One last point that may help you plan: The earnings test is applied monthly during your first year of retirement. For subsequent years, it's annual. This means in your first year claiming benefits, you could earn more than the monthly equivalent of the annual limit in some months (like before you officially retire) as long as you stay under the monthly limit in the months you're receiving benefits. So if you retire midyear, you might have different calculation for that first year versus subsequent years.

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.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share that I'm going through almost the exact same situation! Filed my retirement application in late January for a July start date, and it's been stuck at "2/3 complete" for about 6 weeks now with zero communication from SSA. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both reassuring and eye-opening - I had no idea so many different factors could cause these delays. I worked for the state university system for about 8 years (with SS taxes withheld) and also did some consulting work in Mexico for 6 months back in 2015, so either of those could be triggering the manual review that Isaac explained so well. The complete lack of transparency is incredibly frustrating - you'd think they could at least send an automated message saying "additional review required" instead of leaving us completely in the dark! I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service that Ruby and others have recommended, and also check my earnings record more carefully for any discrepancies. Thanks especially to Isaac for the insider perspective on what the different statuses actually mean - that kind of real-world knowledge is invaluable when the official SSA resources tell you practically nothing. Will definitely try the multi-pronged approach (Claimyr + secure messaging + congressional contact) that seems to work best based on everyone's success stories. So grateful to have found this community where people actually share useful, actionable advice!

I'm new to this community but unfortunately dealing with a very similar situation! Filed my retirement application in early February for a September start date, and it's been stuck at "2/3 complete" for about 5 weeks now with absolutely no communication from SSA. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea there were so many potential triggers for manual reviews. I worked for a federal contractor for several years and also spent 8 months in Australia on a work visa back in 2018, so either of those could be causing my delay. Like everyone else, the complete radio silence from SSA is the most frustrating part. You'd think after decades of technology advancement they could send a simple status update saying "we're reviewing X aspect of your application, estimated completion Y." Isaac's insider knowledge about what actually happens behind the scenes has been invaluable - thank you for taking the time to explain the real reasons applications get stuck! Based on all the success stories here, I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service that Ruby recommended, send a secure message through the portal, and potentially reach out to my congressman's office if needed. It's both comforting and concerning to see how many of us are in the same boat, but at least this community provides actual actionable solutions instead of the useless "please wait" advice you get everywhere else. Will definitely report back on what works!

btw i think FRA is 67 not 65 now so r u taking early benefits at 65? that might be why its taking longer cuz they have to calculate the reduction

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed my application in early December for March benefits and it's been stuck on step 2 for weeks. Reading everyone's experiences here is actually really reassuring - it sounds like this is unfortunately just how SSA's system works these days. The consistent theme seems to be that benefits start on time even when the online tracker doesn't update properly. I've been losing sleep over this but now I feel like I can relax a bit and just wait it out. Thanks everyone for sharing your stories!

Update on my earlier comment - I just remembered that while I did submit my W-4V before getting my verification letter, I had already received confirmation that my application was approved. So that might be the key distinction. You might want to wait until you at least get the approval notification (which usually comes before the verification letter) before submitting the W-4V.

I went through this same situation last year and found that the timing really depends on your specific SSA office. What I ended up doing was calling the national SSA number (1-800-772-1213) and asking them to note in my file that I wanted tax withholding set up as soon as my benefits were approved. Then I mailed my W-4V form with a cover letter referencing that phone call and my application number. When my first payment came through, the withholding was already in place. It might be worth trying this approach - get it documented in your file early, even if the form itself can't be processed until approval.

Thank you all so much for your helpful replies! I think I understand now - mom is getting dad's Primary Insurance Amount but not the extra he got for delaying past FRA. Still seems unfair but at least I know SSA didn't make a mistake. I'll explain this to mom so she can adjust her budget accordingly. Really appreciate everyone's insights!

As others have explained, your mother's benefit is correct. Here's a more detailed breakdown of why the benefit is calculated this way: * Your father's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA): $2,320 (estimated based on your post) * Your father's actual benefit with delayed credits: $2,900 * Your mother's own retirement benefit: $1,700 Since your mother was already at FRA when your father passed away, she's entitled to 100% of his PIA as a survivor benefit. SSA then compares her own benefit ($1,700) to the survivor benefit ($2,320) and pays her the higher amount. Unfortunately, most people misunderstand this calculation. I hope this clarifies why she's receiving $2,320 instead of $2,900.