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Will Social Security benefits stop if I don't create a Login.gov account by end of 2025?
I'm really worried after reading an article claiming that Login.gov will be MANDATORY for accessing Social Security benefits by the end of 2025. Is this actually true? Will my monthly retirement checks stop if I don't create this account? I've tried setting up a Login.gov account 3 different times and keep hitting roadblocks with the identity verification. The system won't accept my phone number for some reason, and when I tried the photo ID option, it kept rejecting my driver's license as "unreadable" even though it's perfectly clear. I called the Login.gov helpline who told me to contact SSA. Then spent nearly 4 hours on hold with SSA's 800 number before getting disconnected. Tried again the next day and couldn't even get through. Apparently I need an in-person appointment to resolve this, but can't make one without calling that same impossible 800 number! Can someone please clarify if my benefits will actually stop if I don't get this Login.gov account working? I've been receiving retirement for 6 years without issues using my old my Social Security account. Really don't want to lose my monthly income over a website problem.
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One important thing to note: If you're seeing this Part D IRMAA for the first time, you should know it typically increases annually alongside inflation adjustments. For 2024, there are 5 income tiers with corresponding surcharge amounts: $12.90, $32.80, $52.60, $72.50, and $81.00 monthly. This is separate from and in addition to your regular Part D premium that you pay to your insurer. The tier you fall into depends on your MAGI (Modified Adjusted Gross Income) from your 2022 tax return.
Thanks for breaking down the different tiers. I'm in the lowest one at $12.90, but it's good to understand how the system works. I guess I need to factor this into my retirement budget planning going forward, especially if I have any unusual income years.
Does anyone know if there's a way to get rid of this charge for next year? Is it permanent once they start charging it?? I'm on a fixed income and every dollar counts!
It's not permanent! It's recalculated every year based on your tax return from 2 years prior. So your 2023 tax return will determine your 2025 IRMAA amount. If your income drops below the threshold (currently $103,000 for individuals), the surcharge goes away automatically for the following year.
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so basically the answer is ur 2024 earnings won't count until sometime in 2025 and even then it only matters if 2024 is one of ur highest 35 years right??
That's exactly right. The 2024 earnings will be processed by mid-2025, and they'll only affect your benefit calculation if they're high enough to be among your highest 35 years of indexed earnings. If you had some very low earning years or years with zero earnings in your work history, then a good earning year like 2024 could have a meaningful impact on your future benefit amount.
Thank you all for the helpful responses! This clears up a lot of my confusion. It sounds like I should expect my 2024 earnings to be reflected in SSA's systems by mid-2025, and since I'm planning to wait until 2026 to apply for benefits, those earnings will definitely be included in my initial benefit calculation. That's a relief since 2023 was such a low year for me during medical leave.
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i messed up my first year and went over by a lot lol. they didn't tell me until like 8 months later then suddenly my checks stopped coming for 3 months!! no warning!! make sure you report your expected earnings to them so they can adjust gradually instead of all at once
This happened to my neighbor too! SSA's communication about these things is terrible. Always better to let them know in advance about any expected income changes.
To answer your question about how they handle the withholding - typically SSA will withhold full monthly payments at the beginning of the year until they've recovered the amount. So if your monthly benefit is $1,500 and they need to withhold $3,090, they might withhold your January and February payments completely, then withhold $90 from March. However, you can request a different withholding schedule if this creates a hardship. You'd need to contact SSA directly to arrange this. As for taxes, while tax software can handle the basic Social Security forms, a tax professional might be worth it the first year, especially with your 1099 contractor situation. They can help you understand the interplay between self-employment taxes, potential benefit taxation, and deductions you might be eligible for as a contractor.
This is really helpful, thank you! I'd much rather have them take a little from each check than completely withhold payments for two months. I'll see if I can arrange that with them.
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OK this is making me panic because I just applied for my widow benefits last month and no one mentioned anything about a "restricted application" they just took my application!!! I'm 66 (my FRA) and was planning to wait until 70 for my own benefits. Did I mess up??? Did they file for both??? How can I check???
Don't panic - check your award letter or log into my.ssa.gov to see what benefit they actually processed. If they processed a retirement benefit when you wanted widow's benefits, you have 12 months to withdraw the application. Call them immediately if you see any indication they filed for your retirement benefit. You'll want to specifically check if the benefit is listed as a widow's benefit or retirement benefit.
whats the advantage of doing this again? so confused by all the different options lol
The advantage is huge! By taking the survivor benefit now at FRA (when it's at its maximum) and delaying your own retirement until 70, you get the survivor money now PLUS your own retirement benefit gets to grow by 8% per year between FRA and 70. You essentially get paid while waiting for your bigger benefit to grow. If the survivor benefit is $2,450/month for 3 years, that's about $88,200 you'd collect while waiting for your own benefit to reach its maximum at 70.
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tell her to go to the office IN PERSON!!! do NOT rely on the phone. my daughter wasted 6 months trying to call about her sons benefits on her disability. we finally just went to the local office and waited all morning but at least got it done in one day!!!
Good advice. My daughter's mobility issues make waiting at an office difficult, but maybe I can go with her to help. Did your daughter have to bring the kids to the office too, or just their documents?
just the documents was fine. birth certificates and social security cards. and her photo id. but call first to check if your office requires appointments now cause some do since covid
Just to add a bit more info since there are some good questions here: 1. Regarding the Family Maximum Benefit that several people mentioned - yes, there is a cap that's generally 150-180% of the disabled parent's benefit. With two children, they might each get somewhat less than 50%, but it's still significant. 2. Timeline: Once she applies, it typically takes 1-3 months for auxiliary benefits to be approved (much faster than disability applications). Back benefits are limited to 6 months from application date. 3. The older child's benefits will stop at age 18 unless they're still in high school, in which case benefits can continue until graduation or age 19 and 2 months, whichever comes first. 4. Application process: If your daughter has mobility issues, she can: - Start the application online at ssa.gov - Call for a phone appointment - Request an in-person appointment - In some cases, request an accommodation if visiting the office is difficult Make sure she doesn't delay - every month she waits is potentially lost back benefits!
