Can't reach Social Security Administration? Claimyr connects you to a live SSA agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the SSA
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the SSA drops your call
If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
Really made a difference
Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
One more piece of advice - your mother-in-law should request a "Benefits Planning Query" (BPQY) from SSA. This will provide a comprehensive overview of her entitlement to various benefits including survivors benefits, and will serve as written documentation of what SSA is calculating. Having this document could be helpful if there are any issues later. Also, once she starts receiving benefits, she should carefully review her first benefit verification letter. This will outline her benefit amount and provide another layer of documentation.
This is excellent advice - thank you! I've made notes of all these different forms and documents she should request (BPQY, PEBES, earnings record, benefit verification letter). Hopefully with all this documentation we can be confident in whatever amount they determine.
My condolences on your father-in-law's passing. Just to share my experience - when my husband died, I was really confused about the whole survivor benefit process too. The amount they told me seemed too high at first, but it turned out to be correct. One thing that helped me was talking to other widows in my church group who'd been through the same process. Sometimes hearing from regular people who've navigated the same system is reassuring.
Thank you for your kind words. That's a good point about connecting with others who have been through this. I'll suggest she ask around at her community center since I know there are several widows in her friend group there.
Join the conversation
My sister and her husband had a HUGE problem with this. They both started collecting early at 62 but still working part-time. Didn't withhold taxes and didn't know about the earnings limit either. Got hit with reduced benefits AND a tax bill! Make sure you understand all the rules...
This is an important point. If you're collecting Social Security before your Full Retirement Age (FRA) and still working, you need to be aware of the earnings limit ($22,320 for 2025). Exceed that and they'll deduct $1 from your benefits for every $2 you earn above the limit. This is separate from the taxation issue, but both can affect your net income significantly.
Join the conversation
To answer your follow-up questions: 1. You need a certified copy of the death certificate, not the original (never send originals of important documents) 2. You should call the local office directly rather than the main SSA line for follow-up 3. Each field office has its own direct phone number which you can find on the SSA Office Locator tool Also, when sending the SSA-1724 for survivor benefits, remember that there's a time limit for filing - generally within 2 years of death, though there are exceptions. Since you mentioned it's been 2 months, you're well within the timeframe, but don't delay much longer.
Thank you so much for the detailed information! I've got certified copies of everything and will send it to my dad's servicing office with tracking. This has been really helpful!
One more thing! Make sure you CALL AHEAD to confirm the mailing address for the SS office. The address listed online might be OUTDATED! I had forms returned to me because I used the address from Google Maps and apparently they'd moved to a new building 6 months earlier! Such a mess!
This is actually good advice. Social Security field offices occasionally relocate, and the website doesn't always update immediately. It's worth verifying the current mailing address before sending important documents.
Join the conversation
my uncle said ssa never increases anyones benefits and its all a big lie but reading this makes me think he might be wrong?? he always complains about the government tho lol
Your uncle is incorrect. The Social Security Administration absolutely does recalculate benefits based on additional earnings. It's called an Automatic Earnings Recomputation (AERO), and it's built into the system. Whether someone sees an increase depends on their specific earnings history, but the recalculation definitely happens.
make sure u check your earnings record on the mySocialSecurity site to make sure all ur earnings are showing up correctly. i found out they were missing 2 years of my work history when i was checking mine
Good point! I should double-check that. I created an account last year but haven't looked at the detailed earnings record.
Join the conversation
my aunt tried to setup direct deposit online and SSA website crashed halfway thru!! she had to start all over lol. the website is so bad
Their website is TERRIBLE! It's like they designed it in 1995 and never updated it. I tried to check my benefit verification letter last month and got locked out of my account for no reason. Had to call and wait 2.5 HOURS just to get my account unlocked. They really don't care about making things accessible for seniors who didn't grow up with computers.
