I'm new to this community and wanted to share my condolences for your losses. Reading through this discussion has been both educational and heartbreaking - it's clear that your father-in-law's situation is unfortunately not uncommon. What strikes me most is how this thread has evolved into such a valuable resource for understanding Social Security survivor benefits. While the legal consensus seems clear that posthumous claims aren't possible, the knowledge being shared here about proactive benefit management could prevent other families from experiencing this same loss. I'm particularly grateful for the information about the "my Social Security" online accounts and the emphasis on checking benefits immediately when a spouse passes away. As someone who will likely be helping aging parents navigate these systems in the coming years, this discussion has highlighted the critical importance of staying informed about all available benefits. Your willingness to share such a personal and frustrating experience is helping educate others about the gaps in Social Security's communication system. While it can't recover the benefits your father-in-law missed, it's clear from the responses here that your story is motivating people to take action for their own elderly relatives. That's a meaningful legacy from a difficult situation.

I'm new to this community and wanted to express my heartfelt condolences for your losses. Reading through this entire thread has been incredibly enlightening and, frankly, quite concerning about how many families face similar situations. What really stands out to me is the systemic nature of this problem - it's not just your father-in-law who missed out, but clearly many others based on the responses here. The fact that over $30,000 in legally entitled benefits went unclaimed highlights a serious gap in how Social Security communicates with beneficiaries. As someone just starting to learn about these systems, I'm grateful for all the expertise shared here, particularly the policy references and clarification about estate claims. While it's disappointing there's no recourse for your specific situation, this discussion has become an invaluable educational resource. I'm definitely planning to help my elderly relatives review their benefits and set up those "my Social Security" online accounts that were mentioned. It's clear that proactive benefit management is crucial, and unfortunately, the burden falls entirely on families to stay informed. Thank you for sharing such a personal and painful experience. Even though you couldn't recover what was lost, your openness is clearly helping other families take the steps needed to ensure they don't face the same heartbreak. That's a significant contribution to this community.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Evelyn. I went through this same process when my dad passed away last year. Everyone here has given you excellent advice - you definitely don't need that expensive earnings record to figure out survivor benefits. What worked for me was calling the SSA number (1-800-772-1213) at exactly 8:00 AM on a Tuesday morning. I literally set three alarms and had my phone dialing right at 8:00. Got through on my first try that way! The key is having your calendar ready because they'll schedule your appointment right then. For the appointment, I made a simple checklist and brought: marriage certificate, death certificate, both Social Security cards, driver's license, and birth certificate if you have it. The SSA worker pulled up his complete work history on their computer and showed me all my options. They even gave me a printout with different scenarios to review at home. Don't stress about those self-employment years from the 90s - if he paid his self-employment taxes, SSA already has all that info and it probably helped his benefit calculation more than you think. At 62, you have some really good timing options. The worker will show you the numbers for taking survivor benefits now versus waiting, plus some strategies where you take one benefit and switch later. It's actually pretty empowering once you see it all laid out. The phone call is definitely the hardest part, but once you get that appointment, everything moves smoothly. You've got this!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Evelyn. I went through something similar when my mom passed away last year. Everyone here has given you fantastic advice - you absolutely do not need that expensive earnings record to get survivor benefits calculated. I want to add one more approach that worked for me: I had success using the SSA's online appointment scheduler at ssa.gov/onlineservices. Sometimes it's easier than getting through by phone. You can also check if your local office accepts walk-ins during certain hours - mine had "survivor benefits" walk-in hours on Wednesday mornings from 9-11 AM. For your appointment, definitely bring that folder with all the documents others mentioned. One thing that really helped me was writing down my questions beforehand, including asking about the timing strategies for taking benefits. At 62, you have valuable flexibility that can make a big difference over your lifetime. Those self-employment years from the 90s are absolutely not going to hurt - SSA has all that information already, and self-employment earnings often contribute more to the benefit calculation than people expect. The most important thing is don't give up on that first phone call. Whether you try the early morning calling strategies others suggested, use the online scheduler, or show up for walk-in hours, you will get through this process. Once you have that appointment scheduled, you're going to feel so much more confident about your options.

As someone who went through this exact decision process last year, I want to emphasize how valuable it is to model multiple COLA scenarios. We assumed different inflation rates (2%, 3%, and 4% annually) and ran the math for various filing combinations. What we discovered was that the break-even point between "wife files at FRA" vs "wife delays to 70" was much more sensitive to COLA assumptions than we initially thought. One tool that really helped us was creating a spreadsheet that calculated the cumulative lifetime benefits under different longevity assumptions. We modeled scenarios where each spouse lives to 80, 85, 90, and 95, and factored in the survivor benefit implications that others have mentioned. The results showed that even modest differences in COLA (say 2.5% vs 3.5% annually) could shift the optimal strategy by a year or more. Also, don't forget that your state tax treatment of Social Security benefits might influence the timing decision. Some states don't tax Social Security at all, while others have various thresholds. If you're in a state that taxes benefits, receiving larger amounts sooner (with COLA applied to the full benefit) might push you into higher state tax brackets. The complexity is real, but taking the time to model these scenarios thoroughly will give you much more confidence in whatever decision you make!