Thank you so much for this detailed information! I'm going to help her start the online application this weekend. We'll gather all the documents mentioned. It's good to know about the continuation for her oldest since he is still in high school. This could really make a difference for their family.
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I just went through this exact process last year! The representative who handled my case told me that children's benefits have a rule called "one-year retroactivity" which means they can only get backpay for up to 12 months before the application date, not the full disability period. But honestly I've heard different things from different SSA people so your brother should definitely confirm this directly with them.
Don't forget you need seperate bank accounts for kids benfits!!! SSA made me open seperate accounts for my kids money cuz they said the parents cant use that money except for the kids stuff. And they do check!!!!
That's good to know! My brother was wondering how the payments work. He'll set up accounts for them once he gets this all sorted out.
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Just wanted to say I'm sorry for your loss. My mom went through this same situation last year. One thing she learned - if the SSA rep seems unsure about survivor benefit calculations, politely ask to speak with a technical expert. Some of the frontline reps aren't fully trained on all the survivor benefit nuances.
This is excellent advice. Survivor benefits have some of the most complex rules in the Social Security system, and even some representatives don't deal with them frequently enough to be experts. A technical expert can provide more definitive answers.
Thank you all so much for the helpful information. I'm going to try calling SSA again tomorrow and ask specifically about: 1. The exact amount I would receive if I switch to survivor benefits now vs. at my FRA 2. Whether I should continue with my own benefit or switch to survivor benefits 3. That $255 death benefit I hadn't heard about I'll ask to speak with a technical expert if the representative seems unsure. I'm feeling much more prepared now thanks to all your explanations. I'll update here once I get some answers from SSA.
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One more thing to consider: if you're still working at your state job while collecting Social Security before reaching age 70, make sure you understand how that might affect your taxes. Up to 85% of your Social Security benefits can be taxable depending on your combined income. This tax situation, combined with IRMAA considerations, makes it worth running detailed calculations or even consulting with a financial advisor who specializes in retirement planning for government employees. The right timing can make a difference of tens of thousands of dollars over your retirement.
You're absolutely right. I hadn't fully considered the tax implications. I'm definitely going to withdraw my application for now and possibly consult with a financial advisor before reapplying. There are clearly more factors to consider than I initially thought. Thank you!
did u know that if u work for a state that doesnt pay into SS (like some do and some dont) it can really mess up ur benefits? my cousin lost like half his SS because of something called windfall elimination provision. just mentioning in case ur state job is one of those???
Good point about WEP. To clarify: the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) reduces Social Security benefits for people who receive pensions from work where they didn't pay Social Security taxes (like some state/local government jobs). However, the reduction is eliminated if you have 30+ years of "substantial earnings" under Social Security. The Government Pension Offset (GPO) is a separate provision that can affect spousal/survivor benefits. Both are important considerations for state employees approaching retirement.
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Just wanted to say THANK YOU for asking this question!! I'm a teacher in Texas with 31 years in and my husband gets SS. I had NO CLUE about these changes and have been assuming I'd get nothing from his record. Going to look into this more now!!!!
You're welcome! I'm glad it helped you too. This whole system is so complicated, especially for teachers and other public employees.
One final consideration: make sure you're looking at your true pension amount when doing these calculations. Some public pension systems offer annuity options with survivor benefits that reduce the monthly payment. The GPO calculation would be based on the pension amount before any such reductions. Also, don't forget that the spousal benefit maximum is 50% of your husband's PIA, not 50% of what he actually receives. If he delayed claiming past his FRA to increase his own benefit, your spousal benefit would still be based on his PIA at full retirement age, not his increased amount. I'd recommend scheduling an appointment with SSA in early 2025 once they've fully implemented the new calculation procedures. They should be able to provide you with personalized estimates based on your specific situation.
Thank you for this additional information. I'll make sure to talk to my pension system about the exact amount they'll use for these calculations. And I'll definitely schedule that SSA appointment in early 2025!
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Amelia Dietrich
I work at a senior center and we've been helping many people with exactly this situation. The SSA is transitioning to Login.gov for online account access, but this will NOT affect whether you receive your benefits. I've helped dozens of seniors through this process. Here's what I've found works: 1) Try the Login.gov verification at different times of day - their system gets overloaded 2) Make sure your phone is receiving texts if using that verification method 3) For photo ID verification, use a very well-lit room and place ID on dark background 4) If all else fails, visiting an SSA office in person is unfortunately the most reliable solution But please don't worry about losing benefits - that's simply not accurate information.
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Maya Lewis
•these are great tips!! i'm gonna try helping my grandma with this using the dark background trick cause her ID kept getting rejected too
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Connor Murphy
I think most of the confusion is coming from that misleading Fox News article from last month that made it sound like benefits would stop without Login.gov access. That's just not true. The article was talking about online account access, not actual benefit payments, but they made the headline super scary to get clicks.
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Benjamin Carter
•Of COURSE the media is fear-mongering again! They always do this to seniors, get us all worked up about losing our benefits. Thanks for pointing this out - I probably saw the same article and didn't read the fine print.
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