I just went through this exact process about 6 months ago and wanted to share what worked for me. After a week of failed attempts calling both the local office and 800 number, I ended up using a three-pronged approach: 1) Used the Claimyr service (definitely worth the fee - got through in under 2 hours vs days of frustration), 2) Submitted the online contact form on ssa.gov as backup, and 3) Had my spouse call from a different phone simultaneously to increase our odds. The Claimyr service is what ultimately got us the appointment. For your Medicare situation specifically, bring documentation of your current employer coverage including the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) document - the SSA rep will need this to coordinate your transition properly. Also ask your HR department for a letter stating your coverage end date and whether it meets Medicare's "creditable coverage" standards. This documentation becomes crucial if you ever need to change Medicare plans later without penalties. One heads up - when they do call you back to schedule, have your calendar ready because they often have very limited appointment slots and may only offer you 1-2 options. I almost missed getting scheduled because I wasn't prepared with my availability when they called. Good luck!

I went through this exact same situation about 8 months ago - the phone system is absolutely brutal right now! What finally worked for me was calling the national 800 number (1-800-772-1213) at exactly 8:00 AM on a Tuesday. I had to call back-to-back about 15 times before getting through to the hold queue, then waited about 90 minutes, but I finally got a human who scheduled my appointment. For your Medicare situation with the small employer, definitely bring a letter from your HR department confirming your current coverage details and end date. The SSA rep will need this to properly coordinate when Medicare becomes primary. Also, stop contributing to your HSA immediately once you enroll in any part of Medicare - even backdated enrollment can cause tax issues with HSA contributions. One tip that helped me: I found my local office's direct number on the SSA office locator website and called that simultaneously while my partner called the 800 number. We got through on the local line after about 45 minutes. Sometimes the local offices have slightly less call volume than the national number, depending on your area. Don't give up - your enrollment window is too important to miss!

I'm a federal benefits advisor and can confirm everything shared here is correct. Selling your primary residence will NOT affect your Social Security retirement benefits in any way. The SSA only considers "earned income" (wages, self-employment) for benefit reductions, and only applies this to people under Full Retirement Age (FRA). At 67, you're already at or past your FRA, so even if house sale proceeds were considered earned income (which they're not), it wouldn't matter. Capital gains from your home sale are completely separate from the SSA earnings test. Your $145K profit falls well within the $250K primary residence exclusion, so you likely won't owe federal taxes on the sale either. This is purely a capital gains transaction that SSA doesn't factor into benefit calculations at all. Your monthly checks will remain exactly the same amount. Smart move downsizing - enjoy your new condo!

I'm so grateful for all the detailed responses here! As someone who's been anxious about this for months, it's incredibly reassuring to hear from so many people who've actually been through similar situations. The distinction between "earned income" and capital gains makes perfect sense now, and knowing that I don't even need to report the sale to Social Security takes a huge weight off my shoulders. For anyone else reading this thread with similar concerns - it sounds like the key points are: 1) House sales are capital gains, not earned income, 2) Only earned income affects SS benefits, and only if you're under full retirement age, 3) At 67, we're past full retirement age anyway, and 4) The $250K capital gains exclusion for primary residences means most of us won't even owe taxes on the sale. This community has been such a valuable resource. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and real experiences!

As someone who recently went through this exact process with my adult daughter who has cerebral palsy, I can't stress enough how important it is to be absolutely meticulous with your documentation. We were in a similar situation - she was only getting about $590/month instead of the full benefit. Here's what finally worked for us: 1. We created a detailed monthly expense tracking sheet that included EVERYTHING - mortgage payment, property taxes, homeowners insurance, all utilities (including internet), groceries, household supplies, even basic home maintenance costs. 2. We set up automatic monthly transfers from her account to ours for exactly 1/3 of the total household operating expenses, with very specific memo lines like "Monthly pro-rata household expenses per SSA guidelines." 3. Most importantly, we requested the PMV determination in writing and kept copies of everything we submitted. It took about 3 months for SSA to process the change, but once approved, her benefits increased to the full $943/month and they even issued a small retroactive payment for the difference. The key is patience and persistence. Don't get discouraged if the first caseworker you speak with seems confused about the rules - ask to speak with a supervisor who specializes in ISM determinations. Your son absolutely deserves his full benefits, and with proper documentation, you can make it happen!

