Yesterday was my birthday, I’m officially of the age to apply for social security though I’m not eligible for full benefits for another 5 and 1/2 years. Do I apply now, take the 25% discount or struggle and hope my one rental property continues to provide income. I best find someone to give me advice.
I’m also waiting on a ruling for social security disability, something has got to give. I’m living on credit cards now and fast approaching my limits. I think I can sell my 14 year old Durango to my sister. That might cover the deliquent property taxes on the rental house. If I loose that property I will be in dire strait’s. I’m finacially and emotionally stuck.
It’s no wonder the suicide rates are high. The waiting, uncertainty and struggle dealing with MS takes its toll on the psychic. I’m going to call the Social Security now and wait on hold until I get disconnected “Again”.
Thirty nine minutes before disconnect this afternoon. I didn’t try again. I decided to go online looking for answers. Ditto my previous suicide statement.
Tomorrow I’m going to a wedding, toast the awesome Mr. and Mrs., and have a great time just my puppy, wheelchair and crippled old me.
Go be someone’s hero.
Crippled Cowgirl 
wishing you a Happy Birthday Week! 🙂 I am so very sorry you are going through all this mess………I sent a prayer up that your disability will come through……..
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I’m sure I will be denied again, and I will go through appeal again. Maybe the judge will finally get it when I show up in my wheelchair. Thanks for your reply it gives me the courage to fight on.
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I am so very very sorry………I am praying for you and cheering you on. Before my illness hit hard I worked at a VA hospital………..I continuously encouraged vets to appeal every denial as it will go through and I know yours will too…….
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I think if you are in such dire straits, and if you can manage on the reduced benefits, it seems logical to take them now. It can take eons to get disability, and counting on something that may never happen seems counterproductive. If you don’t feel it will be enough, are there other avenues you can pursue? Some kind of state assistance. I get heating assistance and rental assistance here in Mass. I would apply for any and everything out there. The worst they can do is say no. Good luck with it. The last thing you need when ill is the stress of trying to navigate a system that I sometimes think are trying to put you off long enough that you die so they don’t have to do anything for you. Been there, done that, and the systems sucks big time. That does not mean you should ever give up, however. Vote the good guys in. Get rid of these dicks who don’t give a shit about the rest of us.
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Thanks for the encouragement, I also feel like they want us to get disgusted and give up or die.
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Somehow I missed this, but I agree with you. I lived in New Hampshire for a long time, and I always said ‘
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Oh, and happy birthday. I always say that the only alternative to being my age given the year I was born is to have already died. I take old, thank you.
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Happy Birthday. I am a year older than you, and I had applied for my benefits about three months before I hit the big 62. Whether or not you choose to get what you can now, or wait until you hit 65 depends completely on your situation. My monthly check is just under $1400. Can a person live on that alone? No. You say you have other income? Great.
My income will not even pay our mortgage. My wife’s retirement income more than makes up the difference.
I think once you reach 65 (or maybe it’s 70) you can defer your property taxes.
You may want to confer with a CPA for a fresh pair of eyes on your situation. I am unclear if rental income detracts from your SS income; you may want to check on that. We are only allowed XXX amount of dollars before SS begins limiting the monthly checks.
I hope you are well.
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I made the decision to take SS early, as the extra income gave me the freedom for five years to be more flexible in terms of caring for my mother. Since I’m self-employed, it allowed me to cut back a few hours here and there, and that helped. Now that she’s gone, and I’m pondering how to take care of myself in the future, that early draw doesn’t seem so wise. I get a thousand per month, which certainly isn’t enough to live on. I have a small pension from earlier work, which at least will keep a roof over my head and pay utilities, but that’s it. Oh, well — who needs to eat, anyway?
Do get some advice. While it’s smart to do what’s possible to increase that monthly check in the future, less stress in the present has its advantages.
And happy birthday!
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Another thing to keep in mind regarding whether to take early Social Security is your best estimate for your life expectancy based on such things as genetics (how old were your parents when they died) and past lifestyle (healthy or unhealthy eating habits, heavy smoker or not, etc.). If the odds are against you living to old age, you should seriously consider taking early SS, in my opinion.
Sorry to put things so starkly, but it’s a serious decision and you need to face it squarely and unemotionally.
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Hugs and prayers. If there is any way you can wait for full benefits I encourage you to do so. You will get more than twice as much than if you take it early. Still not enough, but obviously better. Your disability WILL come through. Hang in there.
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Never try to reply via cellphone. I was trying to say, several times, that New Hampshire’s state motto is Live Free or Die, by which they mean ‘live free of any assistance from us or die, we really couldn’t care less either way’. NH is a Republican state.
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