I'm so sorry to hear about your wife's health situation. What you're going through must be incredibly difficult, and I can only imagine the stress of trying to navigate these complex benefit rules during such an emotional time. I wanted to add something that might help with the timing aspect of your situation. Since your wife's SSDI will convert to regular retirement benefits in February 2026 and your FRA is April 2026, you have a brief but important window to consider. If your wife passes after her conversion but before you reach FRA, you would still be eligible for survivor benefits, but they might be slightly reduced if you claim them before your FRA in April. However, once you reach your FRA in April 2026, you can definitely claim the full survivor benefit while letting your own retirement benefit continue growing until age 70. This strategy remains one of the most effective ways to maximize Social Security benefits for surviving spouses. I'd also suggest keeping a simple timeline written down: February 2026 (wife's SSDI converts), April 2026 (your FRA - full survivor benefits available), and your 70th birthday (maximum retirement benefit). Having these key dates clear can help when you're communicating with SSA. Everyone here has given you excellent advice about being explicit with your application and getting everything documented. You're being so thoughtful in preparing for this - that planning will serve you well when you need to focus on what matters most.

I'm so sorry to hear about your wife's health situation - my heart goes out to both of you during this incredibly challenging time. The emotional weight of what you're facing while trying to navigate these complex financial decisions must be overwhelming. I wanted to offer one additional resource that might be valuable: many local senior centers have volunteer tax preparers through the AARP Tax-Aide program who are also well-versed in Social Security rules. While they primarily help with taxes, many of them have extensive knowledge about Social Security claiming strategies and could potentially review your plan or help you practice the conversation you'll need to have with SSA when the time comes. Also, since you mentioned trying to prepare for all scenarios, you might want to consider setting up a simple checklist or folder system now with all the key documents you'll need (Social Security cards, benefit statements, marriage certificate, etc.) so everything is organized and easily accessible when you need it. Grief can make even simple tasks feel overwhelming, so having everything prepared in advance is a gift to your future self. Your strategy is sound, and the advice everyone has shared here about being explicit with SSA about wanting ONLY survivor benefits is crucial. The fact that you're researching and planning now shows incredible strength and foresight during such a difficult time. Wishing you and your wife comfort and peace in the days ahead. This community will be here to support you through whatever comes next.

What an incredibly thorough and helpful thread! I'm 64 and planning to file for Social Security in about 6 months, so this timing issue with tax withholding has been on my mind. Reading everyone's real experiences has been so much more valuable than the sparse information on the SSA website. I'm particularly struck by how many people mentioned owing significant amounts at tax time because they didn't set up withholding quickly enough. The suggestion to make a voluntary first-quarter payment to the IRS while waiting for the withholding to kick in seems like such smart insurance against that scenario. One thing I'm wondering - has anyone here dealt with this process while also receiving a pension that already has tax withholding set up? I'm trying to figure out if it makes more sense to increase withholding on my existing pension or set up new withholding through Social Security. My pension withholding is already established and working smoothly, so I'm wondering if that might be the path of least resistance rather than dealing with potential SSA system delays. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and timelines - this thread should be required reading for anyone approaching Social Security eligibility!

This entire discussion has been absolutely enlightening! I'm 67 and just submitted my Social Security application last week, so the timing of finding this thread is perfect. Like many others here, I was completely unaware that tax withholding was a separate process after approval rather than part of the initial application. The consensus seems clear: start with higher withholding (12-15%) and adjust down later, make a voluntary first-quarter payment to the IRS to bridge the gap, and keep detailed documentation of every step. I'm also planning to follow the advice about setting up calendar reminders to check that withholding actually starts when it's supposed to. One thing I'm curious about - for those who've had to call SSA about withholding issues, what time of day did you find had the shortest hold times? I know several people mentioned 45+ minute waits, but I'm wondering if calling early morning or late afternoon makes any difference. I'd rather be prepared with the best strategy if I need to contact them. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences so openly. This thread has probably saved me from making some expensive mistakes!

