Update us when you get this resolved! I'm dealing with a very similar situation for my aunt right now. So far I've spent about 5 hours on the phone with SSA spread across 3 calls and still don't have clear answers about the reclamation timeline. It shouldn't be this difficult!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Olivia. This sounds incredibly frustrating to deal with during an already difficult time. I went through something similar when my grandmother passed last year. A few things that helped me: First, definitely file that SSA-1724 form that Natasha mentioned - it really does help speed up the process. Second, when you go to the bank in person, bring multiple copies of everything (death cert, executor papers, etc.) because they sometimes want to keep copies for their files. One thing I learned the hard way - some banks have specific "estate services" departments that are separate from regular customer service. Ask if your father's bank has one of these departments. The regular tellers often don't know the proper procedures, but the estate specialists usually do. Also, document everything! Keep notes of who you spoke with, when, and what they told you. If you end up needing to escalate to the state banking authority like Connor suggested, having that paper trail really helps. Hope you get this sorted out soon so you can get that marker installed for your father. Thank you for his service.

I work at a local SSA field office and can clarify this for you. The system is designed to prevent duplicate accounts - when you enter your SSN during account creation, it automatically checks if an account already exists. If one does, you'll get a message saying "An account already exists" and it will guide you to account recovery options. You won't accidentally create a duplicate. However, I'd recommend starting with the "Forgot Username" option as others suggested - it's often the quickest path to accessing an existing account without any confusion.

I just wanted to add another perspective for anyone else dealing with this issue. I'm a federal benefits counselor and I see this confusion come up all the time with my clients. One thing that might help is to check your email history first - search for emails from "noreply@ssa.gov" or "my.ssa.gov" since SSA sends confirmation emails whenever you create an account or access certain features. If you find any old emails from them, that's a good sign you already have an account. Also, if you receive paper statements from SSA, they often include a note about accessing your information online, which might jog your memory about whether you've set up digital access before. This can save you the hassle of going through the recovery process if you can remember some details beforehand.

dont 4get about taxes too!! my friends dad had to pay taxes on his SS when he was still working even tho they already took money away from his checks for being over the limit. double whammy!!

Just wanted to add one more important point that might help with your decision - if you do decide to start benefits before FRA and continue working, make sure to report your estimated earnings to SSA when you apply. They'll use this to calculate your monthly benefit amount and potentially withhold the right amount upfront, which can help avoid surprise overpayments later. You can also update your earnings estimate during the year if your income changes significantly. This proactive approach can save you from the headache that some others have mentioned about owing money back. The key is staying in communication with SSA rather than hoping for the best! Given that you're earning $2,600/month consistently, waiting until FRA does seem like it might be the simpler path, but at least now you know how the system works if your situation changes.

This is not accurate at all... as long as the child was receiving benefits PRIOR to the adoption, they continue to receive them. If someone else had them stop, they either didn't fill it out correctly with the notification or didn't elaborate that it was a step adoption. It literally says it right on the SSA site. Jump to section C https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0300203035

I'm going through something very similar right now - my partner and I are engaged and I was planning to adopt her 7-year-old son who receives survivor benefits from his father. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly eye-opening and honestly a bit overwhelming. The amount of money we're talking about really puts things in perspective. Her son gets about $980 monthly, which over the next 11 years would be over $125,000. That's literally a college education right there. What strikes me most is how many people seem to have learned about this rule AFTER the adoption happened. It's frustrating that SSA doesn't make this clearer upfront. I called them last week about a different question and they never mentioned this potential issue. I think we're going to follow the advice here about consulting with a family law attorney who understands both adoption and Social Security rules. The legal guardianship and power of attorney options sound like they could work for us too. Has anyone here actually spoken directly with SSA about their specific situation before making the decision? I'm wondering if there might be any nuances based on individual circumstances that we should explore before completely ruling out adoption.

so does this mean the limits only apply if ur under FRA? im 63 and getting SS but also working part time at walmart. i thot limit was like $1700 a month or something??

I think there's something about having to pay more taxes if your income is too high with social security? My neighbor said something about 85% of his benefits being taxed when he kept working.