Just a heads-up. I think that the Voluntary Tax Withholding option that's now available online via SSA dot gov might be calculating the withdrawal incorrectly, because it did so with my benefit. From my benefit of $1351, 22% would have been $297.22. Instead, they took out only $256.50, which is more than a $41 difference for just one month. Somehow, the online process had incorrectly subtracted the $185 premium from my benefit and then applied the withholding of 22% to the reduced amount. From what I've read, it seems that people who submit the official tax form rather than using the online form *might* get their withdrawal computed correctly.

This is really eye-opening! As someone who's completely new to Social Security benefits, I had no idea there was even a difference between using the online system versus the paper W-4V form. Dana's discovery about the calculation error in the online system is incredibly valuable - that's a $41 monthly difference which adds up to nearly $500 over a year! I was actually planning to set up my withholding through the online portal since it seemed more convenient, but now I'm definitely going to use the traditional paper form instead. It's concerning that such a fundamental calculation error exists in SSA's online system. Has anyone else noticed similar discrepancies, or has Dana been the first to catch this? Thanks to everyone in this thread for sharing such detailed experiences - it's helping newcomers like me avoid costly mistakes!

As someone who just went through the Social Security application process myself (started receiving benefits in January 2025), this thread has been incredibly valuable! I haven't received any adjustment payments yet, but after reading everyone's experiences, I'm much better prepared if one shows up. What really stands out to me is how much SSA's systems have apparently improved. The fact that they're automatically catching these earnings record discrepancies and issuing corrections within 2-3 months is actually quite impressive for a government agency. It sounds like these adjustment payments are becoming a routine part of ensuring people get their correct benefit amounts, especially for those of us who started collecting recently. I'm definitely going to start monitoring my mySocialSecurity account more closely and keep detailed records of any payments. The advice about not panicking if an unexpected deposit appears, but also not spending it until you get official documentation, seems like the perfect balanced approach. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed real-world experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical information that's impossible to find in the official SSA materials!

This thread has been absolutely fascinating to follow! As someone who's been helping my elderly parents navigate Social Security for the past few years, I'm really impressed by how much the system seems to have improved. The pattern everyone's describing with these Q4 2024 earnings adjustments makes perfect sense - it sounds like SSA has finally modernized their data reconciliation processes to catch these discrepancies automatically instead of relying on beneficiaries to notice and report issues themselves. What's particularly encouraging is seeing how consistent these experiences have been across different people and different payment amounts. It really does seem like this is a systematic improvement in how SSA handles earnings record updates rather than isolated incidents. The fact that most people are getting their explanation letters within 2-3 weeks of the payment also suggests their communication processes have gotten more reliable. For anyone still dealing with similar situations, I'd echo the advice about keeping detailed documentation and being patient for the official explanation. It's also worth noting that these adjustment payments seem to be a good sign that SSA is being more proactive about ensuring benefit accuracy - something that benefits everyone in the long run!

does anyone know if the FRA is different for SSI? my cousin gets SSI not regular Social Security and she said theres no FRA for that

I'm in a very similar situation - started collecting at 62 in early 2024 and my FRA is also in December 2025. Reading through all these responses has been really educational! I had the same hope that maybe there would be some kind of increase at FRA, but now I understand that's not how it works. The one thing that gives me some comfort is knowing that if I keep working (even part-time), there's still potential for small increases if my current earnings replace some of my lower earning years from the past. Plus the annual COLA adjustments help with inflation. For anyone else reading this who hasn't filed yet - definitely consider waiting if you can afford to. The permanent reduction is no joke. But for those of us who already filed early, at least we know what to expect and can plan accordingly. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge here. This community is so helpful!

I just had this happen to me this morning too! Got the notification email around 10 AM and immediately logged into my account expecting to see something about my upcoming benefit verification, but my message center was completely empty. I was getting really worried that maybe I was missing something time-sensitive or that there was a technical issue preventing important messages from displaying properly. Reading through all these comments has been incredibly reassuring - especially the official explanation from the IT specialist confirming this is a known system bug affecting many people. It's so frustrating when government systems glitch like this, but at least we know it's temporary and should be resolved by the end of the month. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this community is such a valuable resource for newcomers like me trying to navigate these confusing situations! I'll definitely bookmark that system status page that was mentioned and just ignore these phantom emails until the fix is deployed.

I just experienced this exact same issue this afternoon! Got the notification email saying I had new messages in my Social Security account, but when I logged in through ssa.gov there was absolutely nothing there. I was really starting to worry that maybe something was wrong with my account or that I was missing important information about my retirement benefits. Reading through all these comments has been incredibly helpful - especially seeing the official explanation from the IT specialist that this is just a known system glitch affecting many people. It's so reassuring to know this isn't a security issue and that there's a fix coming by the end of the month. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - this community is such a great resource for understanding what's actually concerning versus what's just technical difficulties with government systems. I'll definitely check out that system status page that was mentioned and will just ignore these phantom emails until SSA gets their notification system sorted out!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - waiting for my SSDI decision but already worried about the tax implications if I get approved with backpay. This thread has been incredibly educational! I had no idea about the lump-sum election option or that you could request voluntary withholding on future payments. One question for those who've been through this - roughly how long after your approval did you receive the actual backpay? I'm trying to plan ahead for when I might need to start setting money aside for taxes. Also, has anyone had experience with how this affects state taxes, or is it mostly a federal tax issue? Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - it's really helping those of us who are new to this process!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm currently going through the SSDI application process and had no idea about any of these tax implications. The lump-sum election option sounds like a lifesaver - I can't believe they don't tell you about this upfront! I'm definitely going to bookmark IRS Publication 915 and start researching Form W-4V for voluntary withholding. It's amazing how much you all have helped each other navigate this complicated system. One thing I'm wondering about - for those who used the lump-sum election, did you need to hire a tax professional or were you able to handle it with tax software? I usually do my own taxes but this sounds pretty complex. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences - it's invaluable for those of us just starting this journey!