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One more thing to consider - sometimes when there's a representative payee involved, or if there were any changes to direct deposit information around the time of conversion, it can cause delays. Did your cousin make any banking changes recently or does she have someone managing her benefits?
This happened to my neighbor! They changed banks right before their transition and it caused a 6-week delay in payments. Such a mess to sort out.
UPDATE: My cousin finally got through to someone helpful at SSA! Turns out her payment date IS changing from the 3rd of the month to the 4th Wednesday (since her birthday is on the 28th). But the representative also found that there was a processing flag on her account that shouldn't have been there, which was holding up the payment. They're removing the flag and she should receive both her regular payment and any backpay within 3 business days. Thank you all so much for your help and suggestions!
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my cousin has brain cancer too and got approved in just 3 weeks with compassionate allowance! make sure they check that box on the application its super important. also he should apply for the medicare too even though theres a waiting period still better to get it started now.
Ravi Patel
•That's encouraging to hear they were able to get approved so quickly. I'll make sure my brother specifically asks about the Compassionate Allowance program. Did your cousin have to go through any additional medical evaluations from SS doctors, or did they just use the records from his own doctors?
Omar Zaki
For the appointment, your brother should bring a letter from the treating physician that includes: 1. Specific diagnosis (including ICD-10 code if possible) 2. Prognosis and expected duration of disability (must be at least 12 months) 3. Current treatment plan 4. Specific statement about inability to work This will significantly speed up the process. The Compassionate Allowance program for brain tumors typically processes in 30-60 days instead of the usual 3-5 months, but having complete documentation from the start can cut that time down even further. Also, be aware that the first SSDI payment won't arrive until 6 months after the established disability onset date due to the mandatory waiting period. The onset date is typically set as the date of diagnosis, so that waiting period has already started.
Ravi Patel
•Thank you - this checklist is extremely helpful. My nephew was diagnosed about 8 weeks ago, so it sounds like we're already partway through that waiting period, which is a small relief. I'll make sure my brother gets a detailed letter from the oncologist before going to SSA.
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Mei Liu
Btw not everyone needs withholding on SS. Depending on your total income, your benefits might not even be taxable. If SS is your only income, you probably won't owe taxes on it. But if you have other substantial income, up to 85% of your SS can be taxable. This confuses a lot of people.
Jamal Carter
•Good point about the taxation thresholds. I do have other income sources (pension and some investment income), so I'm pretty sure I'll need to pay taxes on about 85% of my SS benefits based on my calculations.
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Max Reyes
Something nobody mentioned - if your wife's own benefit PLUS the spousal top-up is higher than your benefit amount when you die, she might not get the survivor benefit at all since they don't stack. SSA will give her whichever is higher. Just something to consider in your planning.
That's incorrect. You're confusing spousal benefits with survivor benefits. Spousal benefits max out at 50% of the worker's PIA, while survivor benefits can be up to 100% of the worker's benefit amount including COLAs. In this scenario, the survivor benefit of $3,400 would almost certainly be higher than her own benefit or any spousal top-up.
Felicity Bud
Did you know if you die in the first 15 days of the month, your spouse doesn't get your benefit for that month AT ALL? But if you die on the 16th or later, they get to keep your payment for that month. makes NO sense!!! the whole system needs to be simplified!! too many ridiculous rules!!
Yeah it's rough. My dad passed on the 3rd and mom had to return his payment for that month. Just one more thing to deal with during grief.
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Has your ex-husband remarried? That doesn't affect your benefits, but I know someone who thought it did and waited unnecessarily. Also, don't forget that you might qualify for survivor benefits if he passes away before you - those are 100% of his benefit amount (with reductions if claimed early) instead of the 50% for ex-spouse benefits.
Yes, he remarried about a year after our divorce. I didn't realize the survivor benefits would be 100% vs. 50% for the ex-spouse benefit - that's good to know. I hope he lives a long time, but it's helpful to understand all the rules.
After reviewing all the advice here, I'd recommend: 1. Create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov if you haven't already 2. Review your earnings history and projected benefits at different ages 3. Compare your own retirement benefit at 67 with the 50% ex-spouse benefit 4. Consider your financial needs between 64-67 5. Factor in your health and family longevity If your own benefit is substantially lower than the ex-spouse benefit, and you can financially manage to wait until 67, that would likely be the optimal strategy for maximum lifetime benefits.
Thank you so much for this clear list of steps! I'll create my account this weekend and start gathering all this information. It's a relief to have a plan for figuring this out.
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Noah Lee
If ur worried about missing a payment u should go to the local office!!! Calling is useless half the time. I went in person and they fixed my direct deposit while I was sitting there and the lady showed me on her computer that it was updated. Took like 25 mins total including waiting. Just bring ID and know ur social security number.
