About to pull the trigger on SS

[CountryGal]

Would love some input. Our thought process below.
Details..
1. Husband just filed and turns 70 in 2 months.

2. Wife has been 'retired' almost 6 years and unable to work. Age 63

3. Wife has pension (non-cola), Husband does not.

4. Husband is still working part time and has some money from prior employer coming in. Maybe 6 more months of both.

5. Rationale for taking SS now.. preserve as much of our nest egg as we can for kids or later years. Breakeven for wife waiting until FRA is 76 right now.

6. Life expectancy. Maybe about 80 based on family history.

7. If either pass, the other gets the highest benefit possible.


I (wife) am looking at my estimated benefits from SS and thinking about when is the best time to pull the trigger. I also see that if I collect now I get one amount. It also tells me that I have earned enough credits to qualify for benefits if I became disabled right now. Benefits that are about $650 a month higher.

What is the likelihood I can apply and get SS Disability?
Any reason why I shouldn't apply for SS now?

Thanks!
C.

 

[Sunset]

If you were disabled, you should have applied then. Faking a disability is fraud, but at least in jail the food is free.
The criteria for disabled is pretty specific.

Someone can chime in, but I think if you take SS early, you lose out even after your hubby dies, waiting until your Full Retirement Age (FRA) maximizes the survivor benefit. (If I'm wrong, folks PLEASE LET ME KNOW !!).

 

[finnski1]

If you were disabled, you should have applied then. Faking a disability is fraud, but at least in jail the food is free.
The criteria for disabled is pretty specific.

Someone can chime in, but I think if you take SS early, you lose out even after your hubby dies, waiting until your Full Retirement Age (FRA) maximizes the survivor benefit. (If I'm wrong, folks PLEASE LET ME KNOW !!).

That is my understanding as well but I could be wrong also.

 

[RetiredHappy]

Someone can chime in, but I think if you take SS early, you lose out even after your hubby dies, waiting until your Full Retirement Age (FRA) maximizes the survivor benefit. (If I'm wrong, folks PLEASE LET ME KNOW !!).

This is not correct. Survivor benefits are in full if the survivor files for survivor benefits at FRA and after. Early SS claim by surviving spouse before the spouse dies does not affect survivor benefits.

 

[jazz4cash]

This is not correct. Survivor benefits are in full if the survivor files for survivor benefits at FRA and after. Early SS claim by surviving spouse before the spouse dies does not affect survivor benefits.

This sounds contradictory. What am I missing?

 

[ElizabethT]

This sounds contradictory. What am I missing?

Applying for your own, earned SS is different than applying for survivor benefits later on. One does not impact the other, in other words.

In our case, I will be applying for my own SS at age 62, and my husband will apply for his a year later, at age 70. Once he dies (!), I will then change over from my own earned SS, to his 3x higher age 70 benefits, under the survivor benefits provision. (When he files is what locks in my survivor benefits, not when I file for my own. And vice versa, but since my earned SS is lower than his, when I file for my own earned SS is not a consideration in our case.)

 

[Bamaman]

Let me tell you that you'd not find filing for social security to be enjoyable. States do the paperwork, and they're not the most efficient group of people in most places. Unless you've had some horrendous thing happen, they most often turn down the applicant. Within 60 days you appeal and they turn you down again. You appeal again and the application goes to an administrative law judge that makes the decision at a hearing. It takes a very long paperwork trail with physicians, etc

It's easier to get social security in some states than others.

 

[Sarah S]

Applying for ssdi and your success totally depends on what your disability is and how strong the medical documentation is. If you have not worked for 6 years then if you do not apply by year’s end you will not be able to as you need to have worked 5 out of the last 10 calendar years and received enough work credits.

No one here can predict your success or tell you whether it is a good idea unless you have one of the automatically qualifying terminal diagnoses like ALS but if you did you probably wouldn’t be asking and you wouldn’t be expecting to live until 80

 

[VanWinkle]

Applying for your own, earned SS is different than applying for survivor benefits later on. One does not impact the other, in other words.

In our case, I will be applying for my own SS at age 62, and my husband will apply for his a year later, at age 70. Once he dies (!), I will then change over from my own earned SS, to his 3x higher age 70 benefits, under the survivor benefits provision. (When he files is what locks in my survivor benefits, not when I file for my own. And vice versa, but since my earned SS is lower than his, when I file for my own earned SS is not a consideration in our case.)

^^^This

 

[GravitySucks]

DW was disabled and applied for SSDI. The process made me ashamed to be an American.
From the quack doctors the state employed to the institutionalized corruption of the lawyers sickened me.
Her lawyer said the way to go is apply on your own, get rejected, hire a lawyer that specializes in SSDI.

 

[CountryGal]

If you were disabled, you should have applied then. Faking a disability is fraud, but at least in jail the food is free.
The criteria for disabled is pretty specific.

Someone can chime in, but I think if you take SS early, you lose out even after your hubby dies, waiting until your Full Retirement Age (FRA) maximizes the survivor benefit. (If I'm wrong, folks PLEASE LET ME KNOW !!).

I wasn't aware I could apply and the way my SS statement looks, it appears I could qualify based on my long work history. Also, when I was retired from my job, I was not aware I was sick. First Cancer diagnosis and then stress related chronic disease diagnosed within the first year of 'retirement'.

I wasn't aware disability once I qualified for SS was the same as SSID. I though they were different. I am not sure I could handle the stress of the disability challenge but would be leaving $7800 a year on the table.

 

[pacergal]

Perhaps a call to your local SS office may help with guidance, not sure. We have always had a good outcome with any issues.

Hope you remain as healthy as you can be.
Take care.