As someone who's 64 and completely new to Social Security planning, this thread has been absolutely life-changing! I honestly thought benefits would start automatically when I retired - the idea that I have to actively apply and that there's only a 6-month window for retroactive payments after 70 is shocking. I was actually planning to wait until 73 to file, thinking I'd get even higher monthly payments, but reading about people permanently losing $30,000+ has made me realize what a catastrophic mistake that would have been! The real experiences shared here are so much more valuable than anything on the SSA website. I'm immediately changing my strategy to file right at 70 and setting up calendar reminders to apply online 3 months beforehand. Thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge - you've literally saved me from potentially losing tens of thousands of dollars in benefits I've earned over my entire working life. This is exactly the kind of critical information that should be taught in pre-retirement workshops but sadly isn't widely available!

This entire discussion has been incredibly educational! I'm 62 and honestly had no idea that Social Security benefits don't start automatically or that there's such a strict 6-month retroactive payment limit after age 70. Like many others here, I was considering waiting until my early 70s to maximize benefits, but reading about people permanently losing $30,000+ has completely changed my perspective. The real-world experiences shared here are invaluable - especially learning that delayed retirement credits stop at 70 and any delay past that point just means throwing money away. I'm definitely going to apply online right at age 70 and will set calendar reminders to start the process 3 months early. It's frustrating that the SSA doesn't communicate these critical details more clearly, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing their knowledge. You've potentially saved me from making a very costly mistake! I'll be sharing this thread with my spouse and retirement planning group because this information is too important to keep to ourselves.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm not dealing with this transition myself yet, but my mom went through something similar last year and ended up in that exact situation where she paid multiple months ahead and then had to fight to get the money back. It took her months of phone calls and paperwork to sort it out. The advice here about only paying February is spot on - I wish we had found guidance like this back then! It's really frustrating how these supposedly coordinated government benefits don't actually coordinate at all. For anyone going through this, definitely keep copies of everything and maybe even send certified mail if you need to communicate with either agency about the transition. The documentation really does matter when things inevitably get confused between the systems.

This whole thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm starting my Social Security benefits in about 4 months and had absolutely no clue this Medicare billing overlap was going to be an issue. Reading everyone's experiences - especially the horror stories about paying multiple months and then fighting for refunds - has definitely saved me from making that costly mistake. It's pretty shocking that in 2025 these government systems still can't communicate properly with each other. The consistent advice here about only paying the transition month, keeping detailed documentation, and expecting some temporary system confusion is invaluable. I'm definitely going to bookmark this thread to reference when my time comes. Thanks to everyone for sharing their real-world experiences - this community knowledge is way more practical than anything you'd get from the official phone lines!

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!