My sister applied for her SS retirement last year and she said they asked her a bunch of questions about whether she ever had a different SSN or if she'd ever used another name that wasn't from marriage. Just something else to be prepared for! Also they wanted to know about any pensions from jobs that didn't pay into Social Security (for WEP calculation I guess).

I'm new here but wanted to share my recent experience since it might help! I just went through this exact process last month - had my phone appointment in early October for December benefits after my November FRA. The timing worked out perfectly and I received my first payment right on schedule in January. A couple of things that really helped me: I created a simple checklist of all my documents beforehand and had them spread out on my desk during the call. Also, when they asked about my desired start date, I was very clear that I wanted benefits to begin the month AFTER my FRA to get the full amount. The representative was really helpful and walked me through everything step by step. Your January 10th appointment should give you plenty of time for April benefits. Good luck with your retirement!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Just became dual eligible in November with SSDI of $290/month while continuing to receive full SSI. Like everyone else here, I knew immediately something was wrong when I got both full payments in December. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially the advice about going to the office in person and getting documentation that you reported the issue. I've been putting the extra money in a separate savings account because I'm terrified of getting hit with a massive overpayment bill later. The phone system is completely broken. I've called four times and either get disconnected after waiting forever or get reps who give me completely different information each time. One told me it would "auto-adjust next month" (it didn't), another said I needed to file some kind of report, and the third one acted like concurrent benefits don't even exist. I have an appointment at my local office next Friday and I'm bringing all my documentation plus a list of every call I've made with dates and what each rep told me. Going to specifically ask for that receipt form that proves I reported the overpayment issue. It's so frustrating that we're all trying to do the right thing by reporting these errors but the system makes it nearly impossible to get help!

I'm new to this community but unfortunately not new to SSA payment issues! Just went through something very similar last year when I transitioned from SSI-only to dual eligibility. One thing I learned the hard way is to keep detailed records of EVERYTHING - not just phone calls but also any letters or notices you receive from SSA. Take photos of your benefit statements showing the incorrect amounts too. This documentation becomes really important if you need to request a waiver later. Also, when you go to the office, try to get there early in the morning if possible. The staff tends to be less rushed and more helpful before they get swamped with the day's appointments. And definitely ask to speak with someone who specializes in concurrent benefits - not all SSA employees are familiar with how dual eligibility is supposed to work. The system is frustrating but you're doing the right thing by trying to fix this proactively. Most people don't realize there's an issue until they get that dreaded overpayment notice months later. Keep us updated on how your office visit goes!

I'm sorry but I think there might be some confusion in this thread. The comment asking about my SSDI appeal outcome was actually posted by Eli Butler, but it was tagged to Emily Sanjay who shared the great advice about the financial bridge strategy. To clarify - I'm Carmen Diaz, the original poster asking about SSDI vs early retirement. Emily Sanjay was the one who went through a similar situation and gave the excellent breakdown about filing for early retirement while continuing the SSDI appeal. But I'm definitely interested to hear Emily's response about her outcome and the monthly difference between early retirement and SSDI amounts if she's willing to share! That information would be really valuable for my decision-making. Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses - this community has been amazing in helping me understand my options.

