As someone who works in IT security, I want to add a technical perspective to this excellent discussion. These SSA text scams are part of a broader category called "smishing" (SMS phishing), and they're becoming increasingly sophisticated. A few technical red flags to watch for: - The sender number is often spoofed or comes from random shortcodes - Links in these texts frequently redirect through multiple domains before landing on fake sites - The fake websites often have URLs that look similar to official ones but with subtle differences (like "ssa-gov.com" instead of "ssa.gov") What's particularly concerning is that these scammers are using social engineering tactics - they research public records to know when people are likely filing for benefits, then time their attacks accordingly. It's not random spam, it's targeted psychological manipulation. If you want to be extra cautious, you can enable two-factor authentication on your mySocialSecurity account and set up account monitoring alerts. This adds layers of protection even if scammers somehow get your login credentials. Great job trusting your instincts - that's your best defense against these increasingly sophisticated attacks!

I'm so glad you asked about this - your instincts were absolutely correct! This is definitely a scam. As someone who's been helping family members navigate Social Security benefits for years, I can confirm that SSA will NEVER send you text messages with links to click. What makes these scams particularly dangerous is that they're becoming incredibly targeted. Scammers are timing these messages to coincide with when people are most likely to be expecting legitimate communication from SSA - like when you've recently applied for benefits or are approaching retirement age. A few key points to remember: - All legitimate SSA communications come through official mail or your mySocialSecurity account - SSA will never ask you to verify personal information via text - They don't create artificial urgency with language like "immediate action required" - When in doubt, always log into your mySocialSecurity account directly or call the official SSA number You did exactly the right thing by not clicking and asking here first. I'd recommend reporting this scam to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and also forwarding the text to 7726 (SPAM) to help authorities track these campaigns. Stay vigilant - these scammers know exactly how to exploit our concerns about retirement benefits, but knowledge is our best defense!

weird question but does anyone know if you can fax these forms??? my parents live in another state and i cant just go to their local office

Update: I called the local office this morning and they said I need to bring my parents with me if I want to file the SSA-1696 forms!! That defeats the whole purpose since getting them there is extremely difficult. Dad can barely walk and gets confused in new environments. Is there any way around this???

I'm so sorry for the loss of your daughter. Having gone through something similar, I want to add one more resource that might help your grandson. Many states have their own survivor benefit programs or educational grants for children who have lost a parent. Contact your state's Department of Social Services or Education Department to see what might be available. Also, if your daughter was a veteran or worked for the government, there may be additional educational benefits through those channels. The American Legion and VFW also offer scholarships specifically for children and grandchildren of deceased service members. Every little bit helps when facing college expenses without that Social Security support.

I'm so sorry for the loss of your daughter, and my heart goes out to you and your grandson during this incredibly difficult time. As others have confirmed, the Social Security survivor benefits will unfortunately end when your grandson turns 18, since he'll be graduating high school that same month. The rule change from 1981 eliminated college student benefits, which is particularly harsh given today's education costs. I wanted to add a few resources that haven't been mentioned yet that might help: **State-specific programs**: Many states have their own survivor benefit programs separate from federal Social Security. Contact your state's Department of Social Services to ask about educational assistance for children who have lost a parent. **Professional associations**: If your daughter belonged to any professional organizations (teaching associations, unions, etc.), many have scholarship funds specifically for members' children who have lost a parent. **Scholarship aggregator sites**: Beyond the well-known ones, check out sites like Fastweb and Scholarships.com, but search specifically for "parent loss" or "survivor" scholarships. There are more of these than most people realize. **College emergency funds**: When your grandson enrolls, ask specifically about the college's emergency financial aid fund. Most students don't know these exist, and they're designed exactly for situations like his. The financial aid office will be your best ally - they deal with these situations regularly and often know about resources that aren't widely advertised. Make sure to emphasize his circumstances when meeting with them. Your grandson is lucky to have such a caring advocate in you.

I still think the whole system is designed to confuse people and take their money. They make the rules so complicated that normal people can't possibly understand them. Then when you mess up, they hit you with overpayment notices and demand the money back right away. Meanwhile, they keep telling us Social Security is running out of money. Of course it is when they're paying all these bureaucrats to find ways to deny us our benefits!!!

I'm in a similar situation and found it helpful to think of it this way: SSA essentially "loans" you benefits early, then reconciles based on your actual earnings. The key thing I learned is to be conservative with your earnings estimate if you're unsure - it's much easier to get extra payments released later than to pay back overpayments. One tip that helped me: keep detailed records of your monthly earnings throughout the year. That way if you need to update your estimate, you have solid numbers to give them. Also, remember that only wages and self-employment income count toward the limit - things like pensions, investment income, and rental income don't count. The good news is that any benefits withheld due to the earnings test aren't lost forever. Once you reach FRA, your monthly benefit amount gets recalculated to account for the months when benefits were withheld, so you do eventually get credit for that money.

Just want to add one important detail that might help - when SSA says "monthly earnings test" for your first year, they're looking at your gross wages for each month, not your net pay after taxes. So when you're calculating that $1,890 monthly limit, make sure you're using your pre-tax earnings from your accounting work. Also, since you mentioned you're working during tax season, be extra careful about any bonuses or overtime pay that might push you over the monthly limit unexpectedly. I'd suggest keeping a simple spreadsheet to track your monthly gross earnings just to be safe. Better to turn down a few extra hours than risk losing a month's worth of benefits! And definitely take advantage of working extra in January - that's free money that won't count against your limits at all.

I'm in almost the identical situation - starting SS benefits at 62 in a few months while still doing some part-time work! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful, especially learning about the monthly earnings test for the first year versus the annual test later on. One question I haven't seen addressed: does the timing of when you actually RECEIVE your paycheck matter, or is it when you EARN the money? For example, if I work in late January but don't get paid until early February (after my benefits start), which month does SSA count that income toward? Also, for those who mentioned keeping detailed records - are there any specific software tools or apps that work well for tracking monthly earnings for SS purposes? I'm not as organized as I should be and want to start on the right foot. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences. This thread should definitely be bookmarked for anyone dealing with early retirement and earnings limits!