I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Got my letter about 3 weeks ago saying to call if I don't receive my card within 2 weeks, and here I am still waiting. This thread has been SO incredibly helpful - I was honestly feeling pretty anxious about the whole situation until I read everyone's experiences. @Aaron Lee your step-by-step breakdown is amazing! I never would have thought to specifically ask them to verify the mailing address format. That apartment number issue you caught is probably way more common than people realize. I'm planning to call first thing tomorrow morning using the script and approach everyone has shared here. It's so reassuring to know this is such a common issue and that there are actual solutions. Will definitely report back with how it goes - hopefully I can add another success story to help the next person dealing with this! Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their real experiences instead of just saying "call them and good luck" 🙏

I just went through this same situation last month! Here's what worked for me: Call the SSA number (1-800-772-1213) first thing in the morning around 8 AM - the wait times are much shorter then. When you get through, tell them exactly what you said here: "I received a letter saying to call if I don't get my social security card within 2 weeks, and it's been over 2 weeks now." Make sure to have your SSN and the date you received the letter ready. In my case, they were able to see that my card had been sent but got returned to them due to a mail forwarding issue I didn't know about. They reissued it immediately and I had it within 5 business days. The key is being polite but persistent. If the first person can't help much, don't hesitate to call back and try again - sometimes you just need to get the right representative. Also ask them to put a note in your file about the delay so there's documentation if you need to follow up again. Don't stress too much - this seems to be happening to a lot of people lately with all the mail delays. You'll get it sorted out! 💪

I'm so glad you got this figured out! I'm new to this community but dealing with similar Social Security questions as I approach retirement. This whole thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea that Medicare premiums would show up as "work deductions" on the 1099 form. The SSA really should make their forms clearer! It seems like this confusion happens to a lot of people every tax season. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences here.

As someone who works with Social Security issues, I want to emphasize how common this confusion is! The "work deductions" label on Box 4 of the SSA-1099 is absolutely misleading and causes panic for thousands of retirees every year. What you're seeing is almost certainly your Medicare Part B and Part D premiums being deducted from your benefits. The SSA really needs to rename this box to something like "Total Deductions" or "Medicare and Other Deductions" to prevent this widespread confusion. For future reference, you can always log into your my Social Security account online to see a detailed breakdown of what's being deducted from your monthly payments. That way you won't have to go through this stress again next tax season!

As someone who went through this exact situation last year, I can confirm you can absolutely get spousal benefits while your husband is on SSDI! I was also a teacher with a pension, and while the GPO did reduce my benefit significantly, I still received about $150/month after all the reductions. The key thing I learned is that even if the math suggests you'll get zero, you should still apply because: 1) SSA sometimes makes calculation errors in your favor 2) Your pension amount or your husband's SSDI amount might change 3) Having the application establishes your filing date for any future adjustments Also, don't forget that when your husband reaches his full retirement age, his SSDI automatically converts to regular retirement benefits at the same amount - no action needed on your part, and your spousal benefit continues unchanged. I'd strongly recommend applying online at ssa.gov rather than trying to call. The online application walks you through everything step by step, and you can upload documents directly. Much easier than the phone maze!

I'm in a very similar situation - retired teacher with a pension and husband on SSDI. From what I've learned researching this, you're definitely eligible for spousal benefits while he remains on disability. The key things to know: 1) You can apply now at 62, but your benefit will be permanently reduced to about 32.5% of his full benefit amount instead of 50% 2) The Government Pension Offset will then reduce that amount by 2/3 of your teacher's pension 3) Many teachers end up with little to no spousal benefit after GPO, but it's still worth applying I'd recommend using the SSA website's benefit calculators to get a rough estimate before applying. Also consider that if you can work part-time to earn those 8 additional quarters for your own Social Security record, that might give you more options down the road, even with WEP reducing your own benefit. The online application process is definitely easier than trying to get through on the phone. Good luck!

As someone who just went through this process myself, I can confirm everyone here is absolutely correct - Social Security uses your highest 35 years of earnings, not your last 5 years. I was in a similar situation where I reduced my hours in my late 50s due to health issues and was worried it would tank my benefits. What really helped me was not just looking at the earnings record on ssa.gov, but also understanding that they "index" your older earnings for inflation. So that $15,000 you made in 1985 might be worth $40,000+ in today's calculation. This indexing process ensures your older full-time earnings aren't unfairly penalized compared to recent years. One tip: if you have any years showing zero earnings that you think should show income, definitely contact SSA to get those corrected. Missing or incorrect earnings records can definitely impact your benefit calculation since they need those 35 years of data.

I'm so glad you asked this question because I was told something similar by a family member and it had me panicking too! It's incredible how widespread this misinformation is about Social Security calculations. Just to add one more perspective - I actually spoke with a Social Security representative last month when I had questions about my own benefits, and they confirmed what everyone here is saying. The 35-year calculation has been the standard for decades. They also mentioned that this is one of the most common misconceptions they hear from people approaching retirement age. What's really helpful is that once you create your my Social Security account, you can actually see how different scenarios would affect your benefits. For example, you can see what would happen if you worked a few more years versus claiming early. It's a great tool for planning, especially when you're dealing with health issues like you mentioned. Don't let your buddy's misinformation stress you out - sounds like you're in a much better position than you thought!

This is all incredibly helpful! I had no idea about some of these details, especially the monthly grace year provision that Mikayla and Ella mentioned. That could really change my planning since I'm thinking about retiring mid-year anyway. Just to make sure I understand everything correctly: For 2025, the limit is $23,400 annually, but in my first year of claiming benefits I only need to stay under $1,950 per month for the months I'm actually receiving Social Security? And then it switches to the annual calculation after that first year? Also, does anyone know if there are good online calculators that can help figure out the breakeven point between claiming at 62 with reduced benefits vs waiting until full retirement age? I think Savannah made a really good point about doing those calculations before deciding.

Just wanted to add one more important consideration that might help with your decision - if you're planning to work at your daughter's bakery, make sure you understand the difference between being an employee vs. being self-employed. If you're officially an employee getting a W-2, then your earnings are straightforward for the SSA calculations. But if you're considered self-employed (getting a 1099 or working as a contractor), the earnings test gets more complicated because it's based on net self-employment income after business expenses. Also, since you mentioned needing the extra income, don't forget that even if some of your Social Security gets withheld due to the earnings test, you'll get credit for those withheld benefits when you reach full retirement age - so it's more like a temporary reduction rather than money you lose forever. This might factor into your decision about whether to claim at 62 or wait. The online calculators Santiago mentioned are definitely worth using, especially since your situation involves ongoing part-time work rather than just a simple retire-and-claim scenario.