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This has been such an incredibly informative discussion! As someone who works with seniors navigating Social Security benefits, I can't stress enough how valuable this real-world experience sharing is. What strikes me most is how TechNinja's success story demonstrates that persistence and knowledge really pay off - literally in this case! For anyone else reading this thread who might be in a similar situation, I'd add one more tip: if you're married and one spouse is receiving SSDI while the other is on retirement benefits, it's worth reviewing your situation annually. Sometimes people's circumstances change (like cost of living adjustments affecting benefit amounts) that could make spousal benefits newly available or more advantageous. Also, keep in mind that this spousal benefit eligibility works both ways - whether it's the older spouse on retirement and younger spouse on SSDI (like TechNinja's situation) or vice versa (like Dylan's upcoming situation). The $300 monthly increase TechNinja secured could amount to over $3,600 annually - that's significant money that many people are leaving on the table simply because they don't know these rules exist!
This is such excellent advice about reviewing benefits annually! As someone new to understanding Social Security, I hadn't considered that benefit amounts could change over time and potentially make spousal benefits newly available. The point about this working "both ways" regardless of which spouse is older really helps clarify the rules. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been eye-opening - I had no idea so many people were potentially missing out on additional benefits simply due to lack of awareness. The $3,600 annual impact you mentioned really puts it in perspective! I'm going to share this thread with my parents who are both on Social Security to see if they might be in a similar situation. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise - this community is amazing for helping people navigate these complex benefit rules!
This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm in a very similar situation - my husband has been on SSDI for about 6 months (he's 58) and I've been collecting my own Social Security retirement since I turned 62 last year. My benefit is only $950 monthly while his SSDI is $2,200. Based on all the helpful information shared here, it sounds like I could potentially get an additional $150 per month (bringing me up to 50% of his $2,200 = $1,100). I had no idea this was even possible! I'm definitely going to call SSA next week to apply. One question though - since I took my retirement benefits early at 62 (before my full retirement age), will that affect my eligibility for spousal benefits in any way? I know there are different rules sometimes when you take early retirement, so I want to make sure I understand before I call. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - TechNinja's success story gives me so much hope that this will work out!
Your math looks right on the potential $150 monthly increase! Regarding your question about taking early retirement at 62 - the good news is that since you're already receiving your own retirement benefits, the early retirement reduction won't affect your eligibility for spousal benefits. The spousal benefit calculation is still based on 50% of your husband's SSDI amount, and you'd get the difference between that and your current benefit. However, there's one thing to keep in mind: if you had waited until your full retirement age to file for your own benefits, your personal benefit amount would have been higher, which could have affected the spousal benefit calculation. But that's water under the bridge now - what matters is your current situation, and you should definitely be eligible for that extra $150 monthly. The early filing only affects the benefit you're already receiving, not your eligibility for spousal benefits based on his SSDI record. Good luck with your call to SSA next week!
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As someone new to this community but dealing with similar retirement planning questions, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly helpful discussion! The distinction between early filing reductions on your own benefit versus survivor benefit reductions based on when you claim survivor benefits is something I had completely misunderstood. Carmen, your situation really resonates with me - my spouse and I are also close in age with similar earnings, and I've been getting conflicting advice about optimal claiming strategies. The clarification that your husband's delayed retirement credits DO carry over to survivor benefits, but the reduction to YOUR survivor benefit depends on YOUR age when you claim it (not when you claimed your own benefit) is a game-changer for my planning. One follow-up question for the group: For couples with very similar benefit amounts like Carmen's situation, has anyone done the math on whether it's better to have both spouses delay to 70, or stick with the traditional "higher earner delays, lower earner files early" approach? It seems like when the benefit amounts are nearly identical, the survivor benefit protection might be similar either way, so maybe cash flow needs should drive the decision more than survivor planning? Thanks again for all the detailed explanations - this is exactly the kind of real-world insight that's so hard to find elsewhere!