Emma Johnson
•Thanks for this advice. I'll try calling first, but if I can't get through, I'll try to make an appointment at my local office. Glad to hear they were able to fix yours quickly in person!
Any update? Did you get through to anyone? I'm curious because I need to change mine soon too and now I'm nervous about it after reading everyone's experiences.
Emma Johnson
•I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above and got through to SSA this morning! The agent confirmed they received my change request and said it should take effect for this upcoming payment. She noted on my account about the closed bank account and confirmed my mailing address just in case. Feeling much better now!
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Aisha Khan
what about filing for ex-spouse benefits at 62 but not telling SSA about remarriage? do they even check?
This would be fraud and a federal offense. SSA does cross-check marriage records with state databases, and penalties can include having to repay all benefits received plus potential fines and legal consequences. Not worth the risk.
Ethan Taylor
Something to consider that I haven't seen mentioned: your ex-husband's work status doesn't matter for your decision timeline. Whether he's working, retired, or even if he hasn't filed for his own benefits yet, you can still claim ex-spouse benefits as long as he's eligible for benefits (meaning he's at least 62) and you've been divorced for at least 2 years (which you have at 3 years). So his continued working doesn't impact your decision of when to remarry - it's purely based on your age at remarriage (before or after 60).
Nia Jackson
•Thank you for that clarification! I wasn't sure if his current work status affected anything. Good to know it's just my age at remarriage that matters for this decision.
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Jayden Reed
i did this last year and its been great. just make sure u write down the direct number they give u for when u need to unlock it. i lost mine and had to wait on hold for like 2 hrs with the regular number lol
Zoey Bianchi
•That's a great tip! I'll definitely keep that contact info somewhere secure if I decide to go through with it.
Just don't do it around tax time!!! I made that mistake and couldn't get through to anyone for WEEKS when I needed to unlock it for a background check for a new job. Almost lost the offer because of the delay!!!
Nora Brooks
•This is excellent advice. January through April is definitely the busiest time for SSA and IRS, so trying to handle account access issues during that period will likely mean longer wait times and potentially delayed resolutions.
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Social Security Login Changes Confusion - When Is login.gov Really Mandatory?
I'm totally confused about the MySSA account transition deadline. I thought we HAD to switch to login.gov or ID.me by September 1, 2025, but I just logged into my SSA account yesterday using my regular username/password like always. The only thing different was a notification banner at the top saying something about transitioning to login.gov or ID.me in the future. Did they push back the deadline? I don't want to suddenly lose access to my account when I need to check my benefit information. Has anyone gotten clear information about when we ACTUALLY need to switch our accounts over? The SSA website is so vague about this!
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Summer Green
My sister works for SSA and she told me they extended the deadline because so many older folks were having trouble with the transition. They're prioritizing younger users who are more tech-savvy first. So if you're over 65, you'll probably be in one of the last groups to be required to switch.
That makes NO SENSE! Older SSA beneficiaries are the ones who need MORE time and help with the transition, not less! They should be given the most advance notice. Just another example of how disconnected these agencies are from the people they're supposed to serve.
Harold Oh
To address some misconceptions in this thread: both login.gov and ID.me are acceptable options for your new Social Security account access. Login.gov is a federal government service while ID.me is a private identity verification company contracted by SSA. Either will work, but you only need to choose one. Regarding timeline, the SSA hasn't published the exact schedule for account transitions, but they are sending email notifications approximately 30 days before your account is scheduled for mandatory transition. Make sure your email address is up-to-date in your current mySocialSecurity profile. And for those concerned about the process: while it takes a bit of time to set up initially, the new login systems offer significantly enhanced security against fraud and unauthorized access to your Social Security information, which is crucially important given the rise in benefits fraud.
Payton Black
•This whole thread has been super helpful. I guess I'll double-check my email in my SSA profile and then wait for my notification. At least I don't have to rush to do it immediately!
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Ryan Young
There's another option nobody's mentioned - instead of withdrawing, you could just SUSPEND your benefits once you reach your Full Retirement Age. That way you don't have to repay anything you've already received, and your future benefits will increase by 8% per year until age 70. The catch is you have to wait until your FRA (probably 67 for you) to do this.
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Aaron Lee
•That's an excellent point about suspension vs. withdrawal. But the OP would still lose out on 4 years of delayed retirement credits (from 63-67) with that approach. Withdrawing now and reapplying at 67 would result in a significantly higher monthly benefit compared to just suspending at FRA.
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Alexis Robinson
•I hadn't considered suspension as an option. I'll need to do the math on whether withdrawal or waiting to suspend makes more financial sense in my situation. Thank you for bringing this up!
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Chloe Mitchell
make sure u got all ur benefit payment info ready when u submit the form. i forgot to include one payment they made to me and they sent the whole thing back. delayed everything by like 3 weeks
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Alexis Robinson
•That's a really good tip! I'll make sure to have all my payment records organized before submitting anything.
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