Thank you everyone for all the helpful advice! I talked with my neighbor and her son yesterday. We're going to schedule an in-person appointment, and her son will take the lead since he's family. I'll go along as additional support. We'll gather her ID, mail showing her current address, and birth certificate beforehand. I really appreciate all your guidance on navigating this process!

That's wonderful that you found a good solution! Having her son take the lead is definitely the right approach. Just a heads up - even with family members, the SSA office might still ask your neighbor to verbally confirm that she wants her son to handle things on her behalf, so it's good that you'll all be there together. Best of luck with the appointment, and you're such a thoughtful neighbor for helping her get this sorted out!

i used that claimyr thing someone mentioned above after seeing it recommended in another thread. it worked for me! got through in like 25 mins when i had been trying for days with no luck. just sharing in case it helps anyone else dealing with this nightmare phone system lol

I've been dealing with the same frustrating phone situation here in Miami! After reading through all these comments, I'm definitely going to try calling Wednesday afternoon around 2pm instead of my usual morning attempts. One thing I discovered is that if you have a my Social Security account online, you can sometimes handle certain requests through there without needing to call at all. For disability reviews specifically, they often send you forms through the mail or your online account that you can complete and return. Might be worth checking if that's an option for your situation before spending hours on hold!

Thank you all so much for the helpful information! I'm feeling much better about trying to return to work knowing my Medicare will continue for years even if my cash benefits stop. I'll definitely check out Ticket to Work and keep careful records of my work activity. I think I'll also use that Claimyr service to speak with an agent to get everything documented in my file before I start working.

One more thing to consider - when you do start working, make sure to report your work activity to SSA right away using form SSA-821 (Work Activity Report). Don't wait for them to find out on their own through wage reporting, because that can cause overpayments and headaches later. I learned this the hard way when I went back to work. Also, if your employer offers health insurance, you might want to compare it with Medicare to see if you want to keep both or just Medicare during your work attempt. Having that safety net of extended Medicare coverage really does make the transition less scary!

Thank you all for the helpful information! I've shared all this with my friend and she feels much better about the move now. She's going to make sure to update her address well in advance and check on her Medicare coverage options in the new location. It's good to know the actual Social Security amount won't change - that was her biggest worry. I appreciate everyone taking the time to share your experiences and knowledge!

One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned - if your friend is planning to work part-time after claiming Social Security at 65, she should be aware that Alabama and Georgia have different state tax rates on earned income. While her SS benefits won't be taxed in either state, any part-time work income will be subject to different state tax rates. Alabama generally has lower income tax rates than Georgia, which could be another small financial benefit of the move. Also, if she's not already enrolled in Medicare Part B, she'll want to make sure her new doctors in Alabama accept Medicare assignment to avoid unexpected costs!

Just wondering... what happens if both your current husband AND your ex-husband pass away? Can you choose the higher of the two survivor benefits? Or does one cancel out the other?

I'm still relatively new to understanding Social Security rules, but I wanted to share what I learned when my mom went through something similar. She was also remarried and collecting her own benefits when her ex-husband passed away. The SSA did allow her to switch to his higher survivor benefits, but the process took several months and required multiple visits to the local office. One thing that really helped her was having all the paperwork organized beforehand - marriage certificate, divorce decree, and even some old tax returns that showed they filed jointly during their marriage. The SSA worker told her that having everything ready upfront made the approval process much smoother. Also, Jessica, since you mentioned your ex's benefits are estimated at $2,800, just remember that might change depending on when he actually passes away and whether he's already claimed his benefits or not. But either way, it sounds like you'd still come out ahead financially compared to your current situation.