Welcome to the community, Nick! You're asking exactly the right question about couples with similar benefits. I've been following this thread closely and think you've hit on something important that most generic advice misses. From what I've learned here, when benefits are nearly identical like yours and Carmen's situation, the "higher earner delays" strategy loses much of its advantage. If both spouses have similar longevity expectations and good health, having both delay could actually provide better overall household income and equivalent survivor protection. The key insight from this discussion is that survivor benefits aren't permanently reduced by early filing of your own benefit - they're reduced based on when you claim the survivor benefit itself. So if both spouses delay to 70, the survivor gets maximum protection either way, plus you both benefit from the 8% annual increases while you're both alive. I'd love to see someone run the actual numbers on this scenario. It seems like for couples with similar earnings and ages, cash flow needs and both partners' health/longevity outlook might be more important factors than the traditional claiming strategies designed for couples with bigger age or income gaps. Has anyone in the community actually compared these approaches with similar benefit amounts?
This has been such an enlightening discussion! I'm also new to this community and facing similar retirement planning decisions. What strikes me most is how the "conventional wisdom" about Social Security claiming strategies really breaks down when you dig into the specifics, especially for couples like Carmen's with similar ages and earnings. The key breakthrough for me in this thread was understanding that survivor benefits have their own reduction schedule completely separate from your own retirement benefit reductions. I had the same misconception as Carmen - that filing early would permanently reduce any future survivor benefits. One thing I'd add for couples in similar situations: given that your benefits are only $100 apart, you might want to also consider which spouse has better longevity indicators (health, family history, lifestyle factors). Even with similar benefit amounts, if one spouse is statistically likely to live longer, having that person delay to 70 could provide better overall household outcomes. Also, don't forget about spousal benefits! Even though your individual benefits are similar, one of you might be able to claim spousal benefits at FRA while letting your own benefit grow to 70. This strategy might still be available depending on your exact birth dates and the timing differences. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences - this is exactly why community discussions are so valuable for complex topics like Social Security planning!
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One last thing to consider: any benefits withheld due to excess earnings aren't permanently lost. When you reach Full Retirement Age, SSA recalculates your benefit amount to give you credit for months when benefits were withheld. It's not a simple 1:1 return, but you do eventually recoup some of what was withheld. Many people don't realize this aspect of the earnings test!
I had no idea! That's great to know. So even if I accidentally go over the limit, it's not a complete loss. Thanks for pointing this out.
I'm new to this community but wanted to share my experience since I went through this exact situation last year. I was also confused about the earnings test when I started collecting at 62 while still doing some freelance work. The key thing that helped me was understanding that SSA looks at when you EARN the money, not when you receive it. So if you do contract work in January but don't get paid until March, it counts toward January's earnings for the monthly test. This matters because if you go over the annual limit, they look at it month by month to see which months to withhold benefits. Also, just wanted to add that if you're thinking about timing when to start benefits, remember that your monthly benefit amount increases by about 8% for each year you delay past your full retirement age (up to age 70). So even though the earnings test goes away at FRA, there's still a financial incentive to wait if you can afford to. But everyone's situation is different - sounds like you've done your homework on what income counts!
Welcome to the community! That's a really important point about the timing of when earnings are counted vs when you receive payment. I hadn't thought about that aspect before. The monthly breakdown makes sense too - if someone has uneven contract income throughout the year, they could potentially lose benefits only for the months they went over the monthly limit rather than the whole year. Do you know what the monthly limit is? Is it just the annual limit divided by 12, or is there a different calculation?
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One last tip: If you want to verify the numbers yourself, you can use the AnyPIA software that SSA uses internally. It's available for public download from the SSA website. It's not user-friendly at all, but if you're technically inclined and want to check their math, it's an option. Just search for "AnyPIA download" on SSA.gov. The other alternative is to consult with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security claiming strategies. They typically charge $200-300 for a comprehensive analysis, but it might be worth it if you're making decisions that affect decades of benefits.
