I'm new to this community and just discovered this incredibly helpful thread! I filed my Social Security retirement application about 3 weeks ago and have been getting increasingly anxious seeing nothing but "processing" status in my MySocialSecurity account. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a relief - I had no idea that 6-8 weeks was completely normal processing time, especially during this busy season. The detailed explanation from the retired SSA specialist about all the verification steps happening behind the scenes was particularly eye-opening. I thought "processing" just meant my application was sitting in some digital queue! I'm definitely going to stop checking my account multiple times per day and switch to the once-daily coffee routine that several people mentioned. And knowing that my benefits will be calculated from my filing date rather than approval date takes away so much of the financial stress I've been feeling. Thank you to everyone who shared their timelines and experiences - this community is such a valuable resource for navigating these government processes. It's comforting to know I'm not alone in this waiting game and that everything sounds perfectly normal so far!

I'm also new to this community and currently going through my first Social Security application experience! I filed my retirement application about 5 weeks ago and have been nervously checking my MySocialSecurity account every day watching it just say "processing" with no updates. This entire thread has been incredibly helpful and reassuring! I had no clue that 6-8 weeks was normal processing time - I was starting to worry something was wrong after just a few weeks. The explanation from the retired SSA specialist about all the verification steps happening during "processing" was especially enlightening. I thought my application was just sitting idle! Reading everyone's similar experiences and timelines has really calmed my nerves. It's clear that this waiting period anxiety is totally normal and that most people do get approved within that 6-8 week window. I'm definitely going to adopt the advice about checking my account just once daily instead of obsessively throughout the day. Thanks to everyone for sharing your real experiences and practical tips - this community is such a valuable resource for navigating these government processes! It's comforting to know so many of us are in the same boat and that everything usually works out fine in the end.

my payment just came thru today! check your accounts everyone

This whole thread has me worried about my upcoming move abroad. Does anyone know if receiving payments on a US bank account and then transferring internationally is more reliable than direct international deposit? I'm on SSDI and absolutely cannot handle payment delays when I move.

You should really consider the whole financial picture. In my case, when my wife went back to work, we lost her SS benefit BUT: 1. She got health insurance through her employer which saved us $580/month 2. She started contributing to a 401k again 3. Her take-home pay was way more than the SS benefit Just some things to think about beyond just the SS payment itself.

I went through something very similar when my husband started collecting early retirement. The key thing to understand is that Social Security has something called the "family maximum benefit" which caps the total amount your family can receive based on the primary worker's earnings record. In your case, it sounds like you're already at or very close to that maximum ($2,170 for you + $756 each for wife and two kids = $4,438 total). When your wife stops her benefit to return to work, that $756 doesn't get redistributed to your children - it essentially just disappears from your family's total SS income. However, don't let that discourage you! When my husband and I ran the numbers, her returning to work was still financially beneficial because: - Her salary exceeded what she was getting from SS - We got employer health benefits - She could start building her own SS credits again for higher future benefits I'd recommend calling SSA directly to confirm your exact family maximum and get official guidance. Every situation is a bit different based on your specific earnings history.

Maya, I'm so incredibly sorry you're dealing with this bureaucratic nightmare on top of losing your husband. Seven months with no resolution after you've already paid back everything is absolutely unacceptable and frankly disgraceful on SSA's part. As someone new to this community, I've been reading through all the excellent advice you've received here, and it's clear you need to take immediate aggressive action. The fact that so many people have experienced similar delays shows this is a systemic problem with SSA's withdrawal processing system. Based on everything I've read, here's what I think you should do this week: 1) Go to your local SSA office in person with ALL your documentation and refuse to leave without speaking to a supervisor about an "urgent case review" - use the specific terminology people have shared about requesting a "Post-Entitlement Technical Expert" and asking for a "case status inquiry" done right there while you wait, 2) Request a "critical hardship flag" on your case due to the financial impact of this delay, and 3) If the local office doesn't produce immediate results, contact your Congressional representative's constituent services office for a congressional inquiry - the mandatory 30-day response time could be exactly what you need to break this logjam. You've been incredibly patient, but 7 months is beyond reasonable. Your file is likely stuck in some electronic queue or assigned to someone who's on leave with no backup coverage. Don't accept any more "it's still processing" responses - demand specific answers about WHERE your file is and WHAT needs to happen for immediate resolution. When this finally gets resolved, make sure you get every penny of retroactive survivor benefits you're entitled to. You shouldn't have had to wait a single day longer than necessary, let alone 7 months. Keep fighting - you deserve those benefits and the peace of mind that comes with them!

Maya, I'm so sorry you're going through this nightmare! As someone who's new to dealing with SSA but has been reading through all these responses, I'm absolutely shocked that 7 months is even possible when you've already repaid everything they asked for. What really strikes me is how many experienced people here are saying this is NOT normal even by SSA's notoriously slow standards. The fact that your file is probably just sitting in some electronic queue or assigned to someone who's on extended leave is infuriating but unfortunately seems pretty common based on these stories. I think the multi-pronged approach everyone's recommending sounds perfect - hit them hard with an in-person visit using all that specific terminology people shared (Post-Entitlement Technical Expert, urgent case review, critical hardship flag), and if that doesn't work immediately, get your Congressional representative involved. The 30-day mandatory response time for congressional inquiries could be exactly the pressure needed to get your case unstuck. You've been way too patient already. After 7 months, you deserve immediate action and full retroactive benefits when this finally gets resolved. The system failed YOU - you did everything right. Don't let them brush you off with any more vague "processing" responses. You've got this!

I'm so grateful I found this thread! I've been putting off the 2FA setup for months after getting those confusing SSA emails. Like many others here, I was completely overwhelmed by their unclear instructions and worried about hidden costs. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly reassuring. It's clear that Google Authenticator is the way to go - free, secure, and much simpler than SSA makes it sound. I especially appreciate all the practical tips like having good lighting for QR scanning, ensuring your phone is charged, and setting aside uninterrupted time for the setup. As someone who's not particularly tech-savvy, it's really encouraging to see people from all different backgrounds and age groups successfully complete this process. The fact that it only adds about 10 seconds to the daily login process makes the security benefit totally worth it. I'm planning to tackle my setup this weekend following all the great advice shared here. This community has turned what felt like an impossible government tech nightmare into something completely manageable. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their real-world experiences!

I just went through this setup process myself after reading through all these helpful experiences! As someone who was initially terrified by SSA's confusing communications, I can confirm that Google Authenticator really is the way to go. A couple of additional tips that helped me: - Clear your browser cache before starting the SSA setup process - I had some weird glitches until I did this - If you wear bifocals, have them positioned correctly before attempting QR code scanning - I struggled for a few minutes until I adjusted them properly - The backup codes SSA provides are super important - I stored mine in a password manager, but you could also write them down and keep them with important documents The whole process took me about 12 minutes from downloading the app to completing my first successful login test. Now that it's done, I actually feel much more confident about the security of my SSA account. For anyone still hesitating - this thread contains all the real-world guidance you need to get through this successfully. SSA's official instructions are terrible, but the community knowledge shared here makes it completely manageable!