One additional point regarding your question about claiming at 65 - remember that your Medicare enrollment starts at 65 regardless of your Social Security Full Retirement Age. So even if you delay Social Security benefits, you should still sign up for Medicare during your Initial Enrollment Period (which begins 3 months before your 65th birthday). Missing this window can result in permanent premium penalties. This is a common source of confusion since the Full Retirement Age for Social Security and Medicare eligibility age are different.

I'm also approaching retirement and have been dealing with similar SSA website issues. One thing that helped me was clearing my browser cache and cookies completely before trying to log in again. Also, if you're using a saved password, try typing it manually - sometimes autofill doesn't work properly with their site. Another tip: try accessing the site early in the morning (like 6-7 AM) when traffic is lighter. I was able to get in much easier during off-peak hours. Good luck with your retirement planning!

This happened to my sister too! The award letter eventually came and showed that SSA had paid the LTD company directly for the offset (only the SSDI portion, not the full LTD amount). Don't forget that SSDI also has that stupid 5-month waiting period where you don't get any benefits at the beginning of your disability period.

UPDATE??? did u ever get this figured out? I'm curious what happened with all the money!

I wanted to add one more perspective as someone who works with retirement benefit planning. While everyone has covered the immediate Social Security implications well, there's another consideration worth mentioning - if you're planning to use 20% of the QDRO distribution for medical expenses, you might want to consider whether those qualify for a Health Savings Account (HSA) if you have one, or if paying them directly from the distribution affects your overall tax strategy. Also, since you mentioned health issues led to your early retirement, you might want to look into whether you qualify for any state disability programs or other benefits that could supplement your reduced Social Security payments. Sometimes there are resources available that people don't know about, especially for those who fall into that gap where they can't work their previous job but don't qualify for federal disability. The community has given you excellent advice about the QDRO reporting requirements. Just wanted to make sure you're exploring all your options to maximize your financial security during this challenging time.

As someone who recently joined this community, I've been following this thread with great interest since I'm approaching 62 myself and trying to understand all the complexities around early retirement and Social Security. @Amara Okafor, it sounds like you've received excellent comprehensive advice here! The clarification that QDRO distributions don't count toward the earnings test but do affect tax calculations on your SS benefits is really helpful to understand. I wanted to add one small point that I learned from my own research - when you do file your taxes next year, make sure your tax preparer understands the timing of when you received the QDRO distribution versus when you started collecting Social Security. Sometimes the interaction between these different income streams can be tricky to calculate correctly, especially if they happened in the same tax year. Also, I noticed several people mentioned the importance of calling SSA directly for official confirmation. While the Claimyr service someone mentioned sounds helpful for getting through faster, you might also try calling very early in the morning (right when they open) or late in the afternoon - I've had better luck with shorter wait times during those hours. Best of luck with everything, and thank you to everyone who contributed such detailed explanations. This community is such a valuable resource!

Welcome to both of the new community members! It's really helpful to see people sharing their experiences and supporting each other through these SSA challenges. I wanted to add one more potential avenue that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you have access to a tax professional or financial advisor who deals with Social Security regularly, they might have contacts or insights that could help. My CPA actually had a direct number for a specific SSA office that handles complex cases, and while it still took patience, the wait time was much shorter than the national line. Also, @Zara Mirza, since you're approaching that 8-week mark, you might want to start preparing for that potential call now. Have all your documentation ready (application confirmation, ID, work history, etc.) and maybe write down specific questions like "What documents are you waiting for?" and "Is there anything I can do to expedite this?" Sometimes having a clear list helps when you finally get through to someone. The phantom text issue really does seem widespread - it's almost like they should just disable those notifications until they fix whatever is causing the disconnect!

Hi everyone! I'm new to this community but unfortunately very familiar with SSA delays. I'm a retired federal employee who went through this exact same situation about 18 months ago - applied online, got stuck at step 2 for what felt like forever, and received those same mysterious text messages that led to absolutely nothing in my account. After reading through all these responses, I wanted to share what finally worked for me. Like @Aisha Mahmood mentioned, I discovered my phone number in my mySocialSecurity profile had an old area code from when I lived in a different state years ago. Once I updated that, within a week I got an actual phone call from an SSA representative who had been trying to reach me for over a month! Turns out they needed clarification on some of my federal service dates. The whole thing was resolved within two weeks after that call. So definitely check not just your phone number, but also make sure your mailing address is current in your profile. Sometimes the simplest fixes make all the difference with government systems. @Zara Mirza - hang in there! Based on the timeline you described, you're right in that frustrating middle zone where it's too early to panic but late enough to be concerned. The advice about waiting until 8 weeks before calling seems spot on from my experience.

This is such a helpful thread! As someone who will likely face this decision in a few years, I'm taking notes on all the strategies mentioned here. The fact that you were able to get through to SSA using Claimyr in just 15 minutes is amazing - I've bookmarked that service for when I need it. One question for the group: does anyone know if there are any good resources (books, websites, etc.) that explain all these widow/widower benefit strategies in plain English? The SSA publications are so technical and confusing. It seems like there are a lot of nuances that aren't well publicized.

I'm so glad you were able to get the answers you needed, Ava! Your experience really highlights how challenging it can be to navigate the Social Security system, but also shows that persistence pays off. The $425 monthly difference you discovered is substantial - that's definitely worth the effort you put in to research your options. For anyone else reading this thread who might be in a similar situation, I think this conversation demonstrates a few key takeaways: 1) Don't rely solely on the online portal for survivor benefit information, 2) The phone system is frustrating but services like Claimyr can help, 3) In-person appointments are often necessary for the actual application process, and 4) Getting exact benefit amounts before making decisions is crucial since the difference can be hundreds of dollars per month. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge here - this is exactly the kind of community support that makes navigating these complex systems a little easier!