I'm so sorry for your loss, Dominique. I went through this exact process last year when my father passed away, and I know how emotionally and logistically overwhelming it can feel. Based on everyone's excellent advice here, it sounds like you're very well-prepared. One additional thing that helped me during our phone interview was having a glass of water nearby - the call can be emotionally draining and longer than expected (ours was about 50 minutes). Also, since you mentioned your dad is worried about bills, you might want to ask during the interview if there's any possibility of expedited processing given financial hardship. While it's not always available, it doesn't hurt to ask, especially since you're dealing with the appointment delays at your local office. One practical tip: if the agent gives you a confirmation number or case number during the call, ask them to repeat it slowly so you can write it down clearly. You'll likely need it if you have to call back with questions. The waiting period is really the hardest part, but from what I've seen in this thread and my own experience, most people see their first payment within 6-8 weeks of approval. Your dad is fortunate to have such a thorough advocate helping him through this difficult time. You're doing everything right, and this community has given you excellent guidance to feel confident going into that interview.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Dominique. I went through this same process when my mother passed away two years ago, and I completely understand how overwhelming it feels to navigate all this bureaucracy while you're grieving. Based on all the excellent advice shared here, it sounds like you're incredibly well-prepared for your phone interview. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet - if your dad gets emotional during the call (which is completely normal), don't hesitate to ask the agent for a brief pause. They're very understanding and used to these situations. Also, since you mentioned the local office appointments are backed up until April, I'd suggest calling the national number (1-800-772-1213) after your phone interview if you have any follow-up questions. Sometimes you can get quicker answers that way rather than waiting for the in-person appointment. The timeline everyone's mentioned (6-8 weeks for first payment with backdating) matches my experience exactly. The hardest part really is just the waiting, but it sounds like you've got everything organized perfectly. Your dad is incredibly fortunate to have you advocating for him during this difficult time. The thoroughness you're showing in preparing for this interview will make all the difference. This community has been amazing in sharing their experiences - it's exactly the kind of support that helps families get through these challenging processes.

I'm new to this community and just wanted to add my experience to help ease your concerns! I started receiving Social Security retirement benefits about 8 months ago, and my very first payment also arrived early - I think it was 2 days before the scheduled date. I had the exact same worry you did about whether SSA would realize their "mistake" and try to take it back somehow! What I learned is that this is completely normal. Banks often process ACH deposits as soon as they receive the transfer instruction rather than holding it until the official payment date. Since then, my payments have been very consistent with the regular schedule based on my birth date. The full amount you received also sounds correct if you chose quarterly Medicare billing during your application process. I made the same choice, and I get separate Medicare bills every few months instead of having the premiums deducted from my Social Security check. My advice echoes what others have said - definitely don't call SSA about this! I made that mistake once for a different question and spent literally half a day on hold. Since everything worked correctly and you got exactly what you were supposed to get, just enjoy the early surprise and look forward to your regular payment schedule going forward. Congratulations on this milestone and welcome to retirement! It sounds like your Social Security application process went remarkably smoothly compared to some of the stories you hear.

Congratulations on your first Social Security payment! What you experienced is completely normal - early deposits are actually quite common, especially when payment dates fall near weekends. Banks typically process ACH transfers as soon as they receive them rather than waiting for the official posting date. Your full $2,175 amount without deductions is also correct if you selected quarterly Medicare billing during enrollment. This means you'll receive separate Medicare bills every three months (around $525 quarterly for Part B) instead of having premiums deducted from your monthly Social Security payment. I'd definitely avoid calling SSA about this - their phone system has notorious wait times, and since everything processed correctly in your favor, there's no need to invite complications. Your future payments should follow the regular third Wednesday schedule based on your birth date. Just consider yourself fortunate that your first Social Security experience went so smoothly! The early deposit is a pleasant bonus, not a problem that needs solving. Enjoy this important retirement milestone!

I'm also an artist on SSDI and wanted to share something that really helped me when I was in a similar situation last year. Beyond all the excellent technical advice here, I found it crucial to get my art practice formally recognized as part of my treatment plan by my healthcare team. I asked my psychiatrist to document how creating art helps manage my depression and anxiety symptoms, and my physical therapist noted how certain art activities actually serve as occupational therapy for my hand mobility issues. Having this medical documentation helped establish that my art isn't just "work" - it's an integral part of managing my disability. When I eventually did start selling pieces, this medical backing made a huge difference in how SSA viewed my activities. They were much more understanding about the irregular nature of my income and work capacity when they could see it was treatment-related rather than just pursuing profit. Also, something practical that saved me headaches - I created a simple spreadsheet tracking my daily symptoms alongside my art-related activities (creating, marketing, selling). This helped me clearly demonstrate to SSA how my disability affects my work capacity on an ongoing basis, not just during flare-ups. The $8K sale sounds like an amazing opportunity! Just make sure you have all your documentation in order before proceeding. The therapeutic value of your art practice could actually be your strongest argument for why this income pattern is sustainable within your disability limitations.

