As someone who's brand new to this community and just began receiving Social Security benefits, this entire discussion has been absolutely enlightening! I was experiencing the exact same contradictory status messages that Gabriel described - seeing "active" benefits alongside "not currently receiving payments" on the same page - and it was causing me significant worry as a newcomer to these systems. Reading through everyone's shared experiences, especially Gabriel's follow-up confirmation that it was simply a display glitch after speaking with SSA, has provided tremendous peace of mind. It's both alarming and reassuring to discover how widespread these website issues are among beneficiaries - alarming that such a critical system has these ongoing technical problems, but reassuring to know that these contradictions are typically just display errors rather than actual benefit problems. I'm definitely incorporating all the practical advice shared throughout this thread - calling early morning on weekdays for better connection rates, trusting actual bank deposits over confusing online displays, and understanding that these contradictory messages are unfortunately common with the SSA portal. Thank you to everyone who contributed their real experiences and solutions, and especially to Gabriel for taking the time to follow up with the resolution - this kind of community knowledge is invaluable for newcomers like me who are learning to navigate these sometimes frustrating government benefit systems!

As a newcomer to this community and someone who just started navigating Social Security benefits, this thread has been incredibly helpful and reassuring! I was actually experiencing very similar contradictory messages in my online account - seeing both "active" status and "not currently receiving payments" at the same time - and it was really causing me anxiety. Gabriel's original post described exactly what I was going through, and his follow-up confirming it was just a display glitch after calling SSA has given me so much peace of mind. It's amazing to see how many people have dealt with these same confusing website issues. I'm definitely going to use the advice about calling early in the morning on weekdays if I need to reach SSA, and I'll focus on what's actually showing up in my bank account rather than getting stressed about the online portal messages. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of community support that helps newcomers like me feel more confident about dealing with these government systems!

I'm completely new to this community and dealing with SSA for the first time - I just got notice that I need to schedule my initial disability evaluation appointment. This entire thread has been absolutely incredible for understanding what to expect! I had no idea that SSA makes these automated reminder calls, let alone that they frequently have technical glitches like cutting off mid-message. Carmen, thank you so much for posting this question - it's created such a valuable resource for newcomers like me who are just learning how this system works. Reading everyone's experiences, especially the insider perspective from CyberSiren who actually works at SSA, has given me so much confidence about what's normal vs. what's actually worth worrying about. It's really reassuring to know that if I get one of these glitchy reminder calls, I shouldn't panic - as long as I don't receive a clear cancellation notice, my appointment should still be good to go. This community's willingness to share real experiences and support each other through these complex government processes is amazing. I already feel so much more prepared for my SSA journey knowing I have this knowledgeable group to learn from!

I'm brand new to this community and just starting my SSA journey - I applied for disability benefits about two weeks ago and am still waiting to hear about my first appointment. This entire thread has been absolutely incredible for learning what to expect from their systems! I had no idea that SSA even makes these automated reminder calls, let alone that they frequently have technical issues like cutting off mid-sentence. Carmen, thank you so much for asking this question - it's created such an amazing educational resource for newcomers like me who are completely unfamiliar with how SSA operates. Reading everyone's real experiences, especially getting insider knowledge from CyberSiren who actually works there, has given me so much confidence about what's normal versus what's actually concerning. It's really reassuring to know that when I eventually get my appointment scheduled and receive one of these reminder calls, I won't need to panic if it cuts off unexpectedly - as long as I don't get a clear cancellation message or letter, everything should be fine. This community's willingness to share practical experiences and support each other through these complex government processes is truly amazing. I already feel so much more prepared for whatever comes next in my SSA journey knowing I have this knowledgeable and supportive group to learn from!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent experience since it sounds very similar to what you're going through! My husband and I applied for Social Security retirement benefits in January 2025, and we ran into the exact same issue - his application was processed quickly while mine has been stuck in "processing" status for over 10 weeks now. Like others have mentioned, the 8 AM calling strategy really does work! I finally got through to SSA last week after trying for months at different times of day. When I spoke with them, they told me my application was delayed because they needed to verify some part-time work I'd done that wasn't showing up properly in their wage records. A couple of things that helped me: 1. Have your application confirmation number ready when you call - they asked for it right away 2. Ask specifically if they're missing any wage information or if your case is flagged for manual review 3. Request a timeline for when you can expect resolution Regarding the spousal benefit confusion - I made the exact same mistake! I thought your wife would get her $1,750 PLUS additional money to bring her up to 50% of your benefit. But as others have explained, she just gets whichever amount is higher. Since her $1,750 is already more than 50% of your $3,200 ($1,600), she won't get any additional spousal supplement. Don't lose hope - these processing delays seem really common lately, but they do get resolved once you can actually talk to someone. Keep following up and don't be afraid to escalate if needed!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my experience since it sounds very similar to yours! My wife and I applied for retirement benefits in February, and we encountered the exact same coordination issue - her application went through smoothly in about 5 weeks, while mine has been stuck in processing for over 2 months now. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful, especially learning about the 8 AM calling strategy and the common causes for delays like wage verification issues. I had several employer changes in recent years plus some freelance income, so that's probably what's holding up my application. Like you, I also misunderstood how spousal benefits work initially! I thought it would be her benefit PLUS additional money, but now I understand it's just whichever amount is higher. The SSA really should explain this more clearly during the application process. I'm planning to call tomorrow morning at 8 AM with my confirmation number and tax returns ready, and I'll specifically ask about manual review status and missing wage documentation. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's really reassuring to know these processing delays are more common than I thought and that there are usually solutions once you can actually reach someone at SSA. I'll report back on how the call goes!

