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I was just thinking about this the other day! My husband retired last year and we went through all this confusion too. Our accountant told us that vacation pay is considered a "special payment" and there's actually a form you can submit to Social Security to let them know about it. I think it's called Special Wage Payment form or something like that. Anyway, my husband ended up going back to work part-time too and it's been fine as long as we stay under the annual limit. Good luck with everything!
You're right - it's Form SSA-131 (Employer Report of Special Wage Payments). This is exactly what the OP should use to make sure the vacation payout is properly categorized.
Thank you all for the helpful advice! I'm going to: 1. Gather documentation about when my vacation time was earned 2. Fill out that SSA-131 form to report it as a special payment 3. Try using Claimyr to actually reach someone at SSA (thanks for that tip!) 4. Continue tracking my monthly earnings carefully for the rest of 2025 It's such a relief to know the vacation pay likely won't count against me. This community has been more helpful than hours of reading the SSA website!
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make sure u check ur My SS account online every week. sometimes they update stuff there before sending mail
Update: Just wanted to let everyone know that I did get an acknowledgment letter in the mail yesterday (about 10 days after submitting online). It confirmed my application is being processed and didn't mention anything about needing a physical signature. Thanks to everyone who helped calm my nerves about this!
Great news! The acknowledgment letter is confirmation that everything is proceeding normally. Now it's just a waiting game while they process your claim. Since you're applying for early retirement benefits at 62, make sure you understand how the earnings limit might affect you if you're still working (in 2025, you can earn up to $22,850 before they temporarily withhold benefits). Good luck with your retirement!
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Does your my Social Security account show if you are eligible for both benefits? I'm helping my sister with this same issue and we can't figure out where to see the survivor amount online.
Unfortunately, the My Social Security online account doesn't show survivor benefit estimates. It only shows your own retirement benefit estimates. For survivor benefit estimates, you'll need to call SSA directly or visit a local office. They'll need information about your deceased spouse's benefit amount to calculate the survivor benefit properly.
Thank you all for the helpful responses! I'm going to call SSA tomorrow and specifically request survivor benefits only. I'll make sure to use the phrase "restricting the scope of my application" as suggested. It's so frustrating that there's so much conflicting information out there, even from SSA representatives themselves.
Good luck getting through!! I had to call 14 TIMES before someone picked up!! So ridiculous!!!
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Dealing with international benefits is SO complicated! When my uncle retired with pensions from both US and Germany, it took him almost 8 months to get everything sorted out. Have you checked the US-UK totalization agreement details? Sometimes there are specific provisions for different countries.
8 months?! That's awful. I've been digging through the totalization agreement, but the language is so technical I can't tell if there's anything in there that would help me. I'm worried about appealing and making things worse somehow.
One important point for everyone following this discussion - while the Social Security Fairness Act would eliminate WEP/GPO for domestic public employees, international pension issues are typically governed by bilateral Social Security agreements (totalization agreements). These agreements are negotiated country-by-country and have their own unique provisions. If you have work history in multiple countries, it's essential to understand both the general WEP rules and the specific provisions of any applicable totalization agreement. These agreements help determine: 1. Whether you can combine work credits from both countries to qualify for benefits 2. How benefits are calculated when you have split work histories 3. Which country's benefits you're eligible to receive The US-UK agreement helps prevent double taxation and allows for totalizing credits, but it doesn't completely eliminate WEP reductions.
This is really helpful information, thank you. I think I need to specifically ask about the US-UK totalization agreement when I finally get through to someone at SSA. Do you know if there's a specific department or specialist at SSA that handles international cases?
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my sisters friends cousin had this happen and it was becuz she had a doctors appointment that day and they thought she was dead lol!!! social security is crazy sometimes
Wait, what?? They thought she was dead because of a doctor's appointment? That's absolutely bizarre! Sometimes I wonder how these systems even function at all...
Now that you've confirmed your payment was flagged for verification, I recommend documenting everything about this incident. Keep a record of who you spoke with, what they said, and any confirmation numbers they provided. If this happens again, having this documentation will help expedite resolution. Also, since you've now experienced two unusual payment issues, consider setting up a separate bank account that only receives your Social Security payments - this makes it easier to track issues and can provide an extra layer of security by keeping these payments separate from your regular accounts.
That's excellent advice about keeping a separate account just for Social Security deposits. I'm definitely going to set that up this week. And yes, I've started keeping detailed notes about everything - names, dates, confirmation numbers. Hopefully we won't have any more issues, but at least we'll be better prepared if we do.