I've been reading through this incredibly helpful thread as someone who's also navigating SSDI and creative work. The wealth of real-world experience shared here is amazing! One thing I wanted to add that might help NeonNova and others - consider reaching out to your local Independent Living Center (ILC). Many ILCs have benefits counselors who specialize in work incentives and can provide free one-on-one guidance. They often have more time to spend with you than busy WIPA counselors and can help coordinate between different services. Also, for your gallery situation specifically - you might want to ask the gallery if they're familiar with any other artists who receive disability benefits. Galleries in arts communities often work with artists who have various accommodation needs, and they may have encountered this situation before. Some galleries are surprisingly knowledgeable about payment structuring options. The therapeutic documentation suggestions from Dmitry are spot-on. I'd add that if you have an occupational therapist or any other specialists involved in your care, they might also be able to document how art practice addresses specific functional goals related to your condition. It's clear you're approaching this very thoughtfully, and with all the excellent guidance in this thread plus proper professional counseling, you should be able to find a path forward. The art world needs more artists who understand these systems - you could end up helping other artists in similar situations down the road!

I'm new to this community and just had to share my experience after reading through this entire thread! I'm 64 and called my local SSA office last week, where I was told that online applications "disappear into the federal system" and can take 3-4 months to process, while phone appointments are handled locally and move much faster. They scheduled me for a phone appointment in late February. But after seeing all the real experiences shared here - people consistently getting approved in 3-4 weeks with online filing while phone appointments involve long waits and potential rescheduling - it's obvious I was given completely wrong information. The pattern of misinformation across different SSA offices is really concerning. What really convinced me was seeing the specific timelines: @Freya Andersen's 23-day approval, @Zoe Dimitriou's 19-day approval, and multiple others reporting 3-week approvals with online filing. Meanwhile, people are waiting months just to get phone appointments scheduled! I'm definitely going with the dual strategy everyone has recommended - filing online this weekend while keeping my February appointment as backup. The evidence is overwhelming that online filing is faster, more convenient, and more reliable than what these SSA reps are claiming. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences - this community knowledge has been invaluable for helping newcomers like me navigate around the misinformation from official sources!

I'm completely new to this community and Social Security filing, but this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm 63 and planning to file for benefits next month, but after calling my local SSA office yesterday, I got the exact same confusing advice everyone else seems to be getting. The rep told me that online applications get sent to a "national processing center" that's severely backlogged and takes 8-10 weeks longer than phone appointments. She insisted I should wait for their next available phone slot in mid-March. Reading through all these real experiences has been such an eye-opener! The pattern of misinformation from different SSA offices is really striking - so many people getting variations of the same incorrect story about online filing being slower or going to separate systems. But the actual user experiences tell a completely different story - consistent 3-4 week approvals with online filing! What really convinced me were the specific timelines people shared: @Freya Andersen's 23-day approval, @Zoe Dimitriou's 19-day approval, and @StellarSurfer's 3-week approval. Meanwhile, phone appointments involve months-long waits just to get scheduled, plus risks of cancellations and rescheduling. I'm definitely following the proven strategy from this thread - filing online this week while keeping my March phone appointment as backup. The flexibility to file on my own schedule without feeling rushed, plus the ability to double-check everything before submitting, makes online filing the obvious choice. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences and timelines - this community knowledge is far more reliable and helpful than what I'm hearing from official sources!

I'm facing this exact same issue right now! My retirement application expired back in December and I've been dreading dealing with it. This entire thread has been such a lifesaver - I had no idea there were so many different approaches to getting this resolved. The consensus seems to be that calling the local SSA office directly is the most efficient route, which I never would have thought of on my own. I was planning to just keep trying the national number and getting frustrated with the wait times. Based on everyone's advice here, I'm going to call my local office first thing Monday morning with my SSN and the date I started the original application ready. It's so reassuring to see that multiple people got this resolved in just a few minutes once they reached the right person. One question - for those who successfully got their applications deleted and restarted, did you find the new online application process any different or improved from when you first tried? I'm wondering if they've made any updates to the system that might prevent this expiration issue from happening again. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences! This community support has turned what felt like an impossible bureaucratic maze into a manageable Monday morning phone call.

I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago with my disability application that expired after sitting incomplete for months. The advice in this thread is spot-on - calling your local SSA office directly is absolutely the way to go! I tried the national line first and waited over an hour just to get disconnected. Called my local office the next morning at 8:30am and got through to someone immediately who deleted my expired application in about 2 minutes. The local staff really do seem more familiar with these system glitches and know exactly how to handle them. One thing I'd add - when you restart your application, the system now has much clearer progress indicators and timeout warnings than it used to. They've definitely improved the user experience, but I still recommend gathering ALL your documents first (bank info, work history, medical records if applicable, etc.) before starting so you can complete everything in one session. Also, don't stress if you see any weird error messages when you first try to start a new application right after they delete the old one. Sometimes it takes 10-15 minutes for their system to fully clear the deletion, so if you get an error saying you already have an application in progress, just wait a bit and try again. Good luck to everyone dealing with this - it's really not as complicated as it seems once you get the right person on the phone!