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I went through this exact same situation when I filed last year! The waiting and uncertainty is nerve-wracking, but what everyone is telling you is absolutely correct. SSA has a two-step process for DRCs - they calculate your initial benefit using credits earned through December of the prior year, then add any remaining credits from your filing year in the following January payment (which you receive in February). Your online account won't show this pending adjustment ahead of time, which is frustrating but normal. Since you delayed from January 2024 through September 2024 (9 months), you should see roughly a 6% increase on top of the 3.1% COLA in your February payment. If that doesn't happen, then it's time to contact SSA with your documentation. But based on my experience and what others here have shared, you should see that money in February!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! It's really comforting to hear from multiple people who went through this exact same process. I was starting to worry that maybe SSA had made an error or that I'd misunderstood something about how DRCs work. The fact that the online account doesn't show pending adjustments is definitely frustrating - it would be so much better if they at least had a note saying "additional adjustments pending" or something like that. I'm feeling much more confident now that I should just wait for my February payment and see both the COLA and my remaining DRCs show up together. If it doesn't happen, at least I'll know it's time to call them with all my documentation ready. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this!
I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! My FRA was in October 2022 and I didn't file until December 2024. When I got my first payment in January, it only included DRCs through 2023. Reading through all these responses has been so helpful - I had no idea that the remaining DRCs for 2024 would be added in my February payment. Like you, my online account shows no indication of pending adjustments, which had me really worried. It's frustrating that SSA doesn't provide better communication about this process, but at least now I know what to expect. Thanks for posting this question - you've helped more people than just yourself!
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I work for a nonprofit that helps families navigate SSA claims, and this situation is unfortunately becoming more common. Here's what I'd recommend your sister-in-law do immediately: 1. Request a supervisor review at the SSA office - don't accept "no" from the first representative 2. Bring a comprehensive packet including: marriage certificate, birth certificate, health insurance documents, tax returns showing the child as a dependent, and any photos/social media posts of your brother with the baby 3. Specifically ask them to apply the "marital presumption of paternity" under your state's inheritance laws If they still deny it, she should file Form SSA-561 (Request for Reconsideration) within 60 days. Also, consider contacting your local congressman's office - they often have staff who specialize in helping constituents with federal agency issues like this. The fact that they were married when the child was born should absolutely be sufficient under federal regulations. This sounds like an overzealous claims representative rather than proper policy application. Don't give up - your nephew is entitled to these benefits!
This is incredibly helpful advice! I didn't know we could contact our congressman's office for help with SSA issues - that's a great backup option if the supervisor review doesn't work. The "marital presumption of paternity" language you mentioned sounds exactly like what she needs to use. I'm going to help her put together that comprehensive packet with all the documents everyone has suggested. It's reassuring to know that this should be sufficient under federal regulations and that we're not asking for something unreasonable. Thank you for giving us hope that we can get this resolved!
I'm really sorry for your loss and what your sister-in-law is going through right now. This is such an additional burden during an already difficult time. I wanted to mention one more document that sometimes gets overlooked - if your brother ever took the baby to any doctor visits, those medical records often list the father's name and can serve as contemporary evidence of the parent-child relationship. Even something like vaccination records or well-baby checkup notes from the pediatrician might work. Also, if they have any joint bank accounts or if your brother ever wrote checks for baby-related expenses (diapers, formula, childcare, etc.), those financial records can help establish that he was acting as the child's father. The advice others have given about using the specific legal language around "marital presumption of paternity" is spot on. When she goes in for her next appointment, she should be prepared to calmly but firmly state that under state inheritance laws, children born during a valid marriage are legally presumed to be the children of both spouses. I hope she gets this resolved quickly. Your nephew deserves those benefits, and the documentation she has should absolutely be sufficient.
Thank you so much for these additional suggestions and the kind words. The medical records idea is excellent - my brother definitely took my nephew to several pediatrician appointments, so those records should have his name listed as the father. I'll have her contact the pediatrician's office right away. She also has some bank statements that show purchases at baby stores and payments to the daycare, which could help demonstrate that pattern of paternal responsibility you mentioned. It's amazing how many different types of evidence we can gather when we think creatively about it. Your point about being calm but firm with the legal language is really important too - I'll make sure she practices saying that before her next appointment. Everyone's advice here has been so valuable during this tough time.
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Great thread everyone! As a newcomer to Social Security, I wanted to add that the IRS also has a helpful Interactive Tax Assistant tool online that can help determine if your Social Security benefits will be taxable based on your specific income situation. It walks you through the calculation step by step. Also, for those mentioning quarterly estimated taxes as an alternative to withholding - you can use Form 1040ES to calculate and make those payments. The due dates are typically January 15th, April 15th, June 15th, and September 15th each year. One thing I learned from my accountant is that if you're married and your spouse is still working with regular W-2 withholding, you might be able to increase their withholding instead of setting up withholding on Social Security. Sometimes that's simpler than managing multiple withholding sources. Just another option to consider!
Thanks for mentioning the IRS Interactive Tax Assistant - that sounds like exactly what I need! I hadn't heard of that tool before. The idea about increasing my spouse's withholding is interesting too, though she's already retired. But good to know there are multiple ways to handle this. I'm feeling much more confident about navigating this whole Social Security tax situation now with everyone's advice.
