Hi Linda! I can see you've posted this question multiple times, and I completely understand the confusion - this is such an important detail for budgeting! Based on all the experiences shared in this thread, your survivor benefits payments will definitely follow YOUR birthday (June 9th), not your late husband's birthday (September 12th). Since you were born on June 9th, you fall into the "1st-10th of the month" category, which means your payments will come on the second Wednesday of each month. This has been consistently confirmed by everyone in this community who has actually received survivor benefits. The Social Security Administration treats these as YOUR benefits once you start receiving them, even though they're calculated based on your husband's work record. I hope this gives you the clarity you need for your financial planning!

Hi Linda! I can see you're looking for a clear answer about your payment dates, and I completely understand the confusion. Based on everything shared in this thread by people who have actually received survivor benefits, your payments will definitely follow YOUR birthday schedule, not your late husband's. Since your birthday is June 9th, you'll receive your survivor benefits on the second Wednesday of each month (the 1st-10th birth date category). Your husband's September 12th birthday won't affect your payment timing at all. The Social Security Administration treats survivor benefits as YOUR benefits once you're approved, even though they're calculated from your spouse's earnings record. So all the payment details - including which Wednesday of the month - are based on your birth date. I hope this helps clear things up for your budgeting! This community has been such a great resource for getting these practical questions answered.

I just want to echo what everyone else is saying - this letter is absolutely real and your sister-in-law should definitely follow up on it! I work as a benefits counselor and see this situation regularly. The confusion is totally understandable because SSA's letters aren't always the clearest. What's happening is called "dual entitlement" - she'll continue getting her full SSDI amount, but if 50% of your brother's benefit (reduced to about 35% since she's 62) is higher than her current SSDI, she'll get the difference added to her monthly payment. A few practical tips from what I've seen work best: - Call SSA at 7am or 8am on weekdays for shorter wait times - Have ready: marriage certificate, both SSNs, her current award letter - If she applies now, she'll likely get backpay to when your brother first started collecting - This won't affect her SSDI status, Medicare, or trigger any reviews Even if the extra amount is small, it's money she's entitled to and every bit helps with expenses. The worst part is just getting through to them on the phone, but once connected, they can often process it during that same call.

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm currently on SSDI and my husband is planning to file for his retirement benefits next month when he turns 67. I had absolutely no idea that I might be eligible for additional spousal benefits on top of my SSDI - this is news to me! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful and eye-opening. It sounds like the key things I need to remember are: 1) This is called "dual entitlement" and it's completely legitimate, 2) I'll only get the difference between my current SSDI and what the spousal benefit would be (not both full amounts), 3) I need to actively call SSA to apply - it won't happen automatically, and 4) I should call early in the morning on weekdays to avoid the worst wait times. I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for a letter from SSA once my husband starts collecting, and if I get one, I won't hesitate to follow up on it. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences and practical tips - this community is such a valuable resource for navigating these complex benefits!

This thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! As someone who just received my "Notice of Award" letter but has questions about when my benefits actually start, I've been dreading having to call SSA after hearing so many horror stories about their phone system. But wow - you all have essentially created the most comprehensive guide to navigating SSA phone issues I've ever seen! The combination of strategic timing (Tuesday-Thursday mornings), technical workarounds (2-1-0 sequence, landlines vs cell phones), and creative alternatives (Spanish line, TTY options, congressional reps) gives me actual hope instead of just dread. Sebastian, congratulations on your success with the Tuesday morning landline approach! Hearing that someone just used these exact strategies and got through in 45 minutes is so encouraging. It proves this isn't just theory - these methods really work when applied systematically. I'm planning to follow the battle plan that's emerged from everyone's shared wisdom: prep my questions using my mySocialSecurity account, call Tuesday morning from my parent's landline, try the button sequences people have mentioned, and keep the backup options ready if needed. Having multiple strategies lined up makes this feel manageable instead of impossible. Thank you to everyone who turned their frustrating experiences into helpful guidance for the rest of us. This is exactly what community support should look like - people helping people solve real problems together!

This entire thread has been absolutely invaluable - thank you to everyone who shared their hard-won strategies! I'm dealing with the exact same phone system nightmare trying to get information about spousal benefits coordination. Been calling for three days straight with zero success - the automated system just loops endlessly like you described, Jamal. I'm definitely going to try the systematic approach that's emerged from all your collective wisdom: Tuesday morning calls from a landline (my elderly neighbor still has one), the 2-1-0 button sequence, and having my mySocialSecurity account details ready beforehand. The technical explanation about WiFi calling interference was eye-opening - I've been calling exclusively from my smartphone on WiFi which probably explains the complete lack of response to my inputs. Sebastian, huge congratulations on breaking through using these methods! Your success story gives me real hope that persistence plus the right techniques can actually beat this broken system. What strikes me most is how this community has essentially created a more comprehensive and useful resource than anything SSA provides officially. The combination of insider knowledge, technical insights, timing strategies, and creative alternatives like the Spanish line and TTY options shows what we can accomplish when we help each other navigate these frustrating bureaucratic systems. I'll definitely report back on which methods work for me - hopefully I can add to this amazing collective knowledge base that's helping so many people get the government services they deserve!

They calculated his SSDI amount incorrectly (used the wrong dollar amount) which made his LTD payment too low. Then they didn't account for the fact that his dependent also received a small SSDI benefit, which shouldn't have affected his LTD but they counted it anyway. We had to send multiple letters and make many calls to get it fixed. Keep ALL paperwork from SSA showing exact benefit amounts, and double-check their math!

Just went through this exact same situation with MetLife last year! I was terrified when I got those documents too - it felt like they were trying to trick me somehow. But after talking to a disability attorney (my own, not theirs), I learned this is 100% standard practice. The key things to understand: 1) You're probably already contractually required to apply for SSDI anyway (check your policy), 2) The offset would happen regardless of which attorney you use, 3) Their attorney actually has good incentives to get you approved quickly. I ended up using their attorney and got approved on first try. The hardest part was waiting for the SSDI decision - took about 8 months. But once approved, even after paying back the insurance company, I was still better off financially because SSDI continues for life while LTD policies often have time limits. Don't let the paperwork scare you - just make sure you understand all the terms before signing.

Thank you all for the thoughtful responses. After reading through everything, I think I'll take the following approach: 1. Talk to my doctor next week about whether my condition meets SSA's disability criteria and get their opinion on filing for SSDI 2. Make sure my part-time hours keep me under the SGA limit while applying 3. Begin the SSDI application process and see what happens 4. If denied, I'll still have my original plan of taking early retirement at 62 The potential financial difference between SSDI and early retirement seems significant enough to at least try applying. Even if it's a long process, I've still got almost 2 years before I turn 62, so there's time to navigate the system. I really appreciate all the personal experiences and expertise shared here!

As someone who recently went through a similar decision process, I'd strongly recommend documenting everything about your medical condition and work limitations NOW, before you apply. Keep a daily log of symptoms, bad days, how your condition affects your work performance, etc. I made the mistake of applying without thorough documentation and got denied initially. Had to go through the appeals process with much better records the second time around. Also, consider getting a functional capacity evaluation from your doctor - SSA really values objective medical evidence about what you can and can't do work-wise. Your plan sounds solid, but be prepared for the process to take longer than expected. I'd also suggest applying online rather than over the phone - the SSA website lets you save your progress and you have more control over the information you provide. Good luck! The financial difference really is worth pursuing, especially since you have that backup plan at 62.