Something important to remember about survivor benefits that surprised me: if you're applying based on your deceased spouse's record, you aren't limited to what they were receiving at death. If they claimed benefits early (before FRA), you might actually get more than what they were receiving. Your benefit would be based on their primary insurance amount (PIA), not their reduced benefit amount. Also, even though you mentioned not having enough credits for your own retirement benefits, the SSA will still check if you'd qualify for any benefits on your own record, just to be thorough. They'll award you whichever benefit is higher (though in your case, it sounds like the survivor benefit will be the only option). Let them handle the direct deposit setup during the call - one less thing for you to worry about now.
That's really helpful information about how they calculate the benefit amount! My husband did claim early at 62, so maybe my benefit will be different than what he was receiving. I worked part-time for about 15 years but took a lot of time off when our kids were young, so I only have about 28 credits - not enough for my own retirement. I appreciate all these insights!
Join the conversation
Just to clarify some information about Childhood Disability Benefits (CDB): 1. You can qualify under EITHER parent's record if they're receiving Social Security retirement/disability OR if they're deceased. 2. You need to prove your disability began before age 22, which sounds like you can do easily with your diagnosis at 13. 3. Unlike SSI, CDB has no income or resource limits. The financial status of your household won't affect eligibility. 4. The benefit amount is based on your parent's Social Security record (generally 50% if they're alive, 75% if deceased). 5. Most importantly: If you're applying based on your mother's record who is receiving SSDI, you should specifically request that they take a "protective filing date" back to when you first inquired about benefits. This could potentially get you some retroactive benefits. I'd recommend contacting your local field office directly rather than the general SSA number. The field offices often have more flexibility to help with complicated cases.
This is super helpful info about CDB! One thing to add - make sure all your medical records clearly show CONTINUOUS disability since before age 22. Any significant gaps in treatment or periods where you worked substantially could cause problems with CDB eligibility, even if your condition is clearly genetic/lifelong.
Hey there - I went through this exact process! So I have hereditary spastic paraplegia (diagnosed at 16) and my dad passed away when I was 19. I didn't know about CDB until I was 34! What finally worked for me: 1) I went IN PERSON to my local SSA office with ALL my medical records organized chronologically (original diagnosis through current) 2) I specifically requested to talk to someone familiar with CDB/DAC benefits (not everyone knows these well) 3) I brought a letter from my neurologist specifically stating my condition began before 22 and has prevented substantial gainful activity continuously since then 4) Here's what they don't tell you - you need to specifically fill out both the adult disability application AND form SSA-4-BK (Child's Benefits) My application was approved in about 4 months, which is lightning fast for disability. I think going in person with everything perfectly organized made all the difference. Good luck!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! This is incredibly helpful. I didn't know about needing to fill out the SSA-4-BK form specifically. I'll definitely get everything organized chronologically before going in. Did you need to bring your father's death certificate or did they already have that information in their system?
Join the conversation
Don't wait!!! My sister-in-law was in your EXACT situation (teacher for 29 years, GPO affected) and she listened when they told her to "just wait" - BIG MISTAKE! She ended up waiting THREE EXTRA MONTHS for her first payment because of the direct deposit issue! Go to your local office IN PERSON with your ID, a voided check, and your case number. Insist they document in your file that you provided direct deposit info. The website is RIGHT and the phone rep was WRONG. With this GPO repeal affecting so many people, SSA is overwhelmed and giving out incorrect information.
Oh no, that's exactly what I'm afraid of! I definitely don't want to wait months for a payment when I could be proactive now. Thank you for sharing your sister-in-law's experience - I'll make an appointment at my local office right away. Did she ever get retroactive payments for the months she should have been receiving benefits?
I know this isn't exactly what you asked, but make sure you understand how the GPO repeal implementation timeline works. SSA announced they'll process cases in phases, with the first payments expected to go out in late January 2025. Those who already applied (like you) are in the first group. But they also said benefits won't be retroactive to the repeal date - they'll start when SSA processes your case. So getting your direct deposit set up is definitely important to avoid further delays once they get to your case!
Thank you for mentioning the timeline - that's really helpful context! January 2025 isn't too far away, so I definitely want to make sure everything is in order. I appreciate everyone's helpful advice on this thread. I'm going to call tomorrow using the specific wording suggested and also try to make an in-person appointment as backup.
