One more thing to consider - some offices are better staffed than others for specific issues. For example, if you have a complicated work history involving foreign employment or military service, you might want to visit a larger office that handles these cases more frequently. But for standard retirement applications, any office can help you equally well.

Just to add another perspective - I work part-time at a local government office and we get this question a lot! You absolutely can visit any SSA office nationwide. The main thing I'd suggest is checking the office hours and services offered at your preferred location beforehand, since some smaller offices have limited hours or don't offer all services every day. Also, if you're bringing a lot of documents, consider making copies beforehand since some offices charge more for copying than others. Good luck with your retirement application!

I'm so glad you found the support and answers you needed here! This thread perfectly illustrates why communities like this are so valuable - when you're dealing with confusing government correspondence that could impact your livelihood, having knowledgeable people break things down clearly is invaluable. Your situation is actually very common during the SSI-to-retirement transition. The Ticket to Work cancellation is purely administrative - since the program only applies to disability beneficiaries (SSI/SSDI), you automatically became ineligible when you switched to retirement benefits at 62. Your monthly payments are completely unaffected. What's really frustrating is how easily SSA could prevent this panic with better letter writing. A simple line at the top stating "This cancellation does not affect your monthly retirement payments" would save so many people from the terror you experienced. I hope other community members who receive similar notices will find this thread and realize they're not alone in being confused by SSA's poor communication. Your willingness to share this experience will definitely help others navigate the same situation with much less stress!

I'm so glad you were able to get such comprehensive and reassuring answers here! As someone who's relatively new to understanding Social Security benefits, this thread has been incredibly educational. Your panic was completely understandable - when you're 65 and Social Security is your lifeline, receiving any official letter mentioning "cancellation" would be absolutely terrifying. What everyone explained is exactly right: the Ticket to Work program cancellation is just administrative cleanup when you transition from disability benefits (SSI) to retirement benefits. It's like being automatically removed from a student discount list when you graduate - it doesn't affect anything else about your status or payments. The fact that so many people here have experienced this same confusion really highlights how much SSA needs to improve their communication. Adding one simple sentence like "Your monthly retirement payments continue unchanged" would prevent so much unnecessary stress for people in your situation. Your story will be incredibly valuable for others who receive similar letters and panic. Thank you for sharing your experience and helping create a resource that will reassure future community members facing the same confusing correspondence!

One thing I'd like to add that might help with your planning - Social Security payments typically hit your bank account very early in the morning on the payment date, usually between 12:01 AM and 3:00 AM. So if your payment is scheduled for the second Wednesday of February (since your birthday is December 4th), you should see it in your account first thing that Wednesday morning. This is different from some other government benefits that might deposit later in the day. Also, if that Wednesday happens to fall on a federal holiday, your payment would be deposited the business day before. Just wanted to mention this timing detail since you're trying to coordinate bill payments!

Just wanted to share my recent experience as someone who went through this exact same situation! I turned 62 in November and got my first payment in January. The whole process was actually smoother than I expected once I understood the timing. A few things that really helped me: 1) I set up text alerts with my bank so I'd know the moment the deposit hit, 2) I created a simple calendar marking the exact Wednesday each month so I wouldn't have to keep calculating it, and 3) I kept a small buffer in my checking account for that first month gap. The payment really did show up right on schedule at 3 AM on my designated Wednesday. One thing I wish someone had told me - your first payment might be slightly different than expected because they pro-rate based on exactly when in the month you became eligible. Don't panic if the amount looks a little off initially! Overall though, once you're in the system, the payments are very reliable and consistent.

Just to address the retirement account question - there's no age limit for opening or contributing to a traditional or Roth IRA! At 67, you can still contribute up to $7,000 annually (plus an additional $1,000 catch-up contribution since you're over 50). The main requirement is having earned income, which your bookkeeping work would qualify for. A Roth IRA might be particularly attractive since you're already receiving Social Security - the tax-free withdrawals in the future could help you manage your taxable income and potentially keep your Social Security benefits from being taxed. Definitely worth talking to a financial advisor about your specific situation once you start earning more after your FRA transition!

This has been such an informative thread! I'm also on SSDI (about 3 years now due to a spinal cord injury) and have been worried about what happens when I reach FRA in a couple of years. Reading everyone's experiences has really put my mind at ease. The automatic conversion process sounds much simpler than I expected, and knowing that the earnings restrictions completely disappear is huge. I've been doing some freelance graphic design work but have had to turn down projects to stay under the SGA limit. It'll be amazing to be able to take on more work without constantly calculating earnings. I'm definitely going to bookmark this thread and probably follow the advice about calling SSA a month before my FRA date just to confirm everything is set up correctly. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this kind of real-world information is so much more helpful than trying to decipher the official SSA publications!

I'm in a similar boat as a new Social Security recipient and this whole thread has been incredibly educational! I had no idea about the 30-day reporting requirement either until I stumbled across this discussion. Reading through everyone's real-world experiences has been so much more helpful than trying to decipher the official SSA paperwork. I'm planning my first international trip since starting benefits - a 6-week visit to family in Ireland - and honestly I was dreading having to figure out all these reporting requirements. But seeing everyone's practical tips about calling at 7 AM, keeping travel logs, getting confirmation numbers, and having all your documents ready has made this seem much more manageable. The tip about photographing confirmation numbers on your phone is genius! And I really appreciate everyone who shared their actual wait times and experiences with the SSA phone system. Knowing what to expect makes the whole process way less intimidating for those of us just starting to navigate Social Security. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their experiences - this community is incredibly helpful for newcomers trying to figure out all these requirements!

Just wanted to jump in as someone who recently went through the whole Social Security application process - this thread has been a goldmine of information! I had completely overlooked the 30-day international travel reporting requirement until reading through everyone's experiences here. It's amazing how much practical detail gets buried in all the official paperwork they send you. I'm planning a 5-week trip to visit relatives in Eastern Europe next summer, so all these tips about calling at 7 AM, keeping detailed travel logs, and photographing confirmation numbers are going straight into my planning notes. The real-world experiences shared here - from wait times to what questions the agents actually ask - are so much more valuable than the generic SSA website information. Special thanks to everyone who mentioned specific timing strategies and documentation tips. It's clear that staying compliant with this requirement isn't optional, but at least now I know exactly what to expect when I need to make that call. This community's willingness to share practical advice makes navigating Social Security requirements so much less overwhelming for newcomers like me!