@Carmen, I wanted to follow up on the excellent advice from Emily about the "financial bridge" strategy. I went through a similar decision process with my brother who had spinal stenosis and was denied SSDI initially. A few additional points that might help with your decision: 1. **Timeline advantage**: Since you turn 62 in April, you can start receiving early retirement benefits immediately. SSDI appeals typically take 12-18 months to reach the hearing stage, so that's over a year of income you'd otherwise miss. 2. **Documentation period**: The time between now and your hearing actually works in your favor - it gives you more time to build a stronger medical record showing ongoing limitations despite surgery. Keep detailed pain journals and follow up regularly with your doctors. 3. **Attorney consultation**: Most disability attorneys offer free consultations and can quickly assess your case strength. Given your age, work history, and medical situation, you likely have a stronger case than you realize. 4. **State considerations**: Some states have faster SSDI processing times than others. You might want to ask about average wait times in your area. The beauty of Emily's approach is that it's not really an either/or decision - you can pursue both tracks simultaneously and let the system work in your favor regardless of which comes through first. The financial safety net of early retirement while fighting for the full SSDI amount seems like the wise choice here. Good luck with your decision! This community will be rooting for you.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share that I'm going through something remarkably similar! SSA hit me with a $6,100 overpayment claim about 6 months ago, also related to workers' comp offset issues. Like you, I appealed immediately and am still waiting for my ALJ hearing. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially learning about the congressional inquiry option and Form SSA-795. I had no idea these resources existed! The pattern everyone's describing is so consistent: vague overpayment notices, impossible phone waits, and SSA's refusal to show their actual calculations. Your $3,400 partial refund is actually huge evidence in your favor. As others have pointed out, you don't refund money if your original calculation was correct. The fact that they did this without explanation strongly suggests they found significant errors in their methodology. I'm definitely going to pursue the congressional inquiry route based on all the success stories shared here. It sounds like that's the key to breaking through SSA's bureaucratic wall and getting real answers about their calculations. Don't let the long wait discourage you - the fact that so many people here have gotten their entire overpayments dismissed at ALJ hearings gives me hope we'll all come out of this vindicated. Keep fighting and document everything!

As someone who's been through this exact situation, I can tell you that partial refund is actually incredibly significant evidence in your favor! About two years ago, SSA claimed I had a $5,400 workers' comp offset overpayment, and after 8 months of fighting, they suddenly sent me a $2,100 refund with zero explanation - just like what happened to you. That partial payment essentially proves their original calculation methodology was flawed. You don't refund money if your math was correct the first time. When I brought this up at my ALJ hearing, the judge was very focused on why SSA would make a "correction" if their initial determination was accurate. Here's what worked for me: I immediately filed a written request asking for the specific reasoning behind the partial refund and detailed calculations for the remaining balance. I also got my complete earnings record to verify they had calculated my ACE correctly (they hadn't - they were missing a high-earning quarter that significantly changed the calculation). The ALJ ended up dismissing my entire remaining overpayment because SSA couldn't adequately justify their calculations or explain the partial correction. Your situation sounds even stronger since your workers' comp was relatively low compared to your prior earnings. Don't let them wear you down with the long wait times. That $3,400 refund is solid evidence that their system made errors, and it significantly strengthens your case for the ALJ hearing. Keep all documentation and consider requesting your full file through FOIA to see their internal notes about why they issued that partial refund.

Just want to add another perspective here - I'm a retired federal employee who dealt with coordinating Social Security with my TSP and federal pension. One thing that often gets overlooked is that if you do start SS at 62 and then get that high-paying job, you might also want to consider the impact on your overall retirement tax planning. Working at $125K while collecting SS benefits (even if they're being withheld) can push you into higher tax brackets and affect things like Medicare premiums down the road through IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount). This is especially true if you're also drawing from other retirement accounts. The withdrawal option within 12 months really is a clean slate approach - it's like hitting the reset button on your Social Security filing. But if you're past that window, just remember that suspended benefits from FRA to age 70 earn those 8% delayed retirement credits, which can be substantial over time. Good luck with your decision! The fact that you're thinking through all these scenarios puts you ahead of many people who just file and hope for the best.

This is such a comprehensive discussion with great real-world examples! As someone currently navigating Social Security decisions myself, I wanted to add one more consideration that might be helpful for your specific timeline. Since you mentioned the job opportunity might come 3-4 months after you start collecting benefits, you'll want to be very strategic about timing if you decide to file at 62. The 12-month withdrawal window is calculated from your "entitlement date" (usually the month you first become eligible to receive benefits), not from when you actually receive your first payment. So if you file in January with benefits starting February, your 12-month window closes in January of the following year - regardless of when you actually received payments. This means if the job comes through in May or June, you'd still have plenty of time to withdraw if needed. Also, regarding the Form SSA-521 that others mentioned - you can actually download it from ssa.gov ahead of time and have it filled out (except for dates) just in case. That way if the job opportunity does materialize, you're ready to submit immediately rather than scrambling to figure out the paperwork. The stories shared here about successful withdrawals are really encouraging. It seems like while the process has some complexity, it's definitely manageable if you stay organized and understand the timeline!