I'm going through something very similar with my 24-year-old daughter who has intellectual disabilities. We were stuck at around $615/month for the longest time until I finally figured out we weren't calculating her share correctly. One thing that really helped us was creating a separate checking account specifically for her household expense payments. This made it crystal clear to SSA exactly what money was being used for what purpose, and eliminated any confusion about whether she was actually paying these expenses or just moving money around. Also, don't forget about things like trash/recycling service, basic cable/internet, and even pest control if you have it - these all count as legitimate household operating expenses that should be included in your calculations. The process is definitely frustrating, but once you get it right, the difference in monthly income is life-changing. My daughter went from $615 to the full $943, which gave her so much more independence and dignity. Keep pushing for what your son deserves - you're being an amazing advocate for him!

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to add something that might be helpful based on my experience working with families navigating multiple benefit programs. Since you mentioned feeling overwhelmed by all the moving pieces, you might want to consider reaching out to your local Disability Resource Center or Independent Living Center in Kentucky. Many of these organizations have benefits specialists who are specifically trained to help families understand how different programs interact - Social Security, Medicaid waivers, SSDI, etc. They often provide free consultations and can sometimes even attend meetings with you or help you prepare for important phone calls with SSA. What's particularly valuable is that they see these complex situations regularly and may have relationships with local SSA offices that can help streamline the process. Also, since you're dealing with both your retirement timing and your daughter's potential DAC benefits, they might be able to help you think through scenarios you haven't considered yet. I've seen these centers help families avoid costly mistakes by catching important details that might otherwise be overlooked. It's another layer of support that could complement the other excellent resources people have mentioned in this thread!

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire discussion has been! I'm currently dealing with a somewhat similar situation with my elderly father who receives several different types of benefits, and reading through all these responses has taught me so much about the complexity of Social Security and benefit interactions that I never realized existed. One thing I'd like to add that might be useful - when you're preparing for your consultation with SSA or any of the advisors people have mentioned, consider writing down not just your questions but also a brief summary of your current situation. Include key details like your daughter's current SSDI amount, your expected retirement benefit at different ages, and the monthly amount you receive from the Medicaid waiver program. Having all these numbers organized in one place can help the advisor quickly understand your situation and run more accurate scenarios for you. Also, based on everything I've read here about the importance of timing and coordination between your retirement and your daughter's potential DAC benefits, you might want to ask specifically about "auxiliary benefit" rules when you speak with SSA. These rules govern how family members can collect benefits on each other's records, and understanding them could help you optimize the total benefits your family receives. Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences and knowledge in this thread - it's been an amazing resource!

I'm 68 and will be turning 70 in November 2026, so I have a bit more time to plan but this thread has been incredibly educational! One aspect I haven't seen discussed much is what happens if you have a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy that auto-pays based on when your Medicare Part B premium is due. My Medigap plan currently syncs its billing with my quarterly Medicare payments, so I pay both at the same time. I'm wondering if anyone has experience with how Medigap billing adjusts when Medicare premiums switch to Social Security deductions. Also, I noticed several people mentioned keeping detailed records during the transition. I'm thinking about creating a simple spreadsheet to track: - Medicare payments made directly - SS benefit amounts and deductions - Any refunds received - Communication dates with SSA/Medicare Has anyone found that level of record-keeping to be overkill, or is it really necessary given all the potential timing issues that have been mentioned? The strategic advice about retirement account withdrawals and IRMAA timing is also something I need to factor into my planning. It's amazing how interconnected all these decisions become when you hit 70! Thanks to everyone for sharing such practical, real-world insights. This is the kind of information you just can't get from official government publications.

I'm 69 and will be turning 70 in March 2025, so this thread couldn't have come at a better time! Reading through everyone's experiences has really helped clarify what felt like a very confusing process. One thing I wanted to add that I haven't seen mentioned yet - for those of us who have Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), make sure to coordinate the timing of when you stop contributing to your HSA with your Medicare enrollment. You can't contribute to an HSA once you're enrolled in any part of Medicare, even if you're not paying premiums yet due to employer coverage. I made the mistake of continuing HSA contributions for a few months after enrolling in Medicare Part A (which is automatic when you apply for SS), and now I have to deal with excess contribution penalties. It's a small detail but an expensive one if you miss it! The advice about creating a spreadsheet to track everything is spot on. I've started one already and it's already helping me see potential timing issues I hadn't considered. Also, for anyone worried about the complexity of coordinating all these systems, I found it helpful to think of it in phases: Phase 1 is getting SS started smoothly, Phase 2 is managing the Medicare payment transition, and Phase 3 is monitoring everything for a few months to catch any issues early. Breaking it down made it feel much less overwhelming. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed real-world experiences - this is invaluable information!