This thread has been incredibly educational! As someone just starting to think about Social Security planning (I'm 58), I'm realizing there's so much more complexity than I initially understood. The interplay between COLA, delayed retirement credits, spousal benefits, Medicare premiums, and state taxes creates a web of considerations that's honestly a bit overwhelming. What strikes me most is how personalized these decisions need to be. It seems like there's no one-size-fits-all answer, and the "optimal" strategy really depends on your specific financial situation, health outlook, and risk tolerance. I'm wondering if there are any professional resources (beyond just calling SSA) that specialize in helping couples model these complex scenarios? Given all the variables discussed here - from inflation assumptions to longevity projections to tax implications - it feels like this might be worth investing in some professional guidance rather than trying to navigate it all solo. Also, for those who have gone through this process, how far in advance did you start planning? Is starting at 58 too early, or should I be getting more serious about running these calculations now?

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! Filed my IRMAA appeal (SSA-44) about 10 days ago after selling some inherited property that caused my Medicare Part B premium to spike by $174. Like everyone else here, absolutely nothing shows up in my MySocialSecurity account - it's like the form just vanished into thin air. Reading through all these experiences has been both reassuring and frustrating. Reassuring because I now know this communication blackout is completely normal (unfortunately), but frustrating because it's 2025 and we're still dealing with government systems that operate in silos with zero transparency. I'm definitely going to try the 7 AM calling strategy that multiple people have recommended. It's ridiculous that we have to figure out these "hacks" just to get basic confirmation that our paperwork was received, but it seems like that's the reality we're dealing with. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and experiences - knowing that 6-8+ weeks is typical (even though it's unreasonable) at least helps set expectations. The fact that even the acknowledgment letters are running 3-4 weeks behind explains why I haven't received anything yet. This whole system desperately needs modernization!

I'm going through the exact same situation and it's driving me crazy! I submitted my IRMAA appeal (SSA-44) about 2.5 weeks ago after a stock option exercise from my old job triggered a $210 premium increase, and just like everyone else here, there's absolutely zero indication in my MySocialSecurity account that they even received it. What's been most helpful from reading all these responses is learning about the 7 AM calling strategy - I had no idea that timing made such a difference! I've been trying to call during my lunch breaks and always get the "all representatives are busy" message followed by disconnection. Definitely going to try calling right when they open tomorrow morning. It's honestly shocking that in 2025, a major government agency operates with such a complete lack of transparency. The fact that we all have to become amateur detectives just to confirm our paperwork was received is completely unacceptable. At least knowing that 6-8+ weeks is unfortunately normal helps me set realistic expectations, even though the whole system desperately needs to be modernized. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's oddly comforting to know I'm not alone in this frustrating limbo!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful for this comprehensive thread about recognizing sophisticated SSA scam calls. What really strikes me is how this scammer moved beyond typical fear tactics ("your benefits are suspended") to use a much more insidious approach - having legitimate application details and positioning their suggestion as helpful advice. The red flags everyone identified are so valuable for people like me who are new to Social Security: no identity verification, unusual callback format, and most critically, the unsolicited benefit timing advice that would actually cost money in delayed retirement credits. I had no idea that legitimate SSA representatives don't make recommendations about when to start benefits - I would have assumed they might offer that kind of guidance! The explanation about how changing from March back to November would forfeit those delayed retirement credits really shows how dangerous this "helpful" advice actually was. This thread has taught me to always verify through official channels (1-800-772-1213) regardless of how credible a caller sounds, and I'll definitely be sharing these warning signs with family members approaching retirement. Thank you to @Natasha Kuznetsova for sharing your experience and following through with verification, and to all the experienced members who provided such detailed explanations about why each red flag matters. This kind of community protection and education is exactly what newcomers like me need to navigate Social Security safely!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for creating such an incredibly educational thread about these sophisticated SSA scams. What really stands out to me is how this scammer used legitimate application details and positioned their call as "helpful advice" rather than the typical scare tactics we usually associate with Social Security fraud. This approach is so much more dangerous because it builds initial trust. The red flags identified here are invaluable for people like me who are new to navigating Social Security: no identity verification upfront, unusual callback number format, and most importantly, unsolicited advice about benefit timing that would actually cost money. I had no idea that legitimate SSA representatives don't make recommendations about when to start benefits - I assumed that might be part of their guidance role! The explanation about delayed retirement credits really drove home how harmful the caller's "helpful" suggestion actually was. Moving from March back to November would have meant forfeiting those additional benefits - exactly the opposite of what someone legitimately trying to help would suggest. This thread reinforces the critical importance of always verifying through the official SSA number (1-800-772-1213) no matter how credible a caller sounds. Thank you to @Natasha Kuznetsova for sharing your experience and following through with proper verification, and to all the experienced members who provided such detailed explanations. This kind of community knowledge-sharing is exactly what newcomers need to protect ourselves from these increasingly clever fraud attempts!