I'm new to this community but facing a similar situation. My estimate dropped by $89/month last week and I'm 18 months from retirement. Reading through these responses, it seems like this is unfortunately more common than it should be. What I found helpful was creating a spreadsheet to track my monthly estimates so I can identify patterns. I've also started taking screenshots of my benefit estimates each month as documentation. The suggestion about checking the detailed Retirement Estimator is great - I just tried it and got a different result than the quick estimate on my main account page. It's frustrating that something so important for retirement planning can be this unreliable, but at least knowing it's a widespread issue helps with the anxiety.

I'm experiencing the exact same issue! My estimate dropped by $156/month about 6 weeks ago with no changes on my end. I'm 62 and planning to retire at 66, so this is really concerning for my financial planning. After reading all these responses, I'm realizing this might be more of a systemic issue with their estimation system than something specific to individual accounts. I'm definitely going to try the detailed Retirement Estimator that StarStrider mentioned and start documenting my estimates monthly like PaulineW suggested. It's frustrating that we can't rely on these tools for accurate retirement planning, but I'm glad to see I'm not the only one dealing with this. Has anyone had success getting a clear explanation from SSA about why these fluctuations happen so frequently?

My brother just went thru this! Something no one mentioned yet - he had to decide about Medicare Part D (prescription drug coverage) when he turned 65 even though he already had Medicare from SSDI. Apparently there's some special enrollment period when you turn 65 even if you already have Medicare!

Just wanted to add something important that might affect your sister - if she's working at all while on SSDI (even part-time under the SGA limits), she should be aware that the earnings test for retirement benefits works differently than SSDI work rules. Once she converts to retirement benefits at her FRA (67 for someone born in 1960), there's no limit on how much she can earn from work. But if she decides to take early retirement before her FRA, different earnings limits would apply. Since she's only turning 65 this year and her FRA is 67, she'll continue on SSDI for two more years with the same work restrictions until the automatic conversion happens.

By the way, it's worth checking if your state has any supplemental programs to offset the WEP reduction. A handful of states have recognized how WEP hurts their public employees and created special supplemental benefit programs. I know Colorado, Massachusetts, and Ohio have something like this. Might be worth asking your HR department if there's anything similar in your pension system.

Carmen, regarding your question about working part-time in a SS-covered job to get more substantial earnings years - it can be worth it, but you'd need to run the numbers carefully. Each additional year of substantial earnings reduces your WEP penalty by about 5% of the maximum reduction. So going from 12 to 15 substantial years would save you roughly $94/month ($627 × 15%). The substantial earnings threshold for 2025 is expected to be around $31,275, so you'd need to earn at least that much in SS-covered employment for the year to count. If you can find part-time work that pays well enough and you're physically able to do it for a few years, it might make financial sense - especially since you'd also be earning additional SS credits that increase your base benefit amount. Just remember that your state pension system might have restrictions on working after retirement, so check those rules first. Some systems reduce your pension if you work for another government entity or work too many hours.

Something critical to understand: there are strict time limits on retroactive adjustments for benefit calculation errors. Under Social Security regulations, if your reconsideration is successful, they can only pay you retroactively for 12 months from the date you filed the reconsideration. I'd recommend sending a certified letter to both your local office AND the processing center (ask your local office for the address) stating that you're inquiring about the status of your reconsideration filed on [exact date]. Reference your claim number and explicitly state that you're concerned about potential retroactive payment limitations if the review isn't completed promptly. This creates a paper trail showing you've been actively pursuing resolution, which can be important if you later need to argue for extended retroactive payments.

I'm going through something very similar right now! Filed for retirement benefits in January and my PIA dropped significantly from what was shown on my annual statement. Like you, my online account showed "evaluated" and "approved" on the same day, which seemed suspicious. I've been waiting 2 months since filing my reconsideration and it's incredibly frustrating. Reading through all these responses has been really eye-opening - I had no idea about the SSA-795 form or the 12-month retroactive payment limitation that Sophie mentioned. The advice about keeping detailed records and getting congressional help if needed is something I'm definitely going to follow. It's reassuring to know others have successfully gotten through this process, even though it takes way longer than it should. Thanks for posting this - sometimes you feel like you're the only one dealing with SSA's mistakes, but clearly this is a widespread issue with their auto-adjudication system bypassing proper review.

Just a WARNING about those appointments - don't assume the first person you talk to knows everything!! I got completely wrong info at my first appointment and made a HUGE mistake with my claiming strategy. Make sure you talk to a TECHNICAL EXPERT not just a regular service rep. Ask specifically for someone who specializes in survivor benefits!! And take notes of EVERYTHING they say.

I'm new to this community but going through a similar situation with my late husband's benefits. One thing I learned that might help - when you schedule your appointment, try to get the earliest time slot possible in the day. The staff tends to be more focused in the morning and the computers are less likely to have issues. Also, I'd recommend calling ahead to confirm what specific documents they need for your exact situation since requirements can vary slightly based on your circumstances. Another tip - bring a simple one-page summary of your key dates (birth date, marriage date, divorce date, ex-spouse's death date) and your specific questions written down. It helps keep the appointment on track and ensures you don't forget to ask something important. Good luck with everything!