New to this community and Social Security system in general, but this thread has been absolutely incredible! I'm about 18 months away from filing myself and had no idea where to even start with choosing an office or what to expect. The detailed breakdown of each location's wait times, the insider tips from former SSA employees, and all the practical advice about documentation and timing has given me such a clear roadmap. The Plano office consensus is really compelling - multiple people with recent positive experiences there can't be wrong. I'm especially grateful for the tips about the online appointment scheduler and congressional office assistance if needed. Definitely bookmarking this thread for when I'm ready to file. Thank you to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences!

As someone who's been following this thread as a newcomer to both the community and the Social Security process, I wanted to add my thanks to everyone who's shared such detailed experiences! I'm about 2 years out from filing myself and had no clue about the differences between offices or any of these practical considerations. The Plano office recommendation is really compelling with so many positive firsthand accounts. I'm curious though - for those who mentioned the online appointment scheduler at ssa.gov, is that relatively new? I tried looking for it a few months ago when I was just starting to research this process and couldn't find it. Maybe I was looking in the wrong place, but if it's a newer feature that would explain why the phone system is still so overwhelmed. Either way, this thread is an incredible resource and I'm definitely saving it for reference when my time comes!

I'm at day 29 waiting for my retirement application to process, and after reading through all these experiences, I'm realizing I should probably be more proactive instead of just waiting for the 30-day mark to pass. It's clear from everyone's stories that SSA's advertised timeline has become pretty meaningless, and waiting longer just means potentially discovering issues that could have been addressed earlier. What's most helpful from this thread is understanding that there are often specific problems causing delays that SSA never tells you about - like pension verification letters going to wrong addresses, missing documentation, or applications just sitting in review queues. The fact that so many people only discover these issues after managing to speak with an agent shows how broken the communication system really is. I'm going to try calling first thing tomorrow morning using the early strategy that worked for several people here, even though I'm technically still within their promised timeframe. I'd rather find out now if there's something holding up my application instead of waiting another month to discover there was a problem I could have addressed weeks ago. For everyone dealing with longer delays, thank you for sharing your strategies and persistence stories. It's both reassuring and concerning to see how common this has become, but at least we know we're not alone and there are ways to advocate for ourselves when the system fails us.

I'm currently at day 43 waiting for my retirement application to process, and this thread has been incredibly valuable for understanding what's really happening with SSA delays. Like many others here, I applied for straightforward retirement benefits at my FRA, but I'm now well past their advertised 30-day timeline. What's most concerning from reading everyone's experiences is how the "processing" status we see online is essentially meaningless - so many people discovered specific issues (pension verifications, address problems, missing docs) only after finally reaching an agent. The system seems designed to let applications sit rather than proactively communicate problems. I'm going to try the early morning calling strategy that worked for Lincoln and others - calling right at 8am when they open. I'll specifically ask about "development holds" and verify my address information is current. If I can't get through or get answers, I'll definitely look into the Claimyr service or contact my congressional representative. It's really frustrating that SSA continues advertising 30-day processing when 60+ day delays seem to be the new normal. For those of us depending on these benefits, the uncertainty and lack of communication is genuinely stressful. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - it helps knowing we're not navigating this alone.

This has been such an incredibly valuable discussion to follow! As someone new to this community who's facing a very similar decision in about 18 months, I'm amazed by the depth of knowledge and real-world experience everyone has shared. What really strikes me is how this decision touches so many aspects of retirement planning beyond just Social Security - taxes, Medicare premiums, Roth conversions, RMDs, survivor benefits, and even psychological factors like peace of mind. It's clear there's no one-size-fits-all answer. A few key takeaways I'm noting for my own future decision: - Get the official SS statement for precise numbers rather than estimates - Consider the "total household optimization" approach looking at both spouses' benefits together - Factor in state tax treatment (fortunately I'm also in a state that doesn't tax SS) - Run sensitivity analyses on different scenarios (spouse's actual retirement date, longevity assumptions, etc.) - Don't underestimate the value of guaranteed income and peace of mind For those who've already made this decision, I'm curious - looking back now, what's the one piece of advice you'd give to someone just starting to think through this choice? What do you wish you had known or considered that you didn't initially think about? Hannah, I hope all this feedback helps you feel more confident about whatever decision you make. It sounds like you're approaching this very thoughtfully!

