I'm new to this community but wanted to reach out because your situation really resonates with me. My father-in-law was in an almost identical position - 67 with no official work history and untreated anxiety issues. We successfully got him on SSI about two years ago, and it made such a difference in all our lives. What I learned is that the age qualification (65+) is actually much easier than the disability route - you don't need medical records or extensive documentation of his mental health issues, though they can help. The key is just proving he's over 65, has limited income/resources, and is a citizen. One thing that helped tremendously was bringing a trusted family member (in your case, you) to the interview as moral support. SSA allows this and the interviewer was very understanding about his anxiety. We also scheduled the appointment for mid-morning when he was typically calmer. The reduced payment due to living with you ($645-ish instead of the full amount) is still significant when someone has zero income. Plus the automatic Medicaid eligibility opened doors to mental health services he'd been avoiding for years. Start the process now - even if it takes months to complete, benefits are retroactive to the application date. You're being an incredible advocate for your brother, and there really is help available for people in exactly his situation.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share some hope from a similar experience. My stepfather was in almost the exact same situation at 68 - no work history, severe social anxiety, and living with family. We were able to get him approved for SSI within about 4 months of applying. The key things that helped us: - Applied online first to get most of the paperwork done without pressure - Contacted our local Area Agency on Aging for an advocate to help navigate the process - Emphasized his age qualification (65+) rather than trying to document disability - Prepared a simple folder with his birth certificate, Social Security card, and a letter explaining his living situation The interview was much less scary than we expected. The SSA worker was patient and understanding about his anxiety. We were allowed to sit with him for support, and she explained everything clearly. Yes, his payment is reduced because he lives with family (around $650/month), but combined with Medicaid and SNAP benefits, it's given him dignity and independence he never had before. More importantly, it took the financial stress off our family. Don't wait to apply - the sooner you start, the sooner benefits can begin. Your brother is lucky to have someone who cares so much advocating for him. This is exactly what SSI was created for, and there really is light at the end of this tunnel!

I work at a local SSA field office and see cases like your mom's regularly. Here's what I'd recommend: Have her request a detailed benefit verification letter from SSA that shows exactly how her current benefits are calculated. This will clearly indicate if WEP or GPO reductions are being applied. For USPS employees like your stepfather, WEP is very common and would have reduced his benefit while alive, which directly impacts the survivor benefit amount she receives now. The good news is that if the Social Security Fairness Act passes, SSA will automatically recalculate affected benefits - no application needed. Your mom should also ask specifically about any "deemed filing" rules that might affect her situation since she claimed early at 62. The calculations can get complex when someone is eligible for both their own retirement benefit and a survivor benefit.

This is such a helpful thread - I'm learning so much about how these WEP/GPO rules actually work! As someone new to navigating Social Security, I had no idea how complex the calculations could be, especially for federal employees and their survivors. It sounds like your mom's situation is unfortunately very common, but there's real hope with the Social Security Fairness Act potentially passing. I've been following the legislation too, and it's encouraging to see the bipartisan support it has this time around. The advice about getting that detailed benefit verification letter from SSA seems really important - it would give you concrete information about what reductions are currently being applied. I hope your mom is able to get the clarity she needs and potentially see an increase in her benefits if this legislation goes through. Thank you for sharing your story - it's helping people like me understand these issues better.

I just wanted to thank everyone for this incredibly detailed and helpful discussion! As someone who's been struggling to understand how the FAIR Act affects my situation as a FERS postal employee with 13 years service, this thread has been more informative than anything I've found on official government websites. The step-by-step guidance about requesting Form SSA-7050 first, then checking the online Social Security account, and finally calling SSA with all documentation ready seems like the perfect roadmap. It's also reassuring to learn that FERS employees like myself who paid into both systems during our postal careers are generally in a better position than CSRS employees. I'm especially grateful for the clarification about the 30-year substantial earnings threshold for WEP exemption. With my 13 USPS years plus 22 other years of SS-covered work, it sounds like I should be well above that threshold, assuming most years meet the substantial earnings amount for their respective years. I'll definitely follow the advice shared here and start with getting my complete earnings record before contacting SSA. It's encouraging to hear from people who have successfully navigated this process recently. This community is amazing - thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences!

I'm a newer member here but wanted to share what I learned after going through a similar situation recently. As a FERS postal employee with 14 years of service plus other SS-covered work, I was initially confused about how the FAIR Act would affect me too. After following the excellent advice in this thread about getting Form SSA-7050 and speaking with SSA, I discovered that the key really is understanding whether your years meet the "substantial earnings" threshold. What surprised me was that some of my earlier working years from the 1990s and early 2000s actually did qualify as substantial earnings even though the dollar amounts seemed low - the thresholds were much lower back then. For someone with your work history (13 USPS + 22 other SS years), you're very likely already exempt from WEP or will see significant relief under the FAIR Act. The fact that you paid into Social Security during your entire postal career as a FERS employee puts you in a much better position than CSRS employees. One tip: when you request Form SSA-7050, also ask for a "WEP calculation worksheet" if one applies to your situation. This shows exactly how your benefits are being calculated and whether WEP is actually affecting you. In some cases, people think they're subject to WEP when they're actually not. The implementation is definitely happening in phases, but don't let that discourage you from getting your paperwork in order now. Having accurate information will make your retirement planning much more reliable. Good luck!

WAIT! Everyone here is giving advice without asking a critical question: is your husband still working? If so, how much does he earn? Because if he claims before his FRA and earns above the earnings limit (about $21,240 for 2025), both HIS benefits AND any benefits paid on his record (including your spousal benefits) would be reduced by $1 for every $2 earned above that limit. This earnings test could significantly impact what you'd actually receive!

Hi Ana! I see you've gotten some great detailed advice here. Just wanted to add one more consideration that might help with your decision: have you thought about potentially going back to work part-time for a few years to build up some of your own work credits? Even earning just $7,180 per year (the 2025 amount for one work credit) for 4-5 years could help boost your own benefit calculation and give you more flexibility. Sometimes people find that even a small part-time job can significantly improve their Social Security picture, especially if those earnings replace some of those zero-earning years in your calculation. Plus, if you're healthy and able to work, the extra income could help you delay claiming until your FRA for that full 50% spousal benefit. Just another option to consider alongside all the excellent advice you've already received!

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who's been researching this extensively. The earnings test elimination at FRA is one of the best-kept secrets about Social Security! I'm 66 right now and planning to wait until my FRA next year specifically for this reason. One thing I discovered that might be helpful - if you're thinking about working after claiming at FRA, consider that your Social Security benefits will continue to be protected from inflation through the annual COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment), but your work income won't have that same protection. So having that guaranteed inflation-adjusted income from Social Security plus the ability to earn unlimited additional income really creates a nice foundation for retirement security. The peace of mind knowing that no matter how much you earn, your Social Security won't be reduced is invaluable.

I'm also new to navigating all these Social Security rules, and this thread has been incredibly helpful! One thing I'm curious about - does anyone know if there are any changes to these earnings rules being proposed by Congress or the Social Security Administration? I want to make sure I'm planning based on rules that will actually be in place when I reach my FRA in a few years. Also, for those of you who are working while collecting after FRA, do you find that employers treat you differently when they know you're also receiving Social Security? I'm wondering if there could be any practical issues beyond just the financial calculations.