my friend tried to do this and they told him he had to PAY BACK EVERYTHING HE GOT SO FAR!!!! be careful!!!

Thanks everyone for the helpful information! I've decided to go ahead with suspending my benefits. I'll be calling SSA tomorrow morning (or trying that Claimyr service if I can't get through). It makes sense to let my benefit amount grow since I'm still working full-time. I appreciate all the advice about Medicare premiums and the clarification on not having to repay what I've already received. This community is amazing!

did your situation ever get figured out? currently experiencing this too! when did you end up receiving it? (sorry for such a late reply! i just recently turned 18 and found out i still qualify so i’m awaiting benefits from my dad who had passed away) i was just concerned and wondering if i should call up the office again. originally i had visited an office on april 25th and they accidentally set up my back pay as a check to an address i was no longer living at, so i i had called up again on may 8th, and i was able to switch it to a direct deposit and i haven’t received anything yet and it’s currently the 15th. i was told it would take 5-7 days for the direct deposit to appear but i haven’t received it yet!

I'm going through a similar situation right now! My survivor benefits were approved last month and I'm still waiting on the backpay lump sum. It's so stressful when you have bills waiting and the money seems to be stuck somewhere in the system. Reading through all these responses is actually really helpful - it sounds like delays of 1-3 weeks are pretty normal, even though the reps always seem to give much shorter timeframes. The advice about checking your MySocialSecurity account online for payment history is great - I didn't know you could track it that way. Also going to look into that Claimyr service if I need to call them, because the hold times are absolutely brutal when you're already anxious about money. Thanks for posting this question - sometimes it helps just knowing other people are dealing with the same bureaucratic headaches!

One more possibility - did your mother work for the federal government or a state/local government that didn't participate in Social Security? If so, there could have been a small death benefit from her retirement system that was split among you as next of kin. Some government pension systems offer modest death benefits to survivors that are separate from Social Security.

Just wanted to add my experience - when my grandmother passed away last year, we received similar unexpected checks from US Treasury about 6 weeks later. Each of her 3 adult children got around $95. I called the SSA to ask about it and after being transferred twice, they confirmed it was an underpayment from her final month of benefits. Apparently when someone dies mid-month, they're entitled to the full month's payment if they lived past the 1st of the month, but the system sometimes processes it incorrectly initially and has to send corrections later. The agent said this happens fairly often and that's why there's usually a delay in processing these payments to next of kin.

don't forget that some of those medical expenses might be deductible on the final return if they're over 7.5% of the adjusted gross income. my brother's accountant got him a bigger refund by tracking down all the medical stuff when my dad passed

I'm so glad you were able to get everything sorted out, Omar! Your experience is a great reminder for others that calling the local office directly can be much more effective than the national hotline. It's encouraging to hear that the staff was helpful and accommodating during such a difficult time. Having dealt with similar paperwork issues myself, I know how overwhelming it can feel when you're already grieving. Wishing you the best as you wrap up the tax filing process.

Yes, SSA can absolutely provide you with benefit projections at different claiming ages! When you call or visit a local office, ask them to run what's called a "benefit estimate" or "what-if" scenario. They can show you exactly what your retirement benefit would be at 62, at your Full Retirement Age, and at age 70, while you continue receiving your current survivor benefit. You can also get some of this information by creating a my Social Security account at ssa.gov - it will show your estimated retirement benefits at different ages. Just remember that as long as you're receiving survivor benefits, you have the luxury of time to let your own retirement benefit grow. Take advantage of having all the numbers before making your decision!

Just wanted to add one more resource that might help - many local libraries offer free AARP tax preparation services that often include Social Security counseling. The volunteers are usually trained on these complex claiming strategies and can help you run the numbers without any sales pressure. Also, some libraries have computers set up specifically for accessing government websites like ssa.gov if you need help navigating the online tools. Since you're dealing with the survivor benefit complexity, having someone sit with you while you explore your options online might be really valuable. Good luck with your decision!