Great question! I'm going through something very similar with my spouse. Just to add another perspective - if your wife does end up going over the earnings limit accidentally, SSA typically sends a notice and gives you a chance to explain or provide documentation before they start withholding benefits. They're usually pretty reasonable if it's a genuine miscalculation and not intentional. Also, one thing that helped us was setting up automatic alerts in our banking app to track her part-time income deposits. Since she's aiming for about $1,250/month ($15k annually), having a monthly tracker makes it really easy to spot if any month looks unusually high before it becomes a problem. The peace of mind from staying well under the limit is worth it - sounds like you both have a solid plan in place!

I'm a newcomer here but found this thread incredibly informative as my wife and I are in almost the exact same boat! She's 64 and just started benefits, I'm 61 and still working. Reading through everyone's experiences has been so helpful. One thing I wanted to add that we learned from our accountant - since your wife is working at her sister's shop, make absolutely sure they're issuing proper paystubs and handling all the employment taxes correctly. Family businesses sometimes get sloppy with documentation thinking "it's just family," but SSA will want to see everything properly reported if they ever audit. Also, I noticed several people mentioned the online my Social Security account - definitely set that up ASAP! We found it super helpful to monitor her payments and it makes reporting any changes much easier than calling their overloaded phone lines. Your $15k target for her part-time work sounds very reasonable and well within the safe zone. We're being even more conservative and aiming for about $12k annually just to have extra buffer room. Sometimes the peace of mind is worth leaving a little money on the table!

As someone who's completely new to Social Security benefits, this entire thread has been an absolute goldmine of information! I was terrified about making any major financial moves that might accidentally impact my benefits. The clear consensus from everyone - backed up by real-world experience, professional expertise, and even insider knowledge from SSA family members - that home sale proceeds don't count toward the earnings test is incredibly reassuring. What I find most helpful is learning that the earnings test is so specifically defined as only wages and self-employment income. As a newcomer, I was worried that ANY money coming in might somehow affect my benefits. The distinction between earned income and capital gains makes perfect sense now that it's been explained so clearly. The mention of SSA Publication No. 05-10069 is particularly valuable - having official documentation to reference gives me confidence that I can verify these rules myself if questions come up in the future. Thank you all for creating such a welcoming and informative community where those of us new to navigating these systems can learn without fear of making costly mistakes!

As someone who's also new to Social Security and still learning about all these regulations, this discussion has been absolutely enlightening! I had similar concerns about whether various financial transactions might impact my benefits, and I'm so grateful for all the detailed explanations everyone has provided. What really stands out to me is how specific the earnings test is - I had no idea it only applied to wages and self-employment income, not capital gains from home sales. As a newcomer to this system, I was worried that ANY incoming money might somehow affect my benefits, so learning about these important distinctions has been incredibly valuable. I especially appreciate everyone mentioning SSA Publication No. 05-10069 - having that official reference gives me confidence that I can always verify these rules directly with SSA if questions arise. It's also reassuring to see confirmation from so many different perspectives, including real estate professionals and people with family connections to SSA. This community has made navigating these complex benefit rules so much less overwhelming for those of us who are new to the system. Thank you all for creating such a supportive environment where we can learn about these important financial decisions without fear of making costly mistakes!

So glad you were able to get this resolved! It's frustrating that the system flagged your payment because of the previous fraud incident - you'd think they'd have better ways to verify without causing stress to beneficiaries who are already victims. The separate bank account idea is brilliant too. Thanks for updating us on what happened - this thread will be really helpful for others who run into similar issues.

This whole situation highlights a major problem with SSA's fraud prevention system - it seems like once you've been a victim of fraud, you're more likely to have future payments flagged and delayed. It's almost like they're punishing you for being victimized in the first place! I'm glad you got it sorted out with the Claimyr service, but it shouldn't take a third-party service to get basic answers about your own benefits. The fact that they can flag payments for "verification" without any notification to the beneficiary is really concerning, especially for people who depend on that money for basic living expenses.