Will Social Security COLA increases apply to survivor benefits if I delay claiming until 70?
I'm trying to figure out the best way to maximize my survivor benefits after losing my husband 6 months ago. I'm currently 65 and considering waiting until I'm 70 to claim the survivor benefits to get the maximum amount. What I'm confused about is how the annual COLA raises work with survivor benefits if I delay claiming.Here's my specific question: If I wait 5 years to claim (from age 65 to 70), will his benefit amount receive all the COLA increases during those 5 years I'm waiting? Or would I only get the benefit amount as it was when he passed away?For example, if his benefit would have been $2,800/month when he passed, and there's a 3% COLA each year for 5 years, would those increases be added to his benefit amount before I claim at 70? Or do I lose out on those COLA adjustments by waiting?This makes a big difference in my planning, and I can't seem to find a clear answer on the SSA website. Thanks for any help!
Join the conversation
Yes, your survivor benefit will include all COLAs from when your husband died until you claim.Regarding the reduced benefit - when a person claims retirement benefits early and then passes away, the survivor benefit calculation can work in two ways:1. If your husband was already receiving reduced benefits when he died, your survivor benefit will be based on that reduced amount, but it cannot be less than 82.5% of his Primary Insurance Amount (PIA).2. Alternatively, you're entitled to what your husband would have received if he was still alive when you claim survivor benefits, including any COLAs.SSA will give you whichever amount is higher. And yes, all COLAs that have occurred since his passing will be applied to whichever calculation is used.
Join the conversation
my mom just went thru this. take everything they tell u about GPO with grain of salt. her first calculation was wrong & they overpaid her then wanted money back!!! bring ALL ur pension docs and ask them to double check the math before u leave!!!!!
Oh no! That's exactly what I'm worried about. I'm definitely bringing multiple copies of everything and will ask them to show me exactly how they're calculating the reduction. I've already done my own math based on the 2/3 reduction rule, so I should be able to tell if something seems way off.
One more important consideration: If your government pension amount ever increases (like with COLA adjustments), you must report this to SSA as it will further reduce your survivor benefit. Many people miss this step and end up with overpayments later. Set a reminder to report any pension increases to SSA right away.
Thank you for this tip! My pension does have small COLA increases annually. I'll make sure to report any changes immediately. I definitely don't want to deal with overpayment issues.
Evelyn Kim
One practical tip from my experience - I found it helpful to do a mid-year calculation after my Q2 estimated tax payment. This gives you a chance to adjust your work schedule for the second half of the year if you're trending too high or too low relative to the earnings limit. Also, remember that SSA counts income when it's earned, not when it's paid. So if you do therapy work in December but don't get the insurance payment until January, that still counts for the December year's earnings. This gets especially tricky with self-employment.
0 coins
Emma Johnson
•Wait I'm confused again - I thought for self-employment they just look at what's on your Schedule C for the year? How do they know WHEN you earned the money vs when you got paid???
0 coins
Henrietta Beasley
•For wage earners, SSA uses when the money was earned. For self-employment, you're right that they generally use your annual tax return (Schedule SE specifically), which typically follows cash accounting principles. However, if you're intentionally deferring income from one tax year to another to manipulate the earnings test, they could potentially question that. The key is to follow consistent accounting practices.
0 coins
Margot Quinn
Thank you all for the incredibly helpful advice! I feel much more prepared now. I'll plan to: 1. Talk to my CPA about quarterly tracking 2. Create a spreadsheet with a 15% buffer below the limit 3. Track both service dates and payment dates 4. Report estimated earnings when I initially apply 5. Use Claimyr if I need to actually speak with someone at SSA One last question - does anyone know if there's a specific form or process for updating SSA if my earnings projection changes during the year?
0 coins
Henrietta Beasley
•You can report changes to your earnings estimate by calling SSA or visiting an office. There's no special online process for this unfortunately. You can use form SSA-795 (Statement of Claimant) to document the change, either in person or by mail. Keep a copy of everything you submit. If you call, get the representative's name and make notes about what was discussed and any instructions they provide.
0 coins