I'm new to this community but your situation really resonates with me as I'm facing a very similar decision. I'm 58 and considering applying for SSDI due to some health issues, and my son just started his sophomore year of college. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially learning about that "prior-prior year" timing that gives you almost two years before any benefits would actually affect the FAFSA. What really strikes me from everyone's experiences is how the stress and uncertainty of delaying needed benefits might actually be more harmful to our families than a potential reduction in aid. The guaranteed monthly income seems to provide stability that allows parents to support their kids in college in other meaningful ways beyond just maximizing grant eligibility. I'm definitely going to follow the advice about using the Federal Student Aid Estimator to run some concrete scenarios, and I think I'm ready to prioritize my health and our family's financial security over trying to optimize every dollar of financial aid. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences - it's so valuable to hear from people who actually went through this decision and came out better on the other side!

I'm new to this community but your post really hits close to home! I'm 60 and in almost the exact same situation - my daughter is a college sophomore and I've been putting off applying for Social Security because I was worried about the FAFSA impact. After reading through all these incredibly helpful responses, I'm starting to realize I might have been approaching this backwards. Everyone's emphasis on the "prior-prior year" timing rule is eye-opening - I had no idea there was almost a two-year buffer before benefits would actually show up on the FAFSA. What really resonates with me is how many people mentioned that the guaranteed monthly income ended up providing more family stability than trying to preserve every dollar of grant aid. I think I've been so focused on optimizing her financial aid that I've neglected considering how my health struggles and financial stress might actually be hurting our family more than a potential small reduction in grants. The advice about using the Federal Student Aid Estimator to run concrete scenarios instead of just worrying about hypothetical impacts is something I'm definitely going to do this week. Thank you for starting this discussion - it's been incredibly valuable to hear from so many people who actually went through this decision!

As someone completely new to navigating Social Security benefits, this thread has been both incredibly educational and deeply concerning. The complexity of these family maximum rules and their devastating impact on caregiving families like yours is shocking. What really troubles me is how the system seems to punish families for making sacrificial choices to care for disabled loved ones. You gave up career opportunities to be your son's primary caregiver, which already reduced your lifetime earnings, only to discover that his disability benefits would eliminate your expected spousal benefits entirely. It feels fundamentally wrong that caregiving families face this double financial penalty. The lack of proactive counseling from SSA is particularly frustrating. They have all the data needed to predict these family maximum impacts, yet families are left to discover these consequences after it's too late to adjust their filing strategies. This seems like a basic service failure that could be fixed with better systems and policies. I'm curious - have you found any resources or advocacy groups that are pushing for reform of these rules? It seems like stories like yours need to reach policymakers who could require SSA to provide mandatory benefit impact counseling for complex family situations before any applications are processed. Thank you for sharing your experience and educating the rest of us about these hidden pitfalls.

As someone new to this community, I'm absolutely appalled by what you've experienced. This is a perfect example of how our Social Security system fails the most vulnerable families - those who have sacrificed to care for disabled loved ones. The fact that you spent years as a primary caregiver, which naturally limited your own earnings, only to then discover that your son's benefits would completely eliminate your spousal benefits feels like a cruel double penalty. You did everything right by caring for your family, and the system punished you for it. What's most frustrating is that SSA had all the information needed to warn you about this outcome before you filed. The automatic transfer of your son from SSI to DAC benefits shows their systems can detect these complex family situations - yet there's no mechanism to alert families about the financial implications beforehand. This thread has been incredibly eye-opening for me about these hidden pitfalls in Social Security planning. Your willingness to share this painful experience could prevent other caregiving families from falling into the same trap. Have you considered reaching out to organizations like the National Alliance for Caregiving or disability advocacy groups? Stories like yours are exactly what's needed to push for policy reforms requiring better disclosure and planning support for families in these situations. Thank you for educating all of us about these issues - no family should have to discover these consequences after it's too late to plan differently.