I had no idea they made their calculation software available! I'm fairly tech-savvy so I might give that a try. But the financial advisor route sounds good too - do you happen to know how to find advisors who truly specialize in SS rather than just general retirement planning?
Look for advisors who have the NSSA certification (National Social Security Advisor). They've completed specific training on Social Security rules. You can find them through the NSSA website or sometimes through your local Area Agency on Aging.
This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation and have been putting off dealing with this because it seems so overwhelming. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the key is being really specific about what you ask for when you contact SSA. I'm definitely going to try Giovanni's advice about requesting a RETRY computation and asking for a Technical Expert. The fact that people are getting wildly different numbers from different reps is terrifying - I can't afford to base my retirement planning on incorrect information. One question for those who have been through this: How far in advance of when you want to claim should you start this verification process? I'm wondering if I should get my calculations verified now even though I'm not planning to claim for another 2-3 years, just so I have time to sort out any discrepancies. Also, thank you Aiden for mentioning the NSSA certification - I had no idea that existed! That seems like a much better way to find qualified help than just googling "financial advisor.
Great question about timing! I'd recommend starting the verification process at least 6-12 months before you plan to claim. That gives you plenty of time to resolve any discrepancies or errors without feeling rushed into a decision. Plus, your earnings record could still change if you're working, so checking too early might not give you the final numbers anyway. I learned this the hard way - I waited until 3 months before my 67th birthday to start the process and ended up feeling pressured to make decisions quickly when there were calculation errors. Having that buffer time would have been so much less stressful! Also, if you do find errors in your earnings record during this process, those can take months to correct, so definitely don't wait until the last minute.
Sean Doyle
I'm getting so confused by all the different rules! Let me see if I understand correctly: 1. My husband can apply for spousal benefits based on my SSDI 2. He'll get either that OR his own benefit (whichever is higher) 3. If he claims at 63, he gets a reduced amount 4. If he's earning too much, they'll take some back So is there ANY advantage to him claiming early? Or should he just wait until his Full Retirement Age? His health isn't great either, so we're worried about waiting too long...
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Mateo Hernandez
•Whether to claim early is a personal decision based on your specific circumstances. The advantage of claiming early is getting benefits sooner - more total payments over time if longevity is a concern. The disadvantage is permanently reduced monthly amounts. With health concerns, sometimes claiming early makes sense. The typical break-even point is around age 80 - if he expects to live beyond that, waiting provides more lifetime benefits. If not, claiming earlier might be better. Given your situation, I'd recommend having that conversation with an SSA representative who can provide the exact dollar amounts for different scenarios.
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Nia Davis
Hey Sean! I went through something similar with my parents a few years ago. One thing that really helped us was creating a simple spreadsheet to compare the scenarios: 1. What he'd get claiming his own benefit at 63 (reduced) 2. What he'd get claiming spousal benefit at 63 (35% of your PIA) 3. What he'd get waiting until his FRA for either option We plugged in his estimated earnings from part-time work and factored in the earnings test deductions. It made the decision much clearer when we could see the actual dollar amounts side by side. Also, since you mentioned his health concerns - that's definitely a factor to consider. The "break-even" analysis is important, but peace of mind and having income now can be worth the reduction if you're worried about future health issues. Have you been able to find out what your actual PIA is? That's the key number you need to calculate the spousal benefit amounts. It should be on your SSDI award letter or your my Social Security account.
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JacksonHarris
•This spreadsheet idea is brilliant! I'm definitely going to try this approach. You're right that seeing the actual numbers side by side would make this so much clearer. I do have my SSDI award letter somewhere - I'll need to dig it up to find my PIA. That's the piece I was missing to calculate the spousal benefit amounts properly. The health factor is really weighing on us. It's hard to know what the right choice is when you're balancing guaranteed money now versus potentially more money later. Thanks for putting it in perspective about peace of mind - that's worth something too. Did your parents end up claiming early or waiting? How did that work out for them?
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