I took a hit by applying early but since I can't work and frankly will never be around long enough to collect, we were in a position that made going early make sense. SS is a morass of regulations but I found that calls worked very well. At one point you will probably hit upon someone who says, "I feel your pain and I can fix it!" Write down there name and direct all the mail at them. You won't have to do much becasue they will take care of it and they can slice through the legal rhetoric and red tape. The answers aren't always easy nor do they all make sense but a good person in a SS office is a blessing. Some of them seem so officious I'm surprised they don't explode from self-importance.