Just wanted to share my recent timeline for anyone still waiting! I applied online at the end of February and got my approval notification through mySocialSecurity yesterday - exactly 19 days. The process was pretty smooth overall. A couple of things that might have helped: I applied about 10 weeks before my FRA (turning 67 in June), and I spent time beforehand making sure all my documents were ready to upload immediately. One thing I noticed that hasn't been mentioned much - the mySocialSecurity mobile app actually updated faster than the website for me. I got the approval notification on my phone about 6 hours before it showed up when I logged in on my computer. Not sure if that's always the case, but might be worth checking both if you're anxiously waiting like I was! Now just waiting for that first payment in July. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - it really helped manage my expectations during the waiting period.

Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here! I'm 65 and planning to apply in the next few weeks, so this thread has been incredibly valuable. The consensus seems to be that 2-4 weeks is typical for processing, with some variation based on workload and any documentation issues. I'm definitely going to follow the advice about checking my earnings record first and having all documents ready before starting the application. The tip about the mobile app updating faster than the website is something I never would have thought of - thanks for sharing that! One question I haven't seen addressed: for those who received approval, did you get any kind of email notification, or did you only find out by checking your mySocialSecurity account? I want to make sure I'm not missing any communications while I'm waiting.

Thank you all for the helpful information! I've got a much better idea of what to expect now. I'll definitely bring all the documentation mentioned (death certificate, marriage certificate, my latest tax returns, etc.) to my appointment. It sounds like I should expect my survivor benefit to be based on my wife's SSDI amount of $2,750, but reduced to about 91% of that (roughly $2,500) if I claim at age 65. Then the earnings test would further reduce it while I'm still working. I'm thinking the smart strategy might be to file the paperwork now so it's in the system, but only actually claim the benefits if I lose my job. Otherwise, I might be better off waiting until either my FRA or even taking my own benefit at 70. I'll update after my appointment in case it helps anyone else in a similar situation.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Levi. I went through something very similar when my husband passed away at 62 while on SSDI. The good news is that survivor benefits are indeed based on the full SSDI amount your wife was receiving, not what she would have gotten with early retirement. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier - when you go to your SSA appointment, ask them to run both scenarios for you: taking survivor benefits now (reduced) versus waiting until your FRA, and also ask them to calculate what your own retirement benefit would be at 70. Having those numbers side by side really helped me make the best decision. Also, if you do end up needing to apply due to layoffs, the effective date can be the month after your wife passed away, but you have to apply within certain time limits to get retroactive payments. Don't let them tell you it can only start from when you apply - that's not always true for survivor benefits. Keep all your documentation organized and make copies of everything before you go. The process can take a while, but having everything ready upfront helps avoid delays. Wishing you the best with your appointment.

I went through this exact same situation about 18 months ago when I filed for my benefits. My 2022 earnings weren't showing up either, and I was really worried about it since that was one of my highest earning years. Here's what I learned: definitely go ahead and file if you need the benefits to start. When I completed my application, I made sure to accurately report my 2022 earnings in the section for unreported income. I brought copies of my final paystub and tax documents to my appointment just in case they needed verification. The recalculation did happen automatically, but it took about 7 months for me to receive the adjustment letter. The retroactive payment covered the difference from my start date, which was a nice surprise. In my case, it increased my monthly benefit by about $73 because my unreported year replaced a much lower earning year from the early 2000s. My advice: file when you're ready, keep excellent records of what you reported, and set a reminder to follow up if you don't hear anything by next spring. The system works, but it's always good to stay on top of it. With your income difference being so significant, this adjustment could really be worth the follow-up effort!

I'm in almost the exact same boat! My 2024 earnings are around $89,000 but not showing on my SSA record yet, and I also had some lower-earning years due to a job transition in 2019-2020. After reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm convinced that filing sooner rather than later is the way to go. It sounds like the automatic recalculation system generally works, even if it takes 6-10 months and sometimes needs a gentle nudge. One thing I'm planning to do based on all this great advice: I'm going to create a simple tracking document with my filing date, the 2024 earnings I report, and reminders to follow up at 6 months and 9 months if I haven't seen the adjustment yet. For those who've been through this process - did you find it helpful to get confirmation from SSA that they received and noted your unreported earnings when you filed? I'm wondering if I should ask for some kind of documentation that shows they have my 2024 income information on record, just to cover my bases. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has been incredibly valuable for understanding what to expect!

