Can't reach Social Security Administration? Claimyr connects you to a live SSA agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the SSA
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the SSA drops your call
If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
Really made a difference
Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
MAKE SURE to specifically ask for the exact dollar amounts for claiming at different ages!!! Don't let them rush you! And when you sell your business, be careful about investing that money so it lasts. My friend lost half her husband's business sale money in risky investments and now she's really struggling.
Jamal Carter
One last thing - if you do decide to try for an SSA appointment, do it soon. Their backlog is horrendous right now and it can take weeks or even months to get an in-person meeting. You can try calling too, but be prepared to spend hours on hold if you can even get through. And definitely write down all your questions beforehand so you don't forget anything important when you finally talk to someone.
Join the conversation
Will your short term disability be 60% of your pay like most plans? I'm trying to calculate if I can afford to do something similar next year. And do you know if the STD payments are taxable? I heard they're only taxable if your employer paid the premiums, but not if you paid them yourself. Social Security is definitely taxable though if you have other income...
Brady Clean
•Not to hijack the thread, but yes - short-term disability payments are taxable if your employer paid the premiums (which is most common). If you paid the premiums with after-tax dollars, then the benefits are tax-free. And you're right about Social Security potentially being taxable depending on your combined income.
Kelsey Chin
Since you're at your Full Retirement Age, you'll get 100% of your benefit amount regardless of any other income. There's no earnings test once you reach FRA. So even if you decided to go back to work after recovery (part-time or whatever), it wouldn't reduce your Social Security payments at all.
Molly Hansen
•That's great to know! I was thinking about maybe doing some consulting work after I recover, just to stay busy. Nice to know it won't affect my SS benefits.
Join the conversation
Yara Assad
I've been through this exact situation! The first thing you should do is request a written PEBES statement showing the detailed calculation. Having everything in writing really helped me straighten out the discrepancy in my case. When I talked with Claimyr's customer service, they mentioned that a lot of their users are survivors dealing with similar benefit calculation issues. The SSA seems particularly prone to inconsistency with survivor benefits calculations for some reason.
TechNinja
Whatever you do, DON'T trust what they tell you over the phone!!! Get EVERYTHING in writing!!! When my husband passed, I got THREE different benefit amounts from THREE different reps, and the actual amount I received was LOWER than all three estimates! I was counting on that money and it created a real financial hardship. The SSA makes "mistakes" that conveniently always seem to save THEM money, not us! 😡
Ava Williams
•I'm so sorry that happened to you. It's really concerning how inconsistent they are. I'll definitely get everything in writing - thank you for the warning!
Join the conversation
One more thing - DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!! Write down every conversation with SSA, get names of reps, take screenshots of your MySocialSecurity account info!!!! Trust me on this!!!!!
Amara Okafor
Thank you all for the helpful advice! I'm going to put together all these calculations before I make my filing decision. It sounds like my husband should definitely apply for the spousal benefit once I file, regardless of when I decide to start taking benefits. I'll make sure to document everything and specifically mention the WEP-spousal benefit calculation when we apply. And I'll definitely look into that Claimyr service - sounds like it could save a lot of frustration with the phone calls. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this complicated situation!
Join the conversation
Aaron Lee
I actually did my switch at 69 and a half instead of waiting till 70. The retirement specialist said that since I was already so close, I'd only lose a tiny bit of my DRCs (delayed retirement credits) but would gain by getting the higher payment sooner. Just something to consider if your own benefit is already significantly higher than the survivor benefit. Every month you wait is money you'll never get back...
Natalie Wang
•I need to respectfully correct this. While switching early might make sense in very specific situations, each month you wait until 70 increases your retirement benefit by 2/3 of 1% (8% per year total). These increases are permanent for your lifetime. In most scenarios, if your retirement benefit will be higher than your survivor benefit at 70, it's mathematically advantageous to wait the full period. Each person's situation is different though, so calculating the exact breakeven point is important.
Zoe Gonzalez
Thank you all for the helpful responses! I think I'll try the online application first since my case is straightforward, but I'll leave plenty of time before my 70th birthday in case something goes wrong and I need to reach a real person. Having that Claimyr service as a backup option is reassuring too if I can't get through. I really appreciate all the different perspectives - it's given me a much clearer picture of what to expect!
