-time. Also, for what it's worth, my neighbor who's a retired teacher has been working part-time as a substitute while collecting Social Security for about 4 years now (she's 71). She says the extra income has made a huge difference in her quality of life - she can afford little luxuries and doesn't worry as much about unexpected expenses. The delayed retirement credit strategy that Finley mentioned is really worth considering if you can swing it financially. Even delaying just one year (instead of three) would give you an 8% boost for life, which might be more manageable than waiting until 70.

This is such a comprehensive discussion! I'm a financial planner in New Jersey and work with many clients making this exact transition. A few additional points that might be helpful: 1. **State Disability Insurance (SDI)**: In NJ, once you're collecting Social Security retirement benefits, you're no longer required to pay into the state disability insurance program, even if you're still working. This can save you a small amount on your paycheck. 2. **Spousal benefits consideration**: If you're married, make sure to factor in how your claiming decision affects potential spousal benefits. Sometimes it makes sense for one spouse to claim early while the other delays. 3. **Record keeping for benefit recalculation**: Since SSA automatically recalculates your benefits each year based on new earnings, keep copies of your W-2s and tax returns. If there's ever a discrepancy in their calculations, you'll have the documentation to resolve it. 4. **Part B premium adjustment**: If your income increases significantly due to combined work earnings and Social Security, be aware that higher earners pay higher Medicare Part B premiums (IRMAA). This typically only affects those with substantial income, but worth knowing about. The strategy of working part-time while collecting benefits after FRA is excellent for both financial and psychological well-being. You're maintaining professional engagement while reducing stress - it's become increasingly popular among my clients in healthcare professions.

Tyler, I'm so sorry for your loss. What you're going through is incredibly difficult, and it's completely understandable to feel overwhelmed by all the Social Security rules on top of everything else. From what I've learned through my own experience and from reading all these helpful responses, the most important thing to understand is that you DO have options and don't need to make any irreversible decisions right away. The earnings limit everyone mentioned is real - for 2025 it's estimated around $22,320 if you're under full retirement age. But many people successfully work part-time while staying under that limit. And the great news is that once you reach your full retirement age, there's no earnings limit at all. What really stands out to me from all the advice here is that getting your personalized benefit estimates is absolutely crucial. Everyone's situation is different, which is why the advice varies so much. Some people benefit from taking survivor benefits early and switching to their own retirement later, while others do better with the opposite strategy. My suggestion would be to start with survivor benefits at 58 if you need the income now - there's nothing wrong with prioritizing your immediate financial stability during this difficult time. You can always reassess your options when you turn 62 and have more information about both benefit amounts. Take care of yourself, and remember that many of us here have walked similar paths and understand what you're going through.

Tyler, I'm so sorry for the loss of your husband. The financial stress on top of grieving is truly overwhelming, and you're asking all the right questions. From my experience helping people navigate these decisions, here are the key points to remember: **Working while on survivor benefits:** Yes, you can work part-time, but there IS an earnings limit until you reach full retirement age. For 2025, if you earn over approximately $22,320, Social Security will reduce your benefits by $1 for every $2 you earn above that limit. This applies to survivor benefits just like retirement benefits. **Your options at 62:** You are NOT required to switch to your own retirement benefits at 62 - that's a common misconception. You can choose whichever benefit is higher. The optimal strategy often depends on which benefit amount is larger. **What I'd recommend:** 1. Contact SSA to get estimates of both your survivor benefit and your own retirement benefit at different claiming ages 2. Consider taking survivor benefits at 58 if you need the income now for financial stability 3. Work part-time while staying mindful of the earnings limit 4. Reassess at 62 whether to switch to your own retirement benefit if it would be higher The most important thing right now is ensuring you have enough income to meet your basic needs. You can always adjust your strategy later as you get closer to 62 and have more concrete benefit estimates to work with. Take this one step at a time - you don't need to have everything figured out immediately.

