just wondering but did u apply for snap benefits and housing assistance? when my kids got on ssi we qualified for both + energy assistance. might help with the bills while u figure out the retroactive stuff

I'm really sorry you're going through this tough situation. I went through something similar when my son got his retroactive benefits. One thing that helped us was contacting our state's disability advocacy organization - they had someone who specialized in SSA representative payee issues and helped me navigate the process for free. Also, if your daughter's disability is related to a developmental or intellectual condition, there might be additional resources available through your state's developmental disabilities services. They sometimes have emergency funds specifically for housing crises when a child with disabilities is at risk of losing stable housing. Don't give up - there are more options than what SSA initially tells you. Document everything and keep pushing for solutions that work within their rules while meeting your family's needs.

My dad just got the corrected letter yesterday - it now shows his withholding again. So it looks like the SSA is gradually fixing this problem. Might be worth checking your mail to see if you get updated letters soon.

This exact same thing happened to me and my wife! We got our first letters showing our usual 15% withholding, then about a week later got second letters with no withholding shown at all. I was panicking thinking we'd have to scramble to set up quarterly payments or something. Reading through all these comments is such a relief - sounds like it's just a widespread computer glitch on SSA's end. I'm going to wait and see if we get corrected letters like Chris mentioned his dad received, but I'll definitely be checking our January deposit amounts carefully to make sure the withholding is actually happening. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's so helpful to know we're not alone in dealing with this confusion!

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I'll plan to apply in June, 3 months before my September birthday. I'll also start gathering my documentation now - birth certificate, tax records for those missing earnings years, etc. I'm going to check my Medicare enrollment status too since a couple of you mentioned that could be related. If I have trouble reaching SSA by phone, I'll try that Claimyr service someone mentioned. It's frustrating how complicated they make this process, but I feel much better prepared now.

Just want to add - if you're planning to work past 70, make sure you understand how your continued earnings might affect your Social Security taxes. Even though you'll be receiving benefits, you'll still pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your wages. The good news is that these additional earnings can potentially increase your future benefit amounts if they're higher than one of your previous 35 highest-earning years. SSA recalculates your benefits automatically each year if your new earnings boost your average. Also, don't forget that your Social Security benefits will be subject to federal income tax if your combined income (AGI + nontaxable interest + half of SS benefits) exceeds certain thresholds - something to factor into your tax planning since you'll have both wages and SS income.

Great summary by everyone! One thing I'd add is to consider the timing of your application. Since you're planning to file in February 2026, you might want to apply in late 2025 (remember you can apply up to 4 months early). This gives you time to resolve any potential issues with your application before your desired start date. Also, if you're still working when you apply, SSA will need your most recent tax return and possibly a pay stub to verify your earnings for the current year. Having these documents ready can speed up the process.

Welcome to the community! As someone who just went through this process last year at age 68, I can confirm everything others have said is spot on. The no-earnings-test after FRA is a huge relief compared to the restrictions before FRA. One practical tip I'd add: when you do apply, make sure to set up your my Social Security account online at ssa.gov if you haven't already. It makes tracking your application status much easier, and you can also use it to request tax withholding from your benefits right from the start if you're concerned about the tax implications everyone mentioned. Also, the benefit verification letters you can download from there are super helpful for things like mortgage applications or other financial matters where you need proof of SS income. Good luck with your application - you've made smart choices waiting until 69!

One more thing to consider: If you start your benefits now instead of waiting until 70, you'll receive approximately 36 months of payments (assuming you're around 67 now) that you'd otherwise miss out on. That's a significant amount of money that could be invested or used to enhance your quality of life now. With your family longevity, you'll likely surpass the break-even point. But remember that money received earlier has more utility value and investment potential than the same amount received later. The optimal strategy often lies somewhere in between the extremes. Perhaps starting at 68 or 69 gives you a reasonable compromise between maximizing your monthly benefit and not leaving too much money on the table.

Have you considered using the SSA's Quick Calculator on their website? It's pretty basic but it does let you plug in different ages to see the benefit amounts. You can manually calculate the monthly differences from there. Another option is to request your full Social Security Statement (Form SSA-7005) which sometimes has more detailed breakdowns than what you see online. You can order it by mail if the online version isn't giving you enough detail. Given your strong family longevity history and the fact that you're financially stable without SS right now, you're actually in a great position to optimize this decision. The 8% guaranteed annual increase is hard to beat in today's market, but as others have mentioned, don't forget about the opportunity cost of those missed payments. Maybe set a specific date to reassess - like your 69th birthday - and see how you feel then about waiting the final year to 70?