Social Security

I am considering retiring at somewhere between 59.5 and 62.  I am considering the possibility of part time work.  My full retirement age (FRA) is apparently at 67 and my maximum benefit would be at age 70.  I have not seen any  information saying this is not possible, but I feel like I am missing something. Is there any restriction or disadvantage to this approach? 

FROM THE ARTICLE. Conceived when the labor force was overwhelmingly male, the program has evolved over 90 years to serve working women, wives and widows. By Martha C. White, AARP. Published July 21, 2025. Nine decades after being signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Social Security has cemented its role as a pillar of retirement security, evolving from a Depression-era program focused on individual — and overwhelmingly male — workers to one designed to provide a financial backstop for families.This evolution reflects a shift in culture as much as bureaucracy. As the nation’s population and workforce became larger and more diverse, Social Security benefits became broader and more inclusive. USE THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/social-security/women-and-ssa-benefits/

Something we all need to read and understand: "To amend title XVIII to reform the Medicare Advantage program." 

With all the recent changes to government programs like social security, I thought maybe it was time to start my social security form since I am eligible for max in 5 months.  I attempted to do what I could online only to hit a block when the site decided I was invalid.  So I made an appointment to speak to a human in person today and was told it was not working because I was applying too early.  It is a four month window so I was told to apply in August for a December start (first payment January).  Furthermore I was told that even if you apply 4 months ahead your application will sit until it is closer to that magic month.  And yet nowhere on this SS site did it suggest that the reason I could not get started was because I was applying too early.  Any ideas on this?

FROM THE ARTICLE: How Social Security and Medicare Transformed Aging in America.Two lifelines for older adults reach important milestones in 2025. By T.R. Reid, AARP. Published April 30, 2025. After a long career as an office manager in St. Louis, Debbie Haupt retired at age 60 so she could provide full-time care for her ailing husband. “I had been planning to work at least until 68, maybe 70,” she says, “but Parkinson’s had other ideas.”There was a problem, though: The Haupts hadn’t built up much of a retirement fund. “My 401(k) was tiny,” she laughs. “If I had eaten nothing but dog food, it would have lasted less than three years." USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE: https://www.aarp.org/social-security/social-security-medicare-changed-aging/

My wife and I both work, I get medical coverage through my wife since she works for the government. This year in May I turn 65 but will still be working (as well as my wife). I am told that I can get Medicare Part A for free. Is that the case and are there benefits and or downsides to getting Medicare Part A with all this in mind? RT

My sister passed away suddenly last August and her July benefit was deposited in her bank account a few days after she died. I knew Social Security would reverse the payment, which they did.  As soon as I had court documents naming me administrator of her estate I filed Form 1724 and sent Social Security the Form and all related legal documents (death certificate, court ordered letter of administration, proof of deposit and deposit reversal, etc.).  Social Security received the Form 1724 and legal documentation the first week of January 2025. Today is June 3, 2025 and the estate still hasn't received payment. I've called both the national Social Security customer service line and our local Social Security office and I'm told they have everything they need but the claim is still being "processed."  One rep blamed DOGE and said any claims related to a decedent are being scrutinized and delayed. I can't close the estate until I get this payment and don't know what more

I will be eligible to collect in March of next year. If I apply for benefits in December, when will I be able to get a benefit verification letter? Would it likely not be available until the end of March (just before the initial disbursement) or would it show up online earlier than that?

We just started Medicare and received an IRMAA penalty for 2023 when my wife was still working full time. She is now retired. Somewhere I was told that I can file form SSA-44 and get the penalty reduced since we no longer have that income. Is that correct?  

Come 2033, we may all have a chance to find out - That’s what the 2025 Social Security Trustee Report is telling us - and it has been telling us this for the last 15+ years even though the date wobbles a few years from 2032 - 2035 between the annual reports.SSA.gov - 2025 Social Security Trustee Report Summary  from the link ~ Based on our best estimates, this year's reports show that:• The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund will be able to pay 100 percent of total scheduled benefits until 2033, unchanged from last year’s report. At that time, the fund’s reserves will become depleted and continuing program income will be sufficient to pay 77 percent of total scheduled benefits And the Conclusion is always the same (again from the link )Lawmakers have many options for changes that would reduce or eliminate the long-term financing shortfalls. Taking action sooner rather than later will allow consideration of a broader range of solutions and provide more time

I've been hearing about a social security monthly limit for a couple and wondered if there were any truth to this.  My husband and I will both will be waiting until FRA to collect at 67 in 2028.  My SS will start in Jan and will be $2400 and his will start in Oct at $3695.  Together we feel pretty comfortable with this amount but is there a limit on how much a "family" can receive?  I have checked the SS site and find no answers to this.  Thank you in advance! 

If I change my bank account for direct deposit, when will it happen? 