I'm so sorry for your loss and the incredible frustration you and your mom are going through. Five months is absolutely ridiculous for survivor benefits processing - this is completely unacceptable. I just went through something very similar with my own family when my uncle passed away last year. My aunt waited 4 months before we finally got results, and what broke the logjam was getting our Congressional representative involved. Their federal caseworker was able to get through to SSA supervisors directly and had the claim resolved within 10 days. Here's what I'd recommend doing immediately: **Contact your House representative's office** - Ask specifically for their "federal caseworker" who handles SSA issues. This really works because they have direct lines to supervisors who can actually access and review your mom's file. **Call SSA at exactly 8:00 AM** - The wait times are much shorter when lines first open, and you're more likely to get experienced representatives. **Use specific language** - Ask for "expedited processing due to severe financial hardship" and request to speak to a "Claims Specialist" who can review the actual case details. **Document everything** - Keep a detailed log of every call with dates, representative names, and what they tell you. This creates accountability. Your mom shouldn't have to choose between groceries and her mortgage while waiting for benefits she's legally entitled to. The fact that she's already receiving retirement benefits shouldn't complicate this - something is definitely stuck in their system. Keep pushing and don't accept vague responses anymore. After 5 months, you have every right to demand immediate action. You're being an amazing advocate for your mom during such a difficult time.

I'm so sorry for your loss and the unbelievable stress this delay is putting on your family. Five months is absolutely outrageous - I went through something similar when my grandmother passed and we had to wait nearly 4 months for her survivor benefits to be processed. What finally worked for us was filing a congressional inquiry. I called our representative's office and spoke with their federal caseworker who handles SSA issues. They were able to get through to actual supervisors at Social Security and had our case resolved within about a week and a half. Don't hesitate to use this option - constituent services are specifically there to help with exactly these kinds of federal agency problems. A couple other things that helped: - Call SSA right at 8:00 AM when they open - much shorter wait times - Ask specifically for a "Claims Specialist" who can actually review your mom's file details - Use the phrase "expedited processing due to financial hardship" - seems like they respond better to specific terminology Your mom absolutely shouldn't have to use credit cards for groceries while waiting for benefits she's legally entitled to. After 5 months something is clearly wrong with her claim and you have every right to demand immediate action. Keep fighting for her - you're being an incredible advocate during such a difficult time. Also, you might want to call 211 to ask about local emergency assistance programs for widows while you're working to resolve this SSA nightmare. Many communities have specific resources for people waiting on delayed government benefits.

This has been such an educational thread to follow! As someone who's 60 and starting to think seriously about early retirement, I had no idea about the distinction between "earned" and "unearned" income for Social Security purposes. I have a similar situation with some investment accounts and was worried I'd have to completely stop managing my investments once I start collecting benefits. It's such a relief to learn that investment income doesn't count toward the earnings limit. The practical advice shared here has been invaluable - especially the tips about applying 4 months early, asking for written confirmation from SSA, and checking both retirement and survivor benefits. I'm also going to implement that spreadsheet idea to get better organized with tracking my different income sources. One thing that really stands out to me is how much more helpful this real-world discussion has been compared to trying to decipher the official SSA publications. There's something so valuable about hearing from people who have actually been through the process and can share what really matters in practice. Thank you to everyone who contributed their experiences and knowledge. This thread is going to save me a lot of stress and confusion as I plan for retirement!

As someone who recently turned 62 and is navigating early retirement myself, I wanted to add my voice to this incredibly helpful discussion! I had almost identical concerns about my small investment portfolio and whether trading activities would jeopardize my Social Security benefits. After reading through everyone's experiences here, I feel so much more confident about moving forward with my retirement plans. The distinction between "earned" and "unearned" income that everyone has explained makes perfect sense now, but it definitely wasn't clear from the SSA materials I'd been reading. Knowing that my modest stock investments and CD interest won't count against the earnings limit is such a huge relief! I'm particularly grateful for all the practical tips shared - applying 4 months early, asking for written confirmation, checking survivor benefits, and creating a spreadsheet to organize income sources. These are exactly the kind of real-world insights you can't get from government websites. For anyone else reading this thread with similar concerns, I can't recommend this community enough. The knowledge and willingness to help that people have shown here is truly remarkable. Thank you all for creating such a valuable resource for those of us trying to navigate these complex retirement decisions!