Just joined this community and this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I've been avoiding the whole SSA/ID.me situation for months after hearing so many nightmare stories, but seeing everyone's experiences here - especially @Landon Morgan's complete journey from lockout to resolution - has given me the confidence I needed to finally tackle this. The date format mismatch issue is both infuriating and enlightening. As someone who works in IT, seeing such a basic data migration error (MM/DD/YYYY vs DD/MM/YYYY) make it to production is just mind-boggling, but at least knowing there's an actual technical cause makes it feel less like battling some mysterious government black box. I'm definitely going to try Claimyr when I work up the nerve to deal with this - the multiple success stories from real community members here make it seem legitimate. It's ridiculous that we need third-party services just to access our own government benefits without 2+ hour hold times, but if it works, I'm all for it! What really impresses me about this community is how everyone follows up with actual working solutions instead of just venting. This thread has completely transformed my approach from pure dread to having a clear action plan. Thanks to everyone for sharing such practical, helpful experiences - this is exactly why community support matters when official channels fail us!

As a complete newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful I found this thread! I've been absolutely terrified to deal with my SSA account after hearing endless horror stories about the ID.me transition. Reading through @Landon Morgan's detailed journey from total lockout to actually getting it resolved has been incredibly reassuring and helpful. The date format mismatch explanation (MM/DD/YYYY vs DD/MM/YYYY) is both infuriating and typical of government IT failures - such a basic data migration error that should have been caught in any decent testing process! But at least knowing there's an actual technical cause behind these lockouts makes it feel less like fighting some mysterious bureaucratic monster. I'm definitely going to try Claimyr when I finally work up the courage to tackle this - seeing so many genuine success stories from real community members here gives me confidence it's legitimate. It's absolutely ridiculous that we need third-party services just to access our own government benefits without losing entire days to hold music torture, but if it actually works, I'm all for it! What really stands out about this community is how everyone follows up with real working solutions instead of just venting frustration. This thread has completely transformed my approach from pure dread to feeling like I have a clear action plan. Thanks to everyone for sharing such practical, helpful experiences - this is exactly why community forums matter when official channels completely fail us!

I just remembered something else!!! If your son is selected for FAFSA verification (which happens randomly to like 30% of applications), they might ask for documentation of Social Security benefits. So make sure whatever you report is accurate because they sometimes check! My son got selected for verification last year and it was such a PAIN getting all the documents together.

Another thing to consider is the timing of when you apply for Social Security versus when FAFSA applications are due. FAFSA uses "prior prior year" tax information, so if you start collecting SS benefits in 2025, those wouldn't show up on your son's FAFSA until the 2027-2028 academic year (his junior/senior year). This gives you some breathing room to plan. Also, don't forget that Social Security retirement benefits aren't the same as disability - if your health issues qualify you for SSDI, that might be a different calculation entirely. You might want to explore both options with SSA to see which makes more sense for your family's financial aid situation.

As for your question about when they'll call - in my experience, they were about 15 minutes late for the scheduled time. They'll typically provide a one-hour window (like 2:00-3:00) rather than an exact time. Make sure both you and your wife are available for the call, as they'll need to speak with both of you if you're both applying. Regarding your first payment - if everything is approved during the call, you'll typically receive your first direct deposit the month after your application is processed. Since benefits are paid in the month following the month they're due, there's usually about a 2-3 month gap between application and first payment. The representative should be able to tell you exactly when to expect it during your call.

Just wanted to add a few tips from my recent experience in December! Make sure you have your spouse's Social Security number handy - they'll ask for it even if she's applying based on her own record. Also, if either of you has ever used a different name (maiden names, etc.), be prepared to provide documentation for that too. One thing that caught me off guard was they asked about ANY other government benefits we might be receiving - like veteran's benefits, disability, or even unemployment from years ago. It doesn't necessarily disqualify you, but they need to know for their records. The MySocialSecurity document upload feature is definitely the way to go! Upload everything a few days before your appointment. You can even upload multiple versions of the same document if you're not sure about quality - better to have too much than too little. Good luck with your appointment!

BTW if your uncle was married make sure his wife applies for the $255 death benefit too!!! its not much but its something

Something else to consider - if your aunt was already receiving spousal benefits on your uncle's record, her benefit amount should increase to his full benefit amount as a widow. She should contact SSA about this too, as survivor benefits need to be applied for; they don't automatically convert. And if she's not yet at her full retirement age, there could be strategic filing considerations to maximize her long-term benefits.

The SSA's official guidance states that you should allow up to 6 weeks for processing a retirement benefit application. Some factors that affect processing time: - Accuracy and completeness of your application - Whether all earnings are properly posted to your record - Verification of non-covered employment (government jobs with pensions) - Whether you're applying right at FRA, early, or after FRA - Regional SSA office workloads If your application is straightforward, 3-4 weeks is typical. More complex situations can take 6-8 weeks. Anything beyond 8 weeks usually indicates a specific issue that needs resolution.

Just wanted to add that if you're still within your first year of eligibility, you have the option to withdraw your application and reapply later if needed (though there are specific rules about this). But honestly, at 3 weeks you're doing fine! One tip: if you do need to call SSA, try calling right when they open at 7 AM local time - that's when you're most likely to get through without waiting forever. And if you have any pension from non-covered employment (like that teaching position), make sure they have all the documentation they need about that, as it can affect your benefit calculation under WEP or GPO rules. Hang in there - the waiting is the hardest part, but your benefits will come through!