This is such great information! I'm in a similar situation - turning 66 next year and wondering about working past FRA. From reading all these responses, it sounds like the key takeaway is: NO earnings limit once you reach your Full Retirement Age, which is fantastic news for those of us who want to keep working. One question I have though - does anyone know if there are any tax implications to be aware of? Like, will having both Social Security benefits AND work income push me into a higher tax bracket? I'm trying to plan ahead financially and want to make sure I understand the full picture before making my decision. Also, @Olivia Kay, it sounds like you're in a really good position to keep working and building up that college fund for your grandson while also potentially increasing your future SS benefits. That's awesome!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm 64 and was considering claiming early at 62 but after reading all these responses, I'm thinking I should wait until my FRA at 66 and 10 months. The fact that there's NO earnings limit after FRA is huge for me since I love my job and want to keep working. One thing I'm curious about - does anyone know how quickly SSA recalculates your benefits if you keep working after claiming? Like if I start collecting at FRA but then have a really good earning year, will my monthly benefit automatically increase the following year? Or do I need to contact them to request a recalculation? Also want to echo what others have said about using that Claimyr service to actually talk to someone at SSA. The wait times when calling directly are absolutely brutal, so having a way to get through faster sounds like a lifesaver!

About house repairs vs. waiting to file: Have you looked into a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) to fund the repairs? Interest rates aren't great right now, but the long-term financial benefit of waiting until at least your FRA to claim Social Security could far outweigh the interest costs on a HELOC. Each year you delay claiming between your early retirement age (62) and age 70 results in approximately 8% higher benefits FOR LIFE. That's a guaranteed return you can't get anywhere else, especially with inflation protection through COLAs. If the house repairs are truly urgent and you have no other options, filing early might make sense, but I'd encourage exploring other financing options first to preserve your maximum Social Security benefit potential.

I'm 64 and went through this exact situation last year! One thing that really helped me was scheduling an in-person appointment at my local SSA office instead of trying to call. Yes, you have to wait a few weeks for the appointment, but you get to sit down with someone who can pull up your actual earnings record and walk through the PIA calculation step by step. They showed me exactly how my benefit would be reduced at different claiming ages - seeing the actual dollar amounts made the decision much clearer. For me, waiting just two more years until my FRA meant an extra $400+ per month for life, which was worth it. Also want to echo what others said about the Medicare timing - definitely get that letter from your husband's HR department NOW while you're thinking about it. Don't wait until you're 65 and scrambling. I've seen too many people get caught off guard by the employer size requirement or other coverage details. The whole system is needlessly complicated, but once you understand YOUR specific situation with real numbers, the path forward becomes much clearer. Good luck!

I went through this exact situation in 2023. Here's what happened: I was receiving widow's benefits with the earnings limit, then got offered a great job that put me way over the limit. I called SSA and told them my expected earnings for the year, and they calculated exactly how many more months of benefits I could receive before they needed to stop. They didn't ask for ANY money back from what I had already received. However, they did tell me that if I had waited until after I exceeded the limit to report it, I would have had an overpayment to deal with. The most important thing is TIMING. Report BEFORE you exceed the limit and you should be fine. Also, keep in mind that if you're under FRA now but will reach it within a few years, you might want to run the numbers to see if it makes more sense to: 1. Take the job now and stop widow benefits 2. Wait until FRA when there's no earnings limit and then take the job You can always restart widow benefits later if needed.

Just wanted to add another perspective here - I work for a nonprofit that helps people navigate Social Security benefits, and this is a really common question. The key distinction is between VOLUNTARY suspension (what you're planning to do) versus INVOLUNTARY overpayment (what happens when SSA discovers unreported earnings). When you proactively contact SSA to report expected earnings that will exceed the limit, they'll typically: 1. Calculate how many more benefit payments you can receive before hitting the annual limit 2. Stop payments at that point 3. NOT request repayment of benefits already received However, I'd strongly recommend getting this in writing after you call. Ask them to send you a letter confirming the suspension and the reason for it. This protects you if there are any questions later. Also worth noting - if your new job offers health insurance, make sure you understand how stopping widow benefits might affect any Medicare premiums or other benefits you're receiving. Sometimes people forget about these connected benefits when making earnings decisions.

Just want to emphasize something important based on my own experience: when you go to apply, make sure you specifically tell them you want to apply for divorced spouse benefits. I made the mistake of just saying I wanted to apply for Social Security, and they only looked at my own record. When I went back later and specifically asked about ex-spouse benefits, they said "Oh, you didn't mention you were applying for that" and I had to start the process over. Be very clear about which benefit you're applying for, and ask them to compare both options for you.

I want to add something that might be helpful - you mentioned your first ex-husband is 65 now. Since men born in 1960 have a Full Retirement Age of 67, he's actually not at his FRA yet, which means he may not have filed for his benefits. This could affect your timing. Also, I'd strongly recommend getting a my Social Security account set up at ssa.gov if you don't have one already. You can get benefit estimates for your own record there, which will help you compare with potential ex-spouse benefits. The online calculators can give you a rough idea, but for divorced spouse benefits you'll need to call or visit SSA since those calculations require your ex's earnings record. One more thing - if you're considering waiting until your FRA to potentially use the restricted application strategy that was mentioned, remember that you'd be giving up 4+ years of benefits. Run the numbers carefully to see if the delayed retirement credits make up for those missed payments. Sometimes taking the reduced benefit early comes out ahead in the long run, especially if you need the income now.

I'm going through something similar right now! Filed for SSDI in March after a workplace injury and just got approved for early retirement benefits while my disability claim is still pending. The waiting is so stressful, especially when you're dealing with medical bills and no income. One thing my case worker mentioned that might help you - they said the "redetermination" status usually means they're doing a final review of all your medical evidence before making a decision. In my case, they requested one additional medical report from my orthopedic surgeon before moving forward. Have they asked you for any additional documentation recently? Also, I'd definitely take everyone's advice about keeping detailed records. I started a simple spreadsheet tracking every phone call, who I spoke with, and what they told me. It's already come in handy twice when I got conflicting information from different representatives. Hang in there - at least getting some income while you wait is better than nothing, and it sounds like you're on the right track to get approved based on what others have shared here!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! Filed for SSDI in January after a work injury left me with chronic back problems, and just last week SSA approved me for early retirement benefits while my disability claim is still under review. Like you, I never applied for retirement - only disability - but they explained this is their standard procedure when someone qualifies for both. The waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking, especially when you're dealing with medical expenses and lost income. What helped ease my anxiety was understanding that accepting the retirement benefits won't hurt my disability case at all - it's actually SSA's way of providing some financial support while they finish processing the more complex disability determination. I've been reading through all the advice here about keeping detailed records, and I can't stress this enough. I started documenting every phone call and conversation after getting conflicting information from different representatives early on. It's already saved me confusion twice. One question - have you considered getting a written summary of your current benefit status? When I asked for this during my last call, they were able to email me a brief explanation of what benefits I'm currently receiving and what to expect when/if my disability gets approved. It helped me feel more in control of the situation. Hang in there! The fact that they're providing retirement benefits while you wait seems like a positive sign that they recognize your need for support.