Ashley Adams
•Smart approach! And don't forget to take screenshots of every page as you complete the online application. I forgot to do that and regretted it later when I had questions about something I'd entered. Good luck with your switch, and congrats on maximizing your benefit!
Join the conversation
I waited till 71 to file cause I didn't know any better. Don't be like me lol
Olivia Clark
•Same! I was 70 and 4 months before my daughter told me I should have filed already. I asked for the retroactive benefits but they only give you 6 months max so I still lost money.
Ava Williams
Thanks everyone for the advice! I've decided to file when I turn 70 in a few months. I'll make sure to set aside enough for taxes since I'll be dealing with both work income and SS benefits. Really appreciate all the insights!
Yara Assad
•Smart choice! One last tip - when you're ready to file, you can do it online at ssa.gov up to 4 months before you want benefits to start. So around your 69 years and 8 months mark, you could go ahead and submit your application with a start date for your 70th birthday month. That way everything's in place when you hit 70.
Join the conversation
Debra Bai
my condolences on your mother. when my wife passed last year i had same issue with SS. couldn't get through on phone but finally just went to local office with appointment and death certificate. they printed out her 1099 right there!!! try making appointment online for local office, much better than calling.
Ethan Scott
•They printed it right there? That would be amazing! I didn't realize that was an option. I'll definitely look into making an appointment at my local office. Thank you for the suggestion and for your condolences.
UPDATE: My dad's 1099 finally came today!!! Three weeks after I called. Maybe yours is on the way too?
Ethan Scott
•That's great news! Thanks for updating. I'm going to check my mail today and hope for the best, but I'm also going to try some of these other suggestions just in case.
Join the conversation
i just put extra in my savings each month for taxes instead of giving govt an interest free loan all year. then if i need the money for emergency i have it. just sayin
That works if you're disciplined, but be warned - if you owe more than $1,000 at tax time, the IRS might hit you with an underpayment penalty. I learned that the hard way!
Aaron Lee
Just as a follow-up to my earlier comment - make sure if you do file the W-4V that you keep a copy and perhaps send it certified mail. When I did mine, they claimed they never received the first one I sent, and I had to submit it again which added another 6 weeks to the process. The SSA can be frustratingly slow with paperwork!
Thank you for the tip! After reading through all the comments, I think I'll just adjust my work withholding on Monday. It seems much faster and more reliable than dealing with SSA paperwork. I appreciate everyone's help!
Join the conversation
Felicity Bud
Does he get regular social security or SSI? Its really different rules for each one
He receives SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) because he worked for many years before becoming disabled. He never received SSI.
Based on all the information shared, here's what you should do next: 1. Contact your state's Medicaid office to learn about their specific spousal impoverishment rules and how much income you'd be allowed to keep from your husband's benefits. 2. Apply to become your husband's representative payee with SSA immediately, even before the nursing home transition. 3. Consult with an elder law attorney who specializes in Medicaid planning. Many offer free initial consultations. 4. Gather documentation of all your monthly household expenses to demonstrate your financial needs when applying for the MMMNA. 5. When your husband turns 65 next May, his SSDI will automatically convert to retirement benefits, but this doesn't change the amount. With proper planning, you should be able to keep a portion of his benefits to maintain your home while ensuring he receives proper care. The system is designed with protections for community spouses in exactly your situation.
This is incredibly helpful - thank you for laying out these steps so clearly. I'll start with becoming his representative payee and then look for an elder law attorney in our area. It's such a relief to know there are protections in place for spouses like me.
Ava Thompson
Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I'm going to go ahead and select February 1st as my start date. One more question - does this same rule apply for Medicare? I already signed up for that when I turned 65.
0 coins
StarSailor
•Medicare has a similar but slightly different rule. If you were born on the 1st day of the month, your Medicare would start the month before your birthday month. For all other birthdays, Medicare coverage starts on the 1st day of your birthday month. So for your February 20th birthday, Medicare would have started February 1st of the year you turned 65. Sounds like you've already got that covered though!
0 coins
Yara Sabbagh
I remember when my wife hit FRA and we were so confused about all this... we ended up waiting an extra two months because we were afraid of getting reduced benefits! wish i had known about this birthday month rule back then! could have gotten two more months of payments...
0 coins