I'm new to this community but dealing with a similar situation with my father who's on SSDI for chronic back issues. After reading through all these responses, I feel much more informed about how the system actually works. What really stands out to me is how many people here have direct experience with declining various treatments without losing benefits, which contradicts some of the scarier stories you hear online. The distinction everyone's making between symptom management (like pain therapy) versus treatments that could actually restore work capacity makes perfect sense. For degenerative conditions like your brother's disc disease, it seems like SSA recognizes these are progressive issues that therapy might help manage but won't "cure." One thing I'm curious about - has anyone here actually been through a Continuing Disability Review where treatment compliance was specifically questioned? It would be helpful to know what that process looks like in practice, especially for spinal conditions. The consistent advice about maintaining regular medical documentation and having reasonable explanations for declining treatments seems like the smart approach regardless.

As someone new to this community but unfortunately familiar with SSDI due to my own disability journey, I wanted to add my perspective on this important topic. What I've learned through my own experience and research is that the "failure to follow prescribed treatment" rule is much more narrowly applied than many people fear. The regulation specifically requires three conditions to be met: the treatment must be prescribed by a physician, it must be expected to restore your ability to work, and you must have no good reason for refusing. For degenerative disc disease like your brother has, pain management therapy typically fails the second test - it's designed to help manage symptoms and improve quality of life, not restore someone's ability to perform substantial gainful activity. I've actually refused several recommended treatments myself (including physical therapy that wasn't helping and some medications with severe side effects) and it's never been questioned during my interactions with SSA. What they really care about during reviews is whether your condition still meets the disability criteria, which is determined through your ongoing medical records and functional assessments. The most important thing your brother can do is maintain regular care with his specialists to ensure there's continuous documentation of his condition. If the therapy question ever comes up, having a reasonable explanation like "previous similar treatments weren't effective" or "managing condition through other doctor-approved methods" should be sufficient. The key is showing he's not abandoning medical care entirely, just making informed decisions about specific treatments that may not be beneficial for his situation.

i always get confused about FRA. isn't it different for everyone?? mine is 67 according to my SS statement i got

Just wanted to add one more thing that might be helpful - make sure you keep good records of your monthly earnings during those 10 months before your FRA! SSA sometimes asks for documentation if your reported earnings seem inconsistent with what employers report. I learned this the hard way when I had irregular consulting income. Also, if you're doing 1099 contract work, remember that self-employment income is counted when it's earned, not when you get paid. So if you complete a project in month 8 but don't invoice until month 11 (after FRA), it still counts against your pre-FRA limit. Keep track of when work is actually performed vs. when payment is received. The $59,520 limit for 2025 is really generous compared to previous years, so you should be in good shape with that consulting work!

I definitely will! I'm planning to call tomorrow morning right when they open. Based on everyone's feedback, I'm pretty confident the first agent was mistaken, but I'll update with what I find out.

I've been through a similar situation and want to emphasize something important that others have mentioned - even though you received incorrect information from an SSA agent, you're still responsible for any overpayments. However, don't let this discourage you from appealing if you do exceed the limit based on their advice. When you call back, ask to speak with a supervisor and document EVERYTHING - get the agent's name, ID number, time of call, and ask them to note your file that you're calling to clarify conflicting information you received. If possible, ask them to send you written confirmation of the correct earnings limits. Also, since you're doing 1099 work now, consider spreading your income strategically. You could potentially defer some payments until 2026 when the higher limit applies (January-March), or structure your contracts to minimize 2025 earnings. Just make sure any deferral strategies don't create tax complications. The earnings limit rules are confusing enough without getting wrong information from SSA agents. Stay strong and keep advocating for yourself!

Welcome to the community, Javier! You've gotten some excellent advice here already. Just to summarize the key points for your situation: 1. **Apply in June** (3 months before your September birthday) 2. **First payment arrives in October** (benefits are paid the month after they're due) 3. **Monthly earnings test applies** in your first year - you can earn up to $1,860/month without benefit reduction after you start collecting 4. **Pre-September earnings don't matter** - only what you earn in months when you're actually receiving benefits Since you're planning to have already exceeded the annual limit by September, you're in a perfect position to take advantage of that monthly test. If you stop working or significantly reduce hours in September, you should receive full benefits from that point forward. One additional tip: Make sure to report any work income to SSA promptly once you start receiving benefits. They have an online portal where you can report monthly earnings, which helps avoid overpayments that would need to be repaid later. Good luck with your retirement planning!

Great summary from Victoria! I'd like to add one more consideration that might be relevant to your situation, Javier. Since you mentioned your health isn't great in an earlier comment, you might want to look into whether you qualify for any disability benefits before claiming regular retirement at 62. Disability benefits aren't reduced for early claiming like retirement benefits are, so if you have a qualifying condition, you could potentially receive your full Primary Insurance Amount rather than the reduced amount you'd get by claiming at 62. You can actually apply for both and SSA will process whichever you're eligible for. Also, once you reach Full Retirement Age, disability benefits automatically convert to retirement benefits at the full amount. Just something to consider given your health concerns - it might be worth discussing with your doctor or a disability attorney to see if it's worth exploring. The application process can take longer for disability claims, so if you think you might qualify, you'd want to start that process sooner rather than later.

hey did ur husband ever work in the US at all? my uncle worked in both canada and US and my aunt got benefits from both places when he died!

Rachel, I'm so sorry for your loss. I went through a similar situation when my Irish husband passed away. Since your husband never worked in the US, you'll need to focus on the UK system for any benefits based on his work record. The UK does have "Bereavement Support Payment" which is different from their State Pension and has different age requirements - it's available to widows/widowers under State Pension age. You should definitely call that UK International Pension Centre number that Seraphina posted (+44 191 218 7777) and specifically ask about bereavement benefits, not just pension benefits. They have a whole separate system for widows that I wish someone had told me about earlier! Also, even with only 8 years of US work credits, you might still have some options through the totalization agreement if your husband had any UK National Insurance contributions. Don't give up - these cases are complex but there are often benefits available that aren't obvious at first.