SSA.gov - A Summary of the 2025 Social Security Trustee Report  You can read the linked report, it isn’t long - this is the summary only. Just some highlights:Based on our best estimates, this year's reports show that: • The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund will be able to pay 100 percent of total scheduled benefits until 2033, unchanged from last year’s report. At that time, the fund’s reserves will become depleted and continuing program income will be sufficient to pay 77 percent of total scheduled benefits. • The Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund is projected to be able to pay 100 percent of total scheduled benefits through at least 2099, the last year of this report’s projection period. Last year’s report projected that the DI Trust Fund would be able to pay scheduled benefits through at least 2098, the last year of that report’s projection period. • If the OASI Trust Fund and the DI Trust Fund projections were combined, the resulti

https://secure.ssa.gov/RIL/SiView.action provides two options for creating an account: Login.gov and ID.me. Are there any pros or cons for each one? For example, has the government said anything about phasing out one? I don't want to run the gauntlet of creating an account and then have the SSA or other federal agencies discontinue using it. Thanks!

The government promise of an additional $4K of deduction for seniors at tax time does not go far enough to deal with SS and taxes.  In 1983 when they started taxing SS income, only 10% of people receiving SS paid taxes, today is it over 50%.  This is because the income level for taxing of 25K-35K has not changed since 1983. (25K in 1983 is about 80K in 2025 according to a website calculator).  So they regularly increase the amount for people paying the SS tax but they never adjust this income level for paying taxes. So either the government is very poor at math, or they are ripping off the seniors. They need to adjust this 25K-35K threshold and then push up the taxable income limit.  Someone in Congress suggested using a donut hole approach and leaving the current approx 176K max in place and then starting the tax up again for incomes over 400K.  This would save SS.  I would hope that AARP would stand up to Congress and tell them that seniors deserve

Married, divorced or widowed and need to know about how these affect your Social Security benefits? Explore answers to make informed decisions about your benefits.   Social Security Spousal and Survivor Benefits Tuesday July 13, 7 p.m. ET & 7 p.m. PT  

We were married in 1978.We Divorced in 1999.Neither one of us ever re-married.My EX-Wife died in January of 2020 (21 years after we divorced) at age 60, she would have been 61 this past July.I will be 62 in a few weeks (Nov 2020).I retired in 2018 at 59. I have had no W2 earnings since and plans to.My earnings over our lifetime are higher than hers so my benefits will be higher.I'm researching survivor benefits and would like to apply for them. I meet the criteria that we were married longer than 10 years and I never remarried. From my research I can collect them and put off my own benefits and let them grow. Then when I decide to take mine at FRA or whenever the survivor benefits will stop. Also by taking the survivor benefits it will not reduce my own benefits. So with info I provided and I understanding this correctly? Thanx in advance for any input.

I'm retiring on September 30, 2025. If I select September as the month of election, my income for that month will exceed the $1950 limit resulting in no payment due in October. Since I won't have any countable income in October onward, I assume I should select October as the month of election, with the first payment to be received in November. Is my understanding correct?

Ism anyone else hear sick of hearing the Save SS ad. I think you have already beaten that dead horse.

hello,I am helping my husband w/his SS benefits application. We started it online, but then paused it because it was too early to submit if he wanted benefits to start at age 70. So my question:His birthday is 11/1. When we complete the application for benefits, do we choose November as the start date? Or October? I know SS pays one month behind, but we've waited this long to start benefits; we do NOT want to start them a month early by mistake and miss out on the full retirement benefit amount.  If we are supposed to choose October as the start month, we can resume his application tomorrow. If we choose November, we have to wait another month. Thanks for any insight.

I'm interested in the idea of no taxes on Social Security benefits.  I understand that this is a campaign promise by a presidential candidate but feel it is something that AARP should support.

FROM THE ARTICLE: Social Security Drops 3-Day Hold on Benefit Claims by Phone.Application backlog grew as SSA added ID procedures, cut staff. By Andy Markowitz, AARP. Published May 23, 2025. A month after introducing new protocols intended to flag fraud risks on benefit applications made by phone, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has dropped a key element of the program that required a three-day hold on such claims before processing could begin.An SSA official said the updated policy took effect May 17. USE THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/social-security/ssa-changes-phone-checks/

Will Social Security just deduct the difference from my workman's comp

I hope someone on here has an answer to my question. I have searched the internet for days and have not found the answer. I plan on drawing my social security mid year (Beginning July, 2025), and my question is about the earnings test. The answer I keep getting is, if you go over $1950 per month you will not receive a check for that month. This I know for sure. But does the earnings test (1$ for every 2$ you earn) count if you begin drawing mid year. I may make about $500 over each month which means they will take $250 (if the earnings test counts when you start drawing mid year) . Will I receive the remain balance at the beginning of the following year when the annual limit kicks in or do I lose all that money. 

FROM THE ARTICLE: AARP Backs Effort to Improve SSA's Assistance for Identity Fraud Victims.Congressional bill calls for streamlining help for older adults whose Social Security numbers have been stolen or misused. By Christina Ianzito, AARP. Published May 12, 2025. Identity fraud has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S, costing Americans an estimated $47 billion in 2024, with roughly 15 million victims, according to “Resolving the Shattered Identity Crisis,” an AARP-sponsored report from Javelin Strategy & Research. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received 1.13 million identity theft reports in 2024, up from 650,000 in 2019.Social Security numbers in particular are like gold to criminals hoping to perpetrate identity fraud, which often leaves victims to “face a daunting and frustrating process to reclaim their identity,” notes Bill Sweeney, AARP’s senior vice president for government affairs. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE: https://www.aarp.org/p