I'm new to this community but facing almost the exact same situation as Hannah - turning 65 next year with a husband who's still working and making good money. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly eye-opening! What I'm realizing is that I initially thought this was just a simple "when to claim Social Security" question, but it's actually about coordinating a complex retirement strategy involving taxes, Medicare, survivor benefits, and so much more. The point about "total household optimization" really hit home - I need to stop thinking about just my individual SS decision and start looking at how both our benefits work together over the long term. And wow, I had no idea about things like IRMAA or how municipal bond interest counts toward SS taxation calculations. I'm definitely going to get my official SS statement and probably consult with a fee-only financial planner who specializes in Social Security before making any decisions. The decision matrix approach Jessica mentioned sounds like a great way to systematically work through all these factors. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed, thoughtful responses. This discussion has probably saved me from making a costly mistake by rushing into an early claim without fully understanding all the implications!

I'm new to this community and just want to say how incredibly grateful I am for this entire discussion! I've been on SSDI for about 6 months now and have been living with the exact same fears that so many of you have shared. I actually turned down a small gift from my parents last Christmas because I was terrified it would somehow affect my benefits - reading this now, I realize how unnecessary that was! The clarity everyone has provided about SSDI vs SSI is life-changing. I had no idea they were completely different programs with different rules. The insurance analogy really clicked for me - of course having money in the bank doesn't affect insurance you've already paid for through years of work. What really gets me is how this confusion seems to be so widespread among SSDI recipients. It makes me wonder if SSA could do a better job explaining these distinctions during the application process to prevent all this unnecessary anxiety. The psychological impact of living in fear of losing your lifeline benefits is enormous when you're already dealing with a disability. @Dominique Adams - I hope you're sleeping better at night now! Your question opened up such an important discussion that has educated so many of us. Enjoy that inheritance guilt-free - your aunt wanted to help make your life easier, not add stress to it. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge. This community support is invaluable when navigating these complex systems!

This thread has been absolutely incredible to read through! As someone who just started receiving SSDI about 3 months ago, I've been carrying around this exact same fear about having any money in savings or accepting financial help from family. The clarity everyone has provided here about the fundamental difference between SSDI and SSI is honestly life-changing. I never understood that SSDI is insurance I earned through 12 years of working and paying Social Security taxes, while SSI is the needs-based program with strict asset limits. That insurance analogy several people used really made it click - you wouldn't expect your car insurance to be canceled because you have a savings account, so why would disability insurance work any differently? What really strikes me is how many of us have been living with this unnecessary stress. I've been afraid to even keep my small emergency fund from before I became disabled, thinking it might somehow jeopardize my benefits. Reading about everyone's experiences with inheritances, settlements, and other money they've received while on SSDI - all with zero impact on their benefits - has been such a relief. @Dominique Adams - I'm so happy you asked this question because it's clearly helped educate a whole community of people who were confused about the same thing! Definitely enjoy that inheritance knowing your aunt would want it to bring you security and comfort, not worry. Thank you to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences. This discussion should honestly be required reading for anyone starting the SSDI process!

UPDATE: The MySocialSecurity site is working for me again as of this morning. I just successfully logged in and was able to access my account. They've made some changes to the interface - you now have to verify your identity with a text code every time you log in, not just the first time. Try again today and see if it's working for you now.

I'm having the same issue! Been locked out since Monday and really need to download my 1099 for tax filing. Just tried again after reading Paolo's update but still getting the Bad Request error. Has anyone noticed if certain times of day work better than others? I'm wondering if they're doing a gradual rollout of the fix or if the servers are just overloaded with everyone trying to log back in at once.