I'm really sorry for your loss, Ezra. Losing a spouse is incredibly difficult, especially when you're also dealing with health challenges. From what I understand about SSA rules, your survivor benefits should automatically increase to 100% of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount when you reach your Full Retirement Age of 67, since he hadn't started collecting benefits yet. However, given all the stories here about SSA's systems not always working perfectly, I'd definitely recommend being proactive about it. The advice about contacting them 2-3 months before you turn 67 is spot on. You might also want to document everything - keep records of your current benefit amounts and any communications with SSA. This will help if you need to follow up later. The online my Social Security account is also a great tool for sending secure messages when phone waits are impossible. Take care of yourself, and don't hesitate to lean on family or friends for help navigating this process.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Ezra. I went through a very similar situation when my wife passed away two years ago. I was 58, on SSDI for multiple sclerosis, and getting reduced survivor benefits. The good news is that yes, your benefits should automatically increase to 100% of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount when you reach your FRA at 67. Since your husband hadn't started collecting his benefits yet, you won't have to deal with the RIB-LIM reduction that others mentioned. However, I want to stress what others have said about being proactive. My benefits didn't adjust automatically - I had to contact them twice before it got sorted out. I'd recommend reaching out about 3 months before you turn 67 to make sure everything is set up correctly in their system. One practical tip that helped me: I found the best time to call SSA is Tuesday or Wednesday morning right at 8 AM when they open. The wait times are usually shorter then compared to Mondays or Fridays. Also, if you do decide to try that Claimyr service someone mentioned, just be aware there's a fee involved - but it might be worth it given your mobility challenges. The financial relief when the full benefit kicks in should help significantly with those medical costs. Hang in there - you're asking all the right questions and planning ahead, which puts you in a much better position than many people in similar situations.

I'm dealing with something very similar right now! Just got hit with an unexpected $380 deduction last month and had no idea what was happening. Like others mentioned, it turned out to be IRMAA based on my 2022 income when I was still working full-time. The most helpful thing I learned from this thread is to check Medicare.gov for the premium breakdown - I had no idea you could see the detailed charges there. Also going to try that early morning calling strategy since I've been avoiding the phone calls after hearing horror stories about wait times. One question for those who've been through the appeal process - when you submit the SSA-44 form, do they give you any kind of timeline for when you'll hear back? I'm worried about more surprise deductions while waiting for them to review everything. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences here. It really helps to know we're not alone in dealing with these sudden changes!

I just went through this exact situation a few months ago! That $400+ deduction is almost certainly IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount) being collected retroactively. What probably happened is SSA reviewed your 2022 tax return and determined you owed higher Medicare premiums starting from January 2024, but they're just now implementing it by taking larger chunks to "catch up." Since you mentioned retiring in 2023, you absolutely should qualify for an IRMAA appeal! Work stoppage/retirement is one of the qualifying life-changing events. I'd recommend: 1. Download Form SSA-44 immediately and submit it with documentation of your retirement 2. Check Medicare.gov for the detailed premium breakdown - it'll show exactly what they're charging 3. Call SSA at 8:15 AM sharp when they open to avoid the brutal wait times 4. Document everything - names, reference numbers, dates The frustrating part is they'll probably continue the higher deductions for another month or two while processing your appeal, but if approved, they should refund all the overpayments. In my case, I got back about 4 months worth of overcharges. Don't let them give you the runaround like last year - be persistent and keep pushing for resolution. You've got a strong case with the retirement documentation!

I'm new to this community and unfortunately dealing with this exact Medicare premium double payment situation! I've been stuck in this nightmare for about 10 weeks now and was starting to think I'd never see my $210.70 again until I found this incredibly helpful thread. Like so many others here, I was using completely wrong terminology when calling - saying things like "premium billing error" and "duplicate Medicare charge" which just got me transferred around endlessly. Reading through everyone's detailed experiences has been a real eye-opener. I had no idea there was specific language I needed to use, a 6-month deadline, or even that there's a dedicated MPOG department that handles these issues. The advice about using the exact phrase "Medicare premium credit adjustment for a duplicate payment" and having my Medicare.gov account open with the payment confirmation number ready during the call is exactly what I needed to know. It's brilliant preparation that I never would have thought of on my own. It's both incredibly frustrating and oddly reassuring to see how widespread this problem is. Frustrating because you'd think their systems would automatically catch these duplicate payments, but reassuring because so many of you have successfully gotten your money back once you knew the right approach and terminology. I'm planning to call first thing Monday morning right when they open, armed with all the excellent advice from this thread. I'll definitely post an update on how it goes to help other newcomers who might find themselves in this same frustrating situation. Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences and specific tips - this community has been a lifesaver!

