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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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One more thing that might help your husband - if he can work longer at his current job (the one covered by Social Security), every additional year of "substantial earnings" will help reduce the WEP penalty. For 2025, substantial earnings means making at least $31,275 in Social Security-covered employment. If he can get to 30 years of substantial earnings under Social Security, the WEP won't apply at all. With 12 years already, that would mean 18 more years which probably isn't feasible. But even a few more years will reduce the penalty incrementally.
That's actually encouraging. He's planning to work until at least 65, so that would give him about 7 more years of substantial earnings, bringing his total to 19 years. While not enough to eliminate WEP entirely, it sounds like it would reduce the impact significantly.
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my nieghbors daughter got denied 3 times for her lupus and then finally got approved when she hired a lawyer. sometimes you just gotta fight the system. good luck!!
If your brother's condition is particularly severe, he might qualify for a Compassionate Allowance which can expedite processing. Also, make sure he's considering applying for SSI as well if his assets are below the threshold ($2,000 excluding home and one vehicle). While SSDI is based on work credits, SSI is needs-based and can provide some income during this waiting period. Finally, has he looked into any state-level temporary disability programs in Michigan? Some states offer short-term benefits while federal applications are processing.
He did apply for SSI at the same time as SSDI. His savings are getting close to that $2,000 limit now because of all his medical expenses. I'll definitely look into Michigan's state programs - I didn't even think about that option. Thank you!
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Sorry but what is a PIA? Seeing that term in one of the comments and not sure what it means.
PIA stands for Primary Insurance Amount. It's the basic benefit amount that Social Security calculates based on your lifetime earnings before any reductions or increases are applied. It's essentially the standard benefit you would receive if you claimed exactly at your Full Retirement Age (FRA).
Thank you everyone for all the helpful responses! I've learned so much from this thread. To summarize what I understand now: 1. I cannot receive spousal benefits until my husband actually files for his own retirement benefits (the "file and suspend" strategy is no longer available) 2. When he does file (likely at age 67), I'll need to apply for the spousal top-up - it won't happen automatically 3. The maximum spousal benefit would be 50% of his PIA, minus my own SSDI amount 4. His strategy to wait until 67 is probably best for maximizing our lifetime benefits, especially considering potential survivor benefits I really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this to me!
That's a perfect summary! You've got it exactly right. Glad we could help clarify things for you.
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I know several people mentioned calling SSA is difficult, and it really is these days. When I was trying to sort out my own benefits (with a similar ex-spouse situation), I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent. They have this system that navigates the phone menus and waits on hold for you, then calls you when an agent is on the line. Their video demo (https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU) shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration and the agent was able to calculate exactly what my options were with specific numbers rather than generalities.
Thanks for the suggestion! At this point I'll try anything to get specific answers about my situation. The generic advice only gets me so far.
A couple more points that might help you: 1. Your alimony has zero impact on Social Security benefits - they're completely separate systems. 2. If your ex passes away before you (hopefully not!), the rules change completely. As a surviving divorced spouse, you'd be eligible for survivor benefits which could be up to 100% of what he was receiving or eligible to receive. 3. Since you're planning to work until 70+, each additional year of higher earnings can potentially replace a lower-earning year in your benefit calculation. Social Security uses your highest 35 years of earnings (indexed for inflation). 4. When you eventually speak with SSA, ask them to calculate both your projected benefit at 70 based on your earnings AND what your ex-spouse benefit would be. That way you'll know exactly which will be higher. Hope this helps!
This is extremely helpful - thank you! I hadn't even thought about the survivor benefits aspect. And it's good to know my current higher earnings might be replacing some of those lower-earning years when I was raising kids.
Ryan Kim
I've been on this forum for about a year, and I've seen plenty of posts about COLA increases, Medicare premium changes, and even discussions about proposed legislation that might affect benefits. The moderators seem pretty reasonable as long as you stick to the facts and how they impact recipients rather than getting into which political party is better/worse.
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Liam O'Reilly
•That's reassuring to hear from someone with experience here! I just want to stay informed about changes that might affect my retirement timeline. I'll make sure to focus on the practical aspects when discussing any updates.
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Emily Thompson
I'm so confused about all this already. I'm turning 62 next year and still trying to decide when to claim. If they keep changing the rules, how am I supposed to plan?? Will they at least grandfather in people close to retirement if they make big changes??
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Chloe Delgado
•That's a great example of exactly the kind of discussion that's appropriate here! Most major Social Security changes do include grandfathering provisions or phase-in periods for people near retirement age. When policy changes are announced, we encourage sharing information about these transition rules so people in your situation can make informed decisions.
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