I'm new to this community and just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire discussion has been! I'm 69 and will be filing for Social Security in a few months, so reading about everyone's experiences with split payments and delayed retirement credits has been eye-opening. It's really disappointing that SSA doesn't provide clear guidance about their payment processing procedures - causing so much unnecessary stress for people who are already dealing with the complexity of retirement benefits. The fact that we have to piece together information from community discussions like this just shows how poor their communication really is. Amelia, thank you so much for sharing your experience and following up with the update after calling SSA. Your post will definitely help others who encounter similar situations. And to everyone else who shared their stories - this kind of peer support is invaluable when navigating government bureaucracy!

I'm new to this community and just starting to research Social Security benefits as I approach retirement age. This entire thread has been incredibly educational! Reading about everyone's experiences with split payments, delayed retirement credits, and SSA's poor communication practices has really opened my eyes to what I should expect. It's quite frankly appalling that such standard procedures aren't clearly explained by SSA - leaving people to worry about missing thousands of dollars when it's actually normal processing. The fact that this community forum provides better information than the official SSA website says a lot about the state of their customer communication. Amelia, thank you for sharing your experience so openly and providing that crucial update after speaking with SSA. Your post will undoubtedly help many others who face similar confusion. And to everyone else who contributed their stories and insights - this kind of peer support is exactly what people need when dealing with complex government benefits. This discussion alone has prepared me better for my future Social Security application than anything I've read in official SSA materials!

Not to be negative but people need to be realistic about how long this whole process takes! My mom applied for divorced spouse benefits and it took SEVEN MONTHS to get approved, then another 2 months for payments to start. And they DIDNT give her all the backpay they owed her!!! She's still fighting to get the missing 3 months they owe her. The SSA is overwhelmed and understaffed so tell your sister to be prepared for a long wait.

I'm going through something similar right now! I'm 58, on SSDI, and just found out my ex-husband is now 63. We were married for 12 years before divorcing 8 years ago. I called SSA last month to ask about this and the representative told me I could apply immediately since he's over 62 and we've been divorced more than 2 years. She explained that even though I'm on disability, I can still get divorced spouse benefits if they're higher than my current SSDI amount. The good news is there's no reduction for my age like there would be for regular retirement benefits - the disability protects against that early filing penalty. I submitted my application 3 weeks ago and I'm still waiting to hear back, but at least I know the process has started. Your sister should definitely apply as soon as possible - even if it takes months to process, any increase would be retroactive to when she first became eligible. Make sure she has certified copies of both the marriage certificate and divorce decree ready!

This is such helpful information! I've been researching Social Security timing for my own situation (turning 62 next year) and this thread has clarified so many things I wasn't sure about. The monthly proration of DRCs is really important to understand - it gives people much more flexibility than having to wait full years. One thing I'd add is that your sister might want to create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov if she hasn't already. She can see her estimated benefits at different claiming ages, which might help with the decision. The online calculator shows exactly how much her benefit would increase for each month she delays past FRA. Also, given her health concerns, she might want to factor in spousal benefits if she's married. Even if her own longevity is uncertain, a higher benefit amount could benefit her spouse later through survivor benefits.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who works in retirement planning - this is a really thoughtful question and the advice here has been spot on! The monthly proration of DRCs is definitely one of the most misunderstood aspects of Social Security timing. One additional consideration for your sister: if she's concerned about health issues, she might also want to think about whether she has other sources of retirement income. If she has a good pension or significant 401k/IRA savings, she might be in a better position to delay Social Security for those extra DRCs. But if Social Security will be a major portion of her retirement income and she's worried about her health, claiming at FRA might give her more peace of mind. Also, just a heads up - if she does decide to wait the 6 months, she should mark her calendar to file in July 2025 and not delay the actual application. As others mentioned, you don't want to accidentally lose months of payments due to application delays. The SSA processes applications pretty quickly these days, but it's still good to file promptly once you've made your decision. Hope this helps with her planning!

Tell her to get a benefit verification letter from her online my Social Security account first. She'll need that when applying for the spousal portion. Also, if she does qualify for a spousal top-up, they might owe her back pay from when her husband filed, but only if she applies within 6 months of his filing date.

Just wanted to add one more thing that might help your sister-in-law - when she does get through to SSA, she should ask them to run what's called a "dual entitlement" calculation. This will show her exactly what she's eligible for under both her own SSDI record and as a spouse on her husband's record. Also, if the first agent she speaks with seems unsure about the rules for disabled spouses, don't be afraid to politely ask to speak with someone else or call back. The rules around SSDI + spousal benefits are more complex and not all front-line agents are familiar with them. I've found that being specific about what you're asking for ("dual entitlement calculation for a disabled spouse") helps get you connected to someone who knows the process. Good luck to her - hope she's able to get some additional benefits!

I'm going through the exact same situation right now! My first SS retirement check was supposed to arrive on the 3rd (my birthday is on the 2nd), and it's now been 8 days. I've been checking my mailbox obsessively every day. Reading through all these comments is really reassuring - it sounds like delays of 7-12 days are pretty common for first payments via paper check. I'm planning to call SSA tomorrow if it doesn't show up, but at least now I know what questions to ask and that I should verify the payment was actually processed in my online account first. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know I'm not alone in this!

I went through this exact same worry last fall! My first SS retirement check was scheduled for the 12th but didn't arrive until day 11. What helped me was understanding that SSA actually prints and mails the checks ON the payment date, not before it - so you're really waiting for print processing time plus mail delivery time. The anxiety is totally understandable though, especially when it's your first payment and you're not sure what's normal. One tip that helped me: if you have a local SSA office, you might be able to visit in person after 10 business days to check on payment status. Sometimes that's faster than calling. But honestly, based on all the experiences shared here, 6 days is still well within the normal range for paper checks. Hang in there!