Has anyone noticed these letters seem to come in WAVES? My brother, sister and I ALL got these within the same month for jobs we had 15-20 years ago. Seems like SSA must be going through old records by year or something. What a waste of resources when they could be processing actual claims faster!!

I'm going through the exact same situation right now! Got a similar letter from SSA about an old employer from 2003 and have been debating whether to pursue it. Reading through everyone's experiences here is really reassuring - sounds like 99% of the time it's just money we've already rolled over. @Zoe Kyriakidou your explanation about the PPPBI program and Form 8955-SSA reporting was super helpful. That explains why some employers show up in these letters and others don't. @Liam McConnell congrats on actually finding that forgotten AT&T pension! That gives me a tiny bit of hope, but based on what everyone else is saying, I'm probably in the same boat as most people here. I think I'll follow @Mei Zhang's advice and make one quick call to my old employer's main HR line just to be 100% certain, then move on with my life. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread probably saved me hours of frustration!

My neighbor said he just took cash payments for his consulting after he started SS and didn't report it lol

I had another question about this - if I file for benefits mid-year, does the earnings limit apply to all my earnings for the entire year, or just what I earn after I start receiving benefits?

Thank you everyone for the responses. I'm going to try the mobile app first for reporting, and then try to get an appointment with a Claims Specialist who understands concurrent entitlement situations. I'll make sure to get everything in writing and keep good records of all our reporting. Just to clarify - my spouse benefits are definitely under the child-in-care provision because of our disabled adult daughter, not regular spousal benefits (which I know I couldn't get until 62). It sounds like both my wife and daughter need to report their earnings directly to SSA, regardless of employer reporting. I appreciate all the helpful information!

You've got a solid plan! Just wanted to add a few tips from my experience dealing with similar reporting situations: 1. When using the mobile app, screenshot everything after you submit your wage reports - the confirmation numbers and dates. SSA's system sometimes doesn't save properly and having proof you reported can save you headaches later. 2. For your daughter's DAC benefits, keep detailed records of her work hours and earnings. If she ever approaches the SGA limit ($1,550/month in 2025), you'll want to show SSA the pattern of her earnings to demonstrate it's part-time/intermittent work rather than substantial gainful activity. 3. Consider setting calendar reminders to report quarterly rather than waiting for annual estimates. This helps avoid large overpayments if earnings are higher than expected. 4. Since your situation involves child-in-care benefits with an adult disabled child, make sure the Claims Specialist documents in your file that this is an ongoing DAC case, not a regular child's case. This prevents future confusion when staff reviews your benefits. Good luck! The fact that you're being proactive about this puts you ahead of most people in similar situations.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Justin. This is such a common issue that causes unnecessary stress during an already difficult time. You're absolutely right to question the bank's decision - they often err on the side of caution and return ALL Social Security payments when they're notified of a death, regardless of which month they're for. Since your mother lived through the entire month of July, that payment (deposited in August) rightfully belongs to her estate. The key rule is that beneficiaries must be alive for the ENTIRE benefit month, not just when the payment is received. I'd suggest getting written confirmation from SSA that the July payment is legitimate - this will help you push back against the bank's decision. Also, make sure you've officially reported her death to SSA so they don't issue an August payment (which would be deposited in September and would need to be returned). Don't let the bank bully you into returning money that rightfully belongs to your mother's estate. You have enough to deal with right now without fighting for money that's legally yours.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Justin. This situation is incredibly frustrating and unfortunately all too common. You are absolutely right to question the bank's decision - they're being overly cautious and don't understand the specific Social Security payment rules. Since your mother was alive for the entire month of July, that payment (even though it was deposited in August) rightfully belongs to her estate. The rule is simple: beneficiaries must be alive for the complete benefit month to be entitled to that payment, regardless of when it's actually deposited. I'd recommend getting documentation from SSA in writing that confirms the July payment is legitimate - this will give you the ammunition you need to push back against the bank. Many banks have blanket policies to return all SS payments after a death notification, but they need to understand that not every payment is an overpayment. Don't let them bully you into returning money that's rightfully part of your mother's estate. You have enough to deal with during this difficult time without fighting for money that legally belongs to you. Stay strong and advocate for what's right.

Since you're still working with employer coverage, here's what I recommend based on your HSA priorities: 1. Delay BOTH Medicare Part A and B while you continue working 2. Continue maximizing HSA contributions 3. When you retire or lose employer coverage, enroll in both Part A and B during your Special Enrollment Period 4. For the year you enroll in Medicare, prorate your HSA contributions for only the months before Medicare started This approach maximizes your tax advantages while avoiding penalties. Be sure your employer coverage meets the "creditable coverage" requirements to avoid Part D penalties later.

One more thing to consider - if you're planning to delay Medicare while continuing HSA contributions, make sure to keep detailed records of your employer coverage dates. The IRS may require documentation showing you had qualifying employer coverage during the period you delayed Medicare enrollment. I learned this the hard way when I had to provide employment verification letters and insurance certificates during a tax audit. Better to gather these documents now while you're still employed rather than trying to track them down years later!