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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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You need an appointment. Their website lets you schedule it. But when I went they were taking walk-ins too if you got there early, but the wait was pretty long.
Regarding your question about notification before they reclaim the payment - no, they typically don't provide advance notice. The Treasury Department electronically withdraws the funds directly from the financial institution. This is why it's important to keep sufficient funds in the account to avoid overdraft fees. Also, I wanted to clarify about the month of death benefits since there's some confusion in the comments. The rule is: - Social Security benefits are paid in the month following the month they're due for - A person must live through the entire month to be entitled to that month's payment - Since your wife passed in November, the November payment she received was her October benefit - This payment is proper and won't be reclaimed - However, since she didn't live through all of November, she wasn't entitled to a November benefit (which would have been paid in December) As a survivor, your benefits would typically start with December (paid in January). But since there's a processing delay, you'll eventually receive back payments for all months they owe you.
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Ava Johnson
Sorry but this is EXACTLY why I tell everyone to be VERY careful about taking early retirement!!! Your dad lost THOUSANDS by claiming at 62! His benefit would be at least $4500-5000 if he had waited until 70!!! And now your mom might get less survivor benefits because of his decision!!! Social Security is SO COMPLICATED and the govt makes it IMPOSSIBLE to understand on purpose!!!
ppl take early ss for lots of reasons tho... maybe he had health issues or needed the $ right away?? not everyone can wait till 70
Sofia Perez
Thank you all for the helpful responses! Based on your advice, I've talked with my mom and we're going to: 1. Calculate what 100% of dad's PIA would be (vs his reduced benefit) 2. Compare that to her current SSDI amount 3. Make sure she understands she'll need to apply for survivor benefits if/when the time comes It's a relief to know she'd have options if something happens to my dad. The divorce has been stressful enough without worrying about financial insecurity. I appreciate everyone sharing their knowledge and personal experiences!
That sounds like a solid plan. One additional suggestion: your mother should create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov if she hasn't already. This will allow her to see her own earnings record and benefit estimates. While it won't show potential survivor benefits, it's still helpful to have all her current information organized and accessible. It will make the application process smoother if/when she needs to apply for survivor benefits in the future.
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Jean Claude
@system_critic maybe rules different in different states? i definitely walked in to hartford office in february. but yeah they said they prefer appointments now
You're right - I just checked and some offices do still allow limited walk-ins for certain services. The Boston office where I went is fully appointment-only. OP should definitely call their specific office to check.
Update: I applied online last night and it was actually pretty easy! The system let me select April as my start month. I had to upload scans of my documents, but that wasn't too difficult. Thanks everyone for steering me in the right direction!
Josef Tearle
•Great news! Make sure to print or save a copy of your confirmation page. You should receive an email confirmation as well, but it's always good to have backup documentation. SSA will likely call you within the next 1-2 weeks to verify some information. Congratulations on your retirement!
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Zoe Walker
One more important factor to consider: if you claim your benefit early at 64, and your husband passes away in the future, your survivor benefit would be affected. As a widow, you would be eligible for up to 100% of what your husband was receiving (including any delayed retirement credits), but if you had claimed your own benefit early, your survivor benefit would be reduced. This is one reason why, in couples with significant benefit differences, financial advisors often recommend that the lower-earning spouse consider claiming early while the higher-earning spouse delays as long as possible. This maximizes the survivor benefit protection.
I hadn't even thought about survivor benefits! That's a really important consideration. Since my husband is 5 years older than me, I should definitely be thinking about how my decisions now affect potential survivor benefits later. This gives me a lot to think about.
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If you're concerned about budgeting, you should know that your Part B premium can change yearly. The $217.80 you're paying now (which indicates you're in one of the IRMAA brackets) will likely change next January when rates are adjusted. Also, if your income drops significantly, you can file Form SSA-44 for a reduction in your IRMAA amount due to a life-changing event.
That's really helpful to know! My income actually did drop this year after I fully retired. I'll look into that form. Do you know if I can submit it online or do I need to mail it?
Unfortunately, Form SSA-44 can't be submitted online. You'll need to either mail it with supporting documentation or take it to your local Social Security office. Calling ahead to make an appointment is recommended if you go in person.
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congrats on getting approved! my process took almost 2 years and dealing with the LTD company was actually harder than getting SSDI approved lol. make sure you get everything in writing from both ssdi and LTD about how they're calculating things.
LongPeri
•Thanks! I was actually surprised mine went through relatively quickly. I had really thorough medical documentation from three specialists. But now I'm realizing the LTD situation might be the harder part to navigate. I'll definitely get everything in writing.
Has anyone ever got their lawyer to negotiate with the LTD company? My cousin said his lawyer helped him keep more of his backpay by arguing something about the contract terms.
Liv Park
•Some SSDI attorneys will assist with LTD offset issues, but many won't as it falls outside their standard services. If your attorney is willing to help, they might be able to review the policy language and identify potential arguments - such as whether certain benefits should be excluded from offset calculations, or whether the calculation method being used adheres to the policy terms. However, this would typically require a separate fee arrangement as it's not part of the standard SSDI representation.
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Jamal Carter
I STILL dont trust what the SSA says about anything!!! My neighbor got hit with an 'overpayment' notice because they claimed he earned too much while getting SS, but it was from selling his boat, NOT from working!!! He had to fight for MONTHS to get it straightened out. The SSA computers dont know the difference sometimes and then YOUR stuck with the mess!!! Be careful!!!
That's concerning and unfortunately not uncommon. The best protection is to keep good records. If the property sale is reported to the IRS (via a 1099-S form), the SSA's computer system might flag it incorrectly. If that happens, you'd need to request a reconsideration and provide documentation showing it was a capital gain, not earned income. It's helpful to keep the closing documents from the sale handy just in case.
Good news about the property sale! Just remember that even though it won't affect your SS benefits, you'll still have to pay capital gains tax on the sale. Hope you've owned it for more than a year so you get the lower tax rate!
Yes, we've owned it for over 40 years, so it should qualify for the long-term capital gains rate. And I'll set aside some of the proceeds for the taxes. Thanks for the reminder!
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good luck!!!! bring a NOTEPAD and write down everything they tell you and get the reps NAME!!!!! trust me on this one
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Laila Fury
Just to add some clarity on how SSA actually applies the earnings test in your situation: 1. They'll look at your total earnings January-April (before FRA) 2. If those earnings exceed $62,160 (which yours don't at $25,000), they'd withhold $1 in benefits for every $3 above the threshold 3. The withholding would be applied to your monthly benefits starting from January 4. Once you reach FRA in May, no further withholding occurs regardless of earnings 5. At your FRA, SSA automatically adjusts your ongoing benefit amount to give you credit for any months benefits were withheld But since you're well under the threshold, this won't apply to you at all. You'll receive your full benefit amount with no reductions.
Hugo Kass
my dad just went thru this! he said make sure you tell them you reached FRA when you call because sometimes the customer service people get confused about which rule applies to you. he had to call back 3 times to get someone who understood the rule correctly lol
Haley Stokes
has anyone used those free benefit calculater tools online? are they trustworthy or just trying to sell u something later?
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Lia Quinn
Many online calculators provide reasonable estimates but lack the nuance of your complete earnings history. Some financial advisors offer more comprehensive analysis. Be wary of
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