IF I had a long term company provided Disability Plan that paid Benefits, and therefore, medical, until age 65 or 66 I would do that before I quit and spent my own retirement funds.

Follow up on the part about SS Disability pays the “normal” Retirement Age pay. I felt that is what you meant when you said this,

“–Could apply for SS disability. Local SS office told me that if I did not apply for SS diability before age 62 (SS early retirement age) I would receive reduced benefit”

In addition, you need to know about this-

[B]Understanding The Benefits[/B]
SSA Publication No. 05-10024, August 2011, ICN 454930

[I]”…[B]Benefits for your family[/B]

When you start receiving Social Security retirement or disability benefits, other family members also may be eligible for payments. For example, benefits can be paid to your husband or wife:
•If he or she is age 62 or older; or
•At any age if he or she is caring for your child (the child must be younger than 16 or disabled and entitled to Social Security benefits on your record).”
[/I]
From:
[url]http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10024.html[/url]

An example of pay for different categories of workers:

Average 2011 monthly Social Security benefits
•Retired worker: $1,174
•Retired couple: $1,907
•Disabled worker: $1,067
•Disabled worker with a spouse and child: $1,813
•Widow or widower: $1,133
•Young widow or widower with two children: $2,409

Note that a ‘Disabled’ worker does not earn much less than a reired worker! $107 dollars less, is that about right?

IF I had a long term company provided Disability Plan that paid Benefits, and therefore, medical, until age 65 or 66 I would do that before I quit and spent my own retirement funds.

Follow up on the part about SS Disability pays the “normal” Retirement Age pay. I felt that is what you meant when you said this,

“–Could apply for SS disability. Local SS office told me that if I did not apply for SS diability before age 62 (SS early retirement age) I would receive reduced benefit”

In addition, you need to know about this-

[B]Understanding The Benefits[/B]
SSA Publication No. 05-10024, August 2011, ICN 454930

[I]”…[B]Benefits for your family[/B]

When you start receiving Social Security retirement or disability benefits, other family members also may be eligible for payments. For example, benefits can be paid to your husband or wife:
•If he or she is age 62 or older; or
•At any age if he or she is caring for your child (the child must be younger than 16 or disabled and entitled to Social Security benefits on your record).”
[/I]
From:
[url]http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10024.html[/url]

An example of pay for different categories of workers:

Average 2011 monthly Social Security benefits
•Retired worker: $1,174
•Retired couple: $1,907
•Disabled worker: $1,067
•Disabled worker with a spouse and child: $1,813
•Widow or widower: $1,133
•Young widow or widower with two children: $2,409

Note that a ‘Disabled’ worker does not earn much less than a reired worker! $107 dollars less, is that about right?