I experienced the exact same issue when I suspended my benefits at 65 last year! It's incredibly frustrating that SSA's system can't handle this common scenario better. Here's what I learned from going through this process: The calculator disappearing is permanent once you've filed - even if you suspend. I ended up calling SSA (took 3 attempts and finally got through using the early morning suggestion someone mentioned). They were able to provide me with updated benefit projections over the phone, including the delayed retirement credits I'd earn after my FRA. One thing that helped me was keeping a spreadsheet with my own calculations. Since you're 64 now and suspending before FRA, you won't earn DRCs until after you reach your full retirement age. But if you're planning to work until 67-68 anyway, the suspension definitely makes sense to avoid the earnings test hassle. Pro tip: when you do call SSA, ask them to mail you a benefit verification letter with your current benefit amount, plus ask for verbal projections at different claiming ages. Take detailed notes during the call since getting through again can be such a pain. The representatives I spoke with were actually quite helpful once I finally reached them.

I had this exact same issue happen to me when I suspended my benefits at 63 after landing a high-paying contract job! The disappearing calculator is definitely one of the most frustrating "features" of the SSA system. What worked for me was creating my own tracking system while waiting to get through to SSA. Here's what I did: I took screenshots of my last benefit statement before applying (wish I'd thought of this earlier like some mentioned), then used the general SSA retirement estimator with my earnings history to get rough projections. For the delayed retirement credit calculations, I used the 2/3 of 1% per month formula that others mentioned - so 8% per year after your FRA. The key thing to remember in your situation is that since you're suspending at 64 (before FRA), you're mainly avoiding the earnings test complications rather than earning growth credits. But it's still the right move if you're earning well above the limit! I finally got through to SSA using the 8am calling strategy - they sent me a benefit verification letter showing my current monthly amount and gave me verbal projections for different claiming ages. The whole process took about 3 weeks but was worth it for the peace of mind. Hang in there!

I'm a newcomer here but dealing with a very similar situation as a retired firefighter. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the difference between WEP and GPO or how the survivor benefits work differently. My wife worked in the private sector her whole career and has been collecting SS for two years now. I'm 63 with a firefighter pension but only about 20 quarters of SS-covered work from before I joined the department. Sounds like I'm probably in the same boat as most of you with the GPO reduction wiping out any spousal benefits. But the advice about applying anyway for the official determination and keeping survivor benefits in mind for the future is really valuable. Also appreciate the tip about Claimyr - I've been trying to get through to SS for months with no luck. It's frustrating that after decades of public service, these rules seem to penalize us for having dedicated our careers to serving our communities, but at least now I understand what I'm dealing with. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.

New to this community but not new to these frustrating rules unfortunately. I'm a retired state corrections officer dealing with the same GPO situation. What really gets me is how little information is readily available about these rules when you're planning for retirement. My pension counselor never mentioned GPO when I retired three years ago - I only found out when I tried to apply for spousal benefits last month. Like others have mentioned, the SSA website and their benefit calculators don't account for these reductions, so you think you're going to get something and then... nothing. I've been married 35 years and my husband paid into Social Security his entire career, but because I have a state pension from non-covered employment, I get zilch. The 2/3 reduction formula is brutal. My pension is $2,800/month so they'd subtract about $1,867 from any spousal benefit. Even if I was entitled to the maximum 50% spousal benefit, it would have to be pretty substantial to survive that reduction. I agree with everyone saying to apply anyway for the official determination - I'm planning to do that when I hit my FRA next year just to have it on record. And thanks for all the information about survivor benefits potentially being different. That gives me some hope for the future, even though this immediate situation is disappointing.