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weird question but does anyone know if you can fax these forms??? my parents live in another state and i cant just go to their local office
Yes, you can fax the forms to your local SSA office. Make sure to include a cover sheet with your contact information and your parents' information (names, SSNs, and DOBs). However, you should follow up with a phone call to ensure they received the fax, as processing can be delayed without follow-up. The SSA may still require original signatures in some cases, so be prepared to mail originals if requested.
Update: I called the local office this morning and they said I need to bring my parents with me if I want to file the SSA-1696 forms!! That defeats the whole purpose since getting them there is extremely difficult. Dad can barely walk and gets confused in new environments. Is there any way around this???
That's not correct information. Your parents don't need to appear in person if they've signed the forms. The SSA-1696 specifically exists for situations like yours. Call the main SSA number again (not the local office) and specifically ask about the procedure for filing an SSA-1696 for individuals with limited mobility. Explain your parents' conditions clearly. If necessary, ask to speak with a supervisor who might be more familiar with these special situations. If you continue to get resistance, you might want to request a home visit from SSA, which they can provide in cases of significant hardship.
This is unfortunately a common misunderstanding even among some SSA staff. The SSA-1696 form specifically states in its instructions: "You may file in person or by mail with any Social Security office if you have a physical or mental limitation." For your situation, I recommend: 1. Document your parents' mobility and cognitive limitations (a brief letter from their doctor is ideal) 2. Have the forms signed and notarized if possible 3. Write a cover letter explaining the situation and why they cannot appear in person 4. Submit these documents by certified mail or in person If you continue to face resistance, ask to speak with the office manager at your local SSA office, as they typically have more flexibility to accommodate special circumstances.
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Sorry about your loss. I had to help my mother through this same process last year. One thing to keep in mind - if your husband was already receiving Social Security benefits when he passed, the processing should be somewhat faster since they already have his earnings record established in their system. If he wasn't yet collecting, it might take longer as they need to calculate his Primary Insurance Amount from scratch first. Either way, the online system won't show anything for survivor claims - it's a limitation of their technology infrastructure that they've never bothered to update.
Just be prepared for them to ask for MORE DOCUMENTS even after you submit everything! They asked for our marriage certificate TWICE and delayed my claim another 3 weeks because of their own mistake!! The whole system is a bureaucratic nightmare designed to frustrate people when they're most vulnerable!!
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my sister went thru this exact thing!! be careful, the local office gave her wrong info and told her she would be fine but then they took money back later!! make sure u get it in writing
This is why I recommend getting clear verification from SSA directly about your specific situation. The monthly earnings test rules are sometimes misunderstood even by some SSA employees, though most should be familiar with it.
Thank you all for the helpful information! I made an appointment with my local SS office for next week to discuss my specific situation. Will make sure to ask about the monthly earnings test and get clear confirmation about my January/February earnings not affecting my benefits starting in April. Really appreciate everyone's input!
Good idea! If you have trouble with that appointment or need to follow up by phone, remember that Claimyr option I mentioned. Saved me so much frustration when I needed clarification about my situation.
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has she checked her MySocialSecurity account online? my statement shows the exact breakdown of benefits
I'm not sure if she's checked online. That's a good suggestion - I'll mention that to her. The online account would definitely show the exact breakdown and clear up any confusion about what she's actually receiving.
After reading through everyone's comments, I think we've identified several possibilities for the 94% figure: 1. She's calculating based on her new total versus her old benefit 2. Possible inclusion of retroactive payments in her calculation 3. Confusion about what percentage of what amount she's receiving 4. She hasn't actually checked her award letter or MySocialSecurity account The mathematical reality is that at 63 and 2 months, she would receive approximately 81.8% of her husband's PIA if she switched to survivor benefits. The best course of action is for her to check her MySocialSecurity account or call SSA directly to understand her specific benefit calculation. Do let us know what you find out!
Thank you for this great summary! I'm going to talk to her this weekend and suggest she look at her actual SSA documentation. I'll update once I find out what's really going on with her benefits. This has been really helpful in understanding the possible explanations!
KhalilStar
my situation is kinda similar but reversed. i'm getting my own retirement now but will switch to survivors when i hit 67 cuz my late husbands benefit was way higher than mine. does anyone know if i'll get the full 100% of his since i'm waiting till my FRA to take the survivor benefit???
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Maya Lewis
•Yes, if you wait until your full retirement age to claim survivor benefits, you'll receive 100% of your late husband's benefit. You're doing it in the optimal order if your own benefit is smaller than his.
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Benjamin Carter
I talked to my mother about all your helpful comments. She's going to check if her own retirement benefit might be higher at her FRA than her reduced survivor benefit. I just wish the SSA had explained this more clearly to her when she applied. The whole system is so complicated! Thank you all for your insights - this has been incredibly helpful for us to understand our options going forward.
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