I'm so sorry this happened to you! I went through something very similar last year when applying for my own retirement benefits. Had a scheduled appointment, got all the confirmations, and then... nothing. Complete radio silence from SSA. What I learned from that frustrating experience is that you absolutely cannot wait for them to reach out to you. The system is so backlogged and understaffed that missed appointments just get lost in the shuffle unless YOU follow up aggressively. Here's what worked for me: - Called the 1-800 number at exactly 8:00 AM (set an alarm!) - Had all my confirmation numbers ready to read off - Specifically said "SSA failed to conduct my scheduled appointment" rather than just asking to reschedule - Asked for a supervisor when the first rep tried to put me at the back of the regular queue The whole process took about 6 weeks longer than it should have, but I did eventually get everything sorted out. The key is being persistent and not letting them treat this like it was your fault for "missing" the appointment. Your spousal benefits definitely won't process without that appointment - they need to do the calculations and paperwork even though they already know you're married from Medicare. Don't let anyone tell you it might happen automatically, because it won't. Good luck tomorrow morning! Let us know how it goes.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Had a scheduled phone appointment for my retirement benefits application last Friday - got the text confirmation, email, AND a mailed letter. They even called Thursday night with an automated reminder. Friday comes and... nothing. No call, no explanation, no follow-up. It's been 5 days now and I've tried calling back twice but keep getting the "all circuits are busy" message. This thread is really helpful because I was starting to wonder if I somehow missed the call or if my phone was acting up. Clearly this is a widespread problem with their system. From reading everyone's experiences here, it sounds like I need to stop waiting around and be much more aggressive about following up. I'm going to try calling first thing Monday morning at 8 AM sharp with all my confirmation numbers ready. It's really frustrating that we have to chase them down when THEY missed the appointment they scheduled. Thanks everyone for sharing your stories - at least now I know this isn't just happening to me!

Great job on reporting this and staying vigilant! Just wanted to add that if anyone wants to check the legitimacy of their actual Social Security account, you can create a secure my Social Security account at ssa.gov (type the URL directly, don't click links). This is the ONLY official way to access your SSA information online. The real portal will never ask you to download additional software - everything is done through your web browser. Also, if you're expecting important correspondence from SSA (like disability decisions or benefit changes), they will send it via postal mail to your address on file. You can always call 1-800-772-1213 to verify if they've sent you anything recently, though as others mentioned, expect long wait times.

These SSA email scams are becoming a real epidemic! I work at a senior center and we've been getting multiple calls every week from worried residents who received similar emails. What's particularly disturbing is how these scammers are targeting the most vulnerable population - people who depend on Social Security benefits to survive. A few red flags everyone should watch for: - Any email claiming to be from SSA asking you to download software - Urgent language about benefits being "suspended" or "terminated" - Requests for personal information via email - Links that don't go to the official ssa.gov domain We've started doing monthly workshops at our center to educate seniors about these scams. The real SSA has confirmed they do NOT conduct business via email for sensitive matters. When in doubt, hang up the phone, delete the email, and contact SSA directly using official channels. Stay safe out there everyone! And thank you @Noah Ali for bringing this to the community's attention - these discussions help protect all of us.

Thank you everyone for all the helpful information! I've decided to accept the position at the school. Knowing that my benefits won't be reduced is a huge relief, and the possibility of slightly increasing my future benefits is an added bonus. I'll keep an eye on the tax situation, but that's manageable. Really appreciate all your insights!

That's wonderful news, Amelia! You're making a great decision. As a retired teacher myself, I can tell you that going back to help with the teacher shortage is incredibly rewarding - you'll be making such a difference for those students and your fellow educators. Plus, the financial peace of mind knowing your SS benefits are secure makes it even better. The school district is lucky to have someone with your experience stepping up during this challenging time. Best of luck with your return to the classroom!

My wife's younger than me too. I waited til my FRA to claim and she waited til hers. Glad we did! Her check would've been tiny if she'd claimed at 62. Now we have enough to actually enjoy retirement a bit. Good luck figuring it all out!

As someone new to this community but dealing with similar questions, I wanted to share what I've learned from researching this topic extensively. The key thing that helped me understand spousal benefits is that there are really two main scenarios: **Scenario 1: Your own benefit is higher** - You'll receive your own benefit amount - You won't get any additional spousal benefit **Scenario 2: 50% of your husband's benefit is higher than your own** - You'll receive your own benefit PLUS a spousal "top-up" to reach 50% of his benefit - This only happens after he files for his benefits One strategy some couples use is having the lower-earning spouse claim their own reduced benefit at 62, then when the higher-earning spouse files at 67, they automatically get bumped up to the higher spousal amount if it applies. But like others have mentioned, the earnings test and permanent reductions make this tricky. I'd definitely recommend using the calculators on ssa.gov and maybe even getting a professional consultation. The peace of mind is worth it when you're talking about decisions that affect decades of income! Hope this helps clarify things a bit. This stuff is genuinely confusing even for people who research it extensively!

This is such valuable information for anyone approaching FRA! I'm still a few years away from my full retirement age, but I've been trying to understand how the timing works. One question for those who have been through this process: When you applied online and selected your future start date, did you receive any interim communications from SSA between your application date and your chosen start month? I'm wondering if they send reminders or confirmations during that waiting period, or if you just wait until the start month arrives. Also, @Anastasia Romanov, have you considered using the SSA's benefit calculators to double-check those projected amounts? Sometimes the online estimates can vary slightly from the final calculated benefit, though usually not by much.

I'm about 5 years away from my FRA but following this discussion closely since I want to maximize my benefits too. One thing I'm curious about - for those who have successfully done this (applied early but selected a later start date), did you notice any difference in how quickly SSA processed your application compared to people who applied with an immediate start date? I'm wondering if selecting a future start date might actually give you more time to resolve any potential issues with your application before benefits need to begin. Seems like it could be a smart strategy beyond just the financial benefits of earning those extra DRCs. Also, @Anastasia Romanov, I'd be interested to know if you've factored in the tax implications of the higher monthly amount versus receiving benefits sooner. Sometimes the total after-tax benefit over time can be different than the gross monthly comparison, especially depending on your other retirement income sources.