I'm also new to this community and unfortunately dealing with this exact Medicare premium double payment situation! I've been fighting this for about 7 weeks now and was getting absolutely nowhere until I stumbled across this incredibly detailed and helpful thread. Like so many others here, I was using completely wrong terminology when calling - saying things like "Medicare overpayment" and "duplicate billing issue" which just resulted in endless transfers to departments that couldn't help me. Reading through all these experiences has been such an eye-opener. I had no idea there was specific language I needed to use, that there's a 6-month deadline, or that there's actually a dedicated MPOG department for these issues. The tip about using the exact phrase "Medicare premium credit adjustment for a duplicate payment" seems to be the key everyone's been missing when they call. And having your Medicare.gov account open with the payment confirmation number ready during the call is such brilliant preparation - I never would have thought of that but it makes perfect sense that having that specific transaction info would help them locate the duplicate payment faster. It's both incredibly frustrating and oddly comforting to see how common this problem is. Frustrating because you'd think their computer systems would automatically catch these duplicate charges, but comforting because so many of you have successfully gotten your money back once you figured out the right approach. I'm going to call tomorrow morning right when they open, armed with all the excellent advice from this thread. I'll definitely post an update on my results to help other newcomers who might be dealing with this same nightmare. Thank you all so much for sharing your detailed experiences - this community has been a complete lifesaver for what felt like an impossible situation!

Just wanted to share my recent experience since I went through this exact same process last year! I applied online in January at age 67 and received my first payment about 5 weeks later in March (for February benefits). The key things that helped speed up my process: 1) Made sure all my W-2s and tax info was up to date in their system beforehand, 2) Double-checked that my direct deposit info was correct in my mySSA account, and 3) Didn't call unless absolutely necessary since that seemed to slow things down. The online status tracker was actually pretty accurate - it went from "pending" to "approved" about a week before I got my first deposit. Since you're at full retirement age and filed online, you're in a good position for faster processing. Fingers crossed you see that payment sooner rather than later!

I went through this same process about 6 months ago and wanted to share what helped me get accurate information. While waiting for processing, I found that creating a my Social Security account online (if you don't already have one) was invaluable. Not only can you track your application status there, but you can also see your estimated benefit amount and payment schedule once approved. One thing that caught me off guard was that your first payment date depends on when your application gets fully processed, not just when you applied. So even though you applied in February, if processing takes a few weeks, your first payment might still follow the normal schedule based on your birth date (sounds like that would be the third Wednesday for you). The good news is that once you're in the system, payments are very reliable. I'd recommend checking your online account every few days rather than calling - the phone wait times are brutal and the online info is usually more current anyway.

I'm new to this community but found this thread while searching for answers about my own SSA application delay. Applied online in mid-January for April 2025 benefits and like everyone else here, I've had zero communication beyond the initial confirmation email. My mySocialSecurity account just shows "processing" with no status updates. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly reassuring - I was starting to panic that something had gone wrong with my application! The information about the December systems issues really explains what so many of us are experiencing. It sounds like 8-10 weeks of complete silence is unfortunately the new normal with SSA processing. I'm going to try the early morning phone call strategy that several people mentioned, and I'll also check out that Claimyr service Jamal recommended. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines - it's so helpful to know we're not alone in this frustrating waiting period!

I'm new to this community but dealing with a very similar situation! Applied online in early January for March 2025 benefits and haven't heard anything beyond the initial confirmation email. My mySocialSecurity account just shows "processing" with no updates whatsoever. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a relief - I was convinced my application had somehow been lost or rejected! The information about the December systems issues is particularly eye-opening and explains why so many of us are experiencing this communication blackout. It's frustrating that 8-10 weeks of complete silence has become the norm, but at least knowing that benefits still get processed and backdated correctly gives me some peace of mind. I'm definitely going to try the early morning phone call strategy and maybe check out that Claimyr service that was mentioned. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines - it's incredibly helpful to know we're all in the same boat with these processing delays!