Just wanted to follow up - did you receive your second letter yet? It's been about a week since your post.

That's great news that you got confirmation! The 8am trick is definitely worth remembering for anyone else trying to reach SSA. It sounds like everything is on track and you should see that second letter soon. Once you get it, make sure the total monthly amount matches what the rep originally quoted you ($2,350). If there's still a discrepancy, you'll at least have both letters to reference when you call back. Keep us posted on how it works out!

I'm so sorry for your loss and the unbelievable stress this delay must be adding during an already difficult time. 18+ months is absolutely outrageous for what should be a routine final payment - you have every right to be frustrated and demand better service. I work with seniors and their families navigating government benefits, and unfortunately this type of extreme delay has become more common since 2020. Based on what I've seen work for other families, here's what I'd recommend: **Immediate action:** Call 1-800-772-1213 tomorrow at exactly 8:00 AM and use these specific words: "I need help with a delayed underpayment for deceased beneficiary." This exact phrasing seems to route you to representatives who actually have authority to investigate payment delays instead of just taking messages. **Key question to ask:** Have them verify that your SSA-1724 actually made it to the regional Payment Center that processes these claims. Many times forms get stuck at local offices and never get properly forwarded - which would explain the endless "pending" status with no progress. **If phone calls fail:** File a complaint at oig.ssa.gov under "payment processing delays" and contact your Congressional representative's office for a Social Security case inquiry. Both can cut through bureaucratic gridlock when normal channels fail. **Document everything:** Start keeping detailed records of every interaction - dates, times, representative names, and exactly what they tell you. After 18+ months, you deserve specific answers about what's causing the delay and a concrete timeline for resolution, not vague brush-offs. Don't give up - this payment is legally owed to your mother's estate and there's no time limit on claiming it. With the right approach, this can still be resolved!

I'm so sorry for your loss and the absolutely unacceptable delay you've experienced. 18+ months is outrageous for what should be a straightforward final payment process. I went through something very similar when my father passed in 2022 - it took 16 months to finally get his last check, so I completely understand your frustration. What ultimately worked for me was getting more aggressive about escalating beyond the local office level, which clearly doesn't have the authority or motivation to resolve these delays. Here's what I'd recommend based on my experience and what others have shared: **Call the main SSA number (1-800-772-1213) at exactly 8:00 AM** and use this specific phrase: "I need help with a delayed underpayment for deceased beneficiary." This exact terminology seems to route you to representatives who can actually investigate payment issues rather than just take messages. **Ask them to verify your SSA-1724 actually reached the Payment Center** - in my case, the form had been sitting at the local office for months and was never properly forwarded to the regional center that actually processes these payments. **If phone calls don't work within 2-3 weeks, escalate immediately:** File a complaint with the SSA Office of Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov under "payment processing delays" and contact your Congressional representative for a Social Security case inquiry. Both can cut through bureaucratic gridlock when normal channels fail. **Document everything going forward** - dates, times, representative names, case numbers, and exactly what they tell you. After this long, you deserve specific answers and concrete timelines, not more vague "it's pending" responses. Don't give up - this money is legally owed to your mother's estate and there's no expiration date on claiming it. You've been far too patient already!

Wait I'm confused... I thought SSA always uses the annual earnings not monthly? My friend got caught by this - she worked 8 months before retiring but earned over the annual limit so they took back some benefits even though she wasn't working when collecting SS.

I've been helping people navigate SSA issues for years, and this is one of the most misunderstood rules! The key thing to remember is that for retirement benefits, they absolutely go by when you were PAID (what shows on your W2), not when you worked. Since your final paycheck hit in January 2025 for work done in December 2024, that income counts toward your 2025 earnings limit. The good news is that since you reached FRA in February 2025, you have the higher monthly earnings limit for January-February ($4,960/month for 2024, likely higher for 2025) and then NO limit at all after FRA. So unless that final paycheck was massive, you're probably fine! The confusion at your local office is unfortunately typical - many reps don't deal with these edge cases often enough to give consistent answers. If you're still worried, definitely ask for a Technical Expert as someone mentioned, but honestly it sounds like the timing worked out in your favor.

i had the same issue but mine was stuck with a date from 2 years ago lol. ended up having to call and the lady fixed it for me after i waited forever. good luck

I work as a benefits coordinator and deal with SSA applications frequently. Here's what I recommend: Don't abandon your application! Instead, call SSA using the callback service that Oliver mentioned or schedule an appointment at your local office. When you speak with them, specifically request that they add a "diary note" to your case file stating your preferred June 2025 start date. This is stronger than just using the remarks section. Also ask them to confirm the note was added and get a confirmation number if possible. The diary note will pop up when a claims specialist reviews your application, making it much more likely to be processed correctly. This approach has worked well for my clients in similar situations.

Here's a practical way to calculate your safe working limit for 2025: 1. Take the annual limit: $22,320 2. Divide by your hourly rate to get max hours for the year For example, if you find a job paying $20/hour: $22,320 ÷ $20 = 1,116 hours per year 1,116 ÷ 52 weeks = ~21.5 hours per week Stay under that, and you won't trigger any benefit reductions. Going over isn't the end of the world though - you'll eventually get the withheld benefits back after reaching your Full Retirement Age in the form of a recalculation.

Emma, I went through almost the exact same situation when I got laid off at 64 last year. The good news is that you CAN collect both - unemployment benefits absolutely do NOT count toward your Social Security earnings limit. I collected both for about 6 months with no issues whatsoever. A few things I learned along the way: - You'll need to report your SS benefits to your state unemployment office (they'll ask about "other income" during your weekly certifications) - Some states reduce unemployment benefits dollar-for-dollar with SS, others don't - definitely call your state office to find out - Keep detailed records of all payments and communications from both agencies - Consider having taxes withheld from both sources to avoid a big bill later The unemployment office might initially tell you that you can't collect both, but that's usually because their staff doesn't always understand the distinction between "earned" and "unearned" income. Stand your ground if needed - the SSA website is very clear that unemployment doesn't count against the earnings test. Good luck with your job search! The combination of both benefits should give you some breathing room while you figure out your next steps.