As someone who just started navigating Social Security benefits myself, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly helpful discussion! I'm in a similar situation to Malik - just turned 66 and received my first SS check last month. One thing I discovered that might help others is that you can also access and print Form W-4V directly from the SSA website (ssa.gov) under "Forms" rather than having to call. I was able to fill it out online, print it, and mail it in. Took about 6 weeks for the withholding to start showing up on my monthly statements. I chose 12% withholding after using that IRS tax estimator tool Sean mentioned - it really helped me understand my potential tax liability. Between my pension, some part-time consulting work, and Social Security, I was definitely going to owe taxes on my benefits. The peace of mind is worth it. Last thing any of us retirees need is a big unexpected tax bill when we're on fixed incomes!
Thanks for sharing that tip about downloading the W-4V form directly from the SSA website, Zainab! That's really helpful to know - I was dreading having to call and wait on hold forever. Six weeks seems like a reasonable timeframe for the withholding to kick in. I'm curious - did you receive any confirmation when they processed your form, or did you just have to wait and see it reflected in your monthly statement? Also, does the 12% withholding seem to be covering your tax liability adequately based on your income mix? I'm still trying to figure out the right percentage for my situation.
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does anyone know if they give back this money they take? or is it just gone forever?
Yes, you do eventually get the money back! When you reach your Full Retirement Age (FRA), Social Security recalculates your benefit amount. The months that were withheld due to the earnings test are essentially credited back to you in the form of a higher monthly benefit for the rest of your life. So the money isn't permanently lost - the penalty is more like a deferral of benefits until you reach FRA.
This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm 63 and considering taking early retirement benefits while doing some consulting work, but after reading all of this I'm realizing I need to be much more careful about the earnings limit than I thought. The fact that they take full months instead of partial amounts is a huge detail that's not well communicated. Does anyone know if there's a good resource or calculator that can help estimate how many months of benefits would be withheld based on expected earnings? I want to make sure I understand the real impact before I make this decision.
Great question! While SSA doesn't have a specific calculator for this, you can do the math yourself pretty easily. Take your expected earnings over the limit, divide by 2 (that's your penalty amount), then divide that by your monthly benefit amount to see how many full months they'd withhold (always round up). For example: if you go over by $3,000, your penalty is $1,500. If your monthly benefit is $1,200, they'd withhold 2 full months ($2,400 total). There are also some online retirement calculators that factor in the earnings test, but double-check their assumptions. The key is being conservative in your estimates since they always round up to full months!
Callum Savage
I'm also approaching Social Security eligibility and this has been such a valuable discussion! Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear that certified mail is the safest route for submitting the W-4V form. I particularly appreciate Ingrid's tip about calling to confirm receipt - that proactive approach seems much better than waiting and wondering. One thing I'm curious about - for those who have gone through this process, did any of you end up needing to make quarterly estimated tax payments in addition to the Social Security withholding? I'm trying to figure out if the standard withholding percentages (7%, 10%, 12%, 22%) are typically sufficient or if most people need to supplement with quarterly payments. I have some investment income that might complicate things, so I want to make sure I'm not caught off guard come tax time. Also, has anyone used a tax professional to help calculate the right withholding percentage? I'm wondering if it's worth the consultation fee to get it right from the start rather than guessing and adjusting later.
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Omar Zaki
•Great questions! I've been on Social Security for about 18 months now and can share some insights. I started with 10% withholding but still needed to make small quarterly payments because of my investment income - dividends and capital gains distributions aren't covered by the Social Security withholding. The withholding percentages work well for covering taxes on your SS benefits themselves, but if you have other income sources, you'll likely need to supplement. I actually did consult with a tax professional during my first year, and it was absolutely worth the $200 consultation fee. They helped me calculate that 12% withholding plus quarterly payments of about $800 would keep me safe. Without that guidance, I probably would have underpaid and faced penalties. One thing to keep in mind - you can always adjust your withholding percentage if needed, but it's harder to catch up if you've been underwithheld all year. Starting conservative with a higher percentage or adding quarterly payments is usually the safer approach when you have multiple income streams.
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Zara Rashid
This thread has been incredibly helpful for someone just starting to navigate Social Security withholding! I'm 67 and just filed for my benefits last week. Based on everyone's experiences here, I'm definitely going the certified mail route for my W-4V form. I wanted to add one more option that worked well for my sister last year - she actually submitted her W-4V through her MySocialSecurity online account. There's a "Contact Us" section where you can upload documents securely. She got an automatic confirmation that it was received, and the withholding started within about 2 weeks. This might be worth checking if you're comfortable with the online portal and want that digital confirmation receipt. Thanks especially to Maria for starting this discussion and to everyone who shared their real experiences - both the success stories and the cautionary tales about drop boxes!
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Paolo Romano
•Thank you for mentioning the MySocialSecurity online portal option, Zara! I had no idea you could upload the W-4V form directly through the website. That sounds like it might be even more reliable than certified mail since you get that automatic confirmation receipt. I'm pretty comfortable with online portals, so this could be perfect for me. Do you happen to know if your sister had to scan the completed form as a PDF, or does the system accept other file formats? This seems like it could be the best of both worlds - secure submission with immediate confirmation that it was received.
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