watch out they might still deposit november $ too and then you DEF have to give that back or theyll come after u!!

Same thing happened when my mom died in 2024. Bank froze everything, not SS taking back money. But dealing with SS afterwards was a nightmare! I had to call like 20 times to report her death and stop payments. They kept sending checks for months after she died even though we reported it multiple times. Then they wanted all that money back years later! Make SURE you document everything when you talk to them.

wait i just remembered something. my brother also had to deal with this with his wifes check. he said if u cant get a fixed 1099 in time for taxes theres a line on form 1040 somewhere to put "repaid social security benefits" or something. maybe someone who knows more can explain better. but there IS a way to fix it on tax forms if SS is being slow about sending new 1099

Thank you all so much for the helpful advice! I'm going to try calling the SSA tomorrow morning as soon as they open to request a corrected 1099-SSA. I've gathered all my documentation - the original deposit receipt, bank statement showing the repayment check cleared, and the letter I received from SSA acknowledging the repayment. If I can't get through by phone, I'll try making an appointment at my local office. And I'll definitely check out that Claimyr service if I keep having trouble reaching someone. I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences. It helps to know I'm not alone in dealing with this confusing situation.

One more important point: The backpay will come with clear documentation of which tax year each payment portion applies to. This is CRUCIAL for your tax filing. The SSA-1099 form you'll receive will break this down. In addition, once you know her monthly SSDI amount, you should review your overall household budget. Many couples find that qualifying for SSDI may open eligibility for other programs like the Medicare Savings Program, Extra Help with prescription costs, or property tax exemptions in some states. When will your wife reach age 62? At that point, she should check if taking reduced spousal benefits on your record would pay more than her full SSDI amount. Though typically SSDI based on her own record will be higher, it's worth confirming.

Yes, you should contact SSA when your wife approaches 62 to evaluate the spousal benefit option. While she can't receive both her own SSDI and spousal benefits simultaneously (she'll only get the higher of the two), the calculation can be complex and depends on your specific earnings histories. Regarding your earlier question about avoiding IRMAA increases: Yes, there's a process for this. When you receive the IRMAA determination (usually in November/December for the following year), you can file for a reconsideration using Form SSA-44, citing the backpay as a one-time income event. This form specifically allows for reporting "life-changing events" that make your current income lower than what appears on your tax return from two years prior. Finally, I highly recommend keeping detailed records of when the backpay is received and how it's spent, especially for any medical expenses which might be deductible.

To clarify some misinformation in this thread: Social Security payments are protected during government shutdowns because: 1. SS benefits are mandatory spending authorized by permanent law 2. The program has its own dedicated funding source (FICA taxes) 3. The Social Security Trust Fund is separate from general federal revenue During a shutdown, while some SSA services might be limited (like processing new applications or answering general questions), payments to current beneficiaries continue without interruption. Your mother's February payment will arrive on her regular payment date based on her birth date or when she first started receiving benefits. The payment will be her full benefit amount plus the 2025 COLA increase that went into effect in January. If she's concerned about her benefits, she should create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov where she can view her payment schedule and benefit amounts directly.

My friend couldn't get ahold of SSA for TWO WEEKS when she needed to check on her missing January payment!!! They finally figured out it was some bank routing issue but she was almost EVICTED waiting for it to get fixed!!!

I still think u should double check!!! My friend works at a bank and she says they see ppl with ID problems ALL THE TIME!!! Better safe than sorry!!!

Thanks everyone for the responses! I called SSA this morning and finally got through to someone who confirmed what most of you said - the card only shows what fits in their printing space, but my full legal name is stored correctly in their system. The agent told me this is completely normal for people with longer names and won't cause any problems. Really appreciate all the help!

Try calling the SSA to see if they can help with the payment schedule! HAHAHA good luck getting through to anyone. I spent THREE DAYS trying to reach someone about my payment issue last month. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours.

To answer your original question - no, your application or retirement date doesn't affect your payment schedule at all. Only your birthday matters. The system is designed to distribute payments throughout the month to prevent overwhelming their processing systems. For monthly budgeting, I tell my clients to think of their SS payment date as their new "1st of the month" for planning purposes. It requires a mental shift, but after a few months, most people adjust their bill payment timing and everything syncs up nicely.

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I'm feeling much more confident now. Here's my plan based on everyone's advice: 1. Check my detailed earnings record on mySocialSecurity 2. Request IRS transcripts for any questionable years 3. Start my application process now since I'm turning 70 soon 4. Mention my concerns about the earnings record when I apply 5. Focus only on correcting years that would be in my top 35 I'll report back once I've gone through the earnings history. Fingers crossed there aren't any major issues!

Good luck! And don't forget to decide about Medicare too if you haven't already! That's a whole other thing to worry about lol

One additional point to consider: if you do decide to take benefits early, make sure to submit your application about 3 months before you want benefits to begin. The application process can sometimes take longer than expected, especially during busy periods. Given your specific circumstances with a relatively small reduction and only being a few months before FRA, this seems like a reasonable case for early claiming. The decision is very personal and depends on your overall financial picture, but preserving emergency savings has significant value.

I cannot BELIEVE how complicated they make all this retirement stuff! In my parents day, you just retired and got your check! Now we need spreadsheets and calculations and 50 different scenarios just to figure out when to take OUR OWN MONEY!!

the lady at my SSA office told me that college students can get benefits till age 19 if fulltime student!! but sounds like for special needs kids it can go longer with the DAC thing everyone is talking about. good luck!!

what about the max family benefit thing? isn't there a limit on how much one family can get from one worker's record? might be something to check into

Another important factor to consider is that when you take your own retirement benefit early at 62, it's permanently reduced. But if you take survivor benefits early and then switch to your own later, your own benefit continues to grow until you claim it (up to age 70). Also, while the earnings limit for 2024 is $21,240 for people under FRA, you might want to plan for the 2025 amount which will likely be a bit higher after the COLA adjustment. Remember that for every $2 you earn above the limit, they withhold $1 in benefits.

I recommend writing down all your questions before contacting SSA. They can calculate your survivor benefit amount at different ages (61, 62, FRA) and your own retirement benefit at different ages (62, FRA, 70). Once you have those numbers, you can see which claiming strategy maximizes your lifetime benefits. After my spouse died, I finally got through to SSA after trying for weeks. The rep ran all the numbers for me, and in my case, taking my own reduced benefit at 62 and switching to survivors at my FRA resulted in about $50,000 more in lifetime benefits compared to taking survivors early. Everyone's situation is different though.