I'm so sorry for your sister's loss. This is a difficult time, and it's wonderful that you're stepping up to help her navigate this complex process. One thing I'd like to add that others haven't mentioned - when you call SSA to schedule your appointment, ask if they can arrange to meet at your local SSA office rather than requiring your sister to travel to an unfamiliar location. Some offices can accommodate special circumstances, especially when cognitive disabilities are involved. Also, consider bringing a trusted friend or family member to the appointment as an additional witness/support person. This can sometimes help the process go more smoothly and provides an extra person to take notes if needed. Regarding the banking situation, some credit unions are particularly good at working with people who have disabilities and their representatives. They often have more flexible policies and staff who are trained in these situations. It might be worth calling a few local credit unions in addition to traditional banks. Finally, don't forget to take care of yourself during this process. Being a representative payee is a significant responsibility, and combined with helping your sister grieve, it can be emotionally and mentally taxing. Make sure you have support too.

I went through a very similar situation with my adult daughter who has autism when my husband passed away two years ago. Here are a few additional practical tips that might help: 1. When you call SSA, try calling right when they open (8am local time) - you'll have better luck getting through. If you get disconnected, don't give up. It took me 4 tries over 2 days to finally reach someone. 2. For the appointment, bring a simple one-page summary of your sister's daily care needs and why she can't manage finances independently. This helped the SSA worker understand the situation quickly during our interview. 3. Regarding banking, Wells Fargo and Bank of America both have specific procedures for representative payee accounts. I ended up with a local community bank that was much more patient and helpful with the setup process. 4. Start a simple filing system now - one folder for SSA paperwork, one for bank statements, one for receipts. You'll thank yourself later when it's time for that annual report. The process feels overwhelming at first, but once everything is set up, it becomes much more manageable. Your sister is lucky to have someone who cares so much looking out for her during this difficult time.

Just wanted to follow up - did you get this resolved? What did your attorney say?

That's fantastic news! So glad to hear your accommodation was approved. Your experience really reinforces what others have said here - having proper medical documentation makes all the difference. This thread will be really helpful for other people facing the same situation. Best of luck with your hearing in May!

Great to see this got resolved! Just want to emphasize one more important point for anyone else reading this thread: if you're planning large withdrawals from retirement accounts or annuities, consider spreading them across multiple years if possible. While they won't affect your Social Security benefit amount, bunching large withdrawals into one year can push you into higher tax brackets and increase the taxation of your SS benefits significantly. A tax professional can help you strategize the timing to minimize the overall tax impact.

As someone who works in retirement planning, I want to add one more clarification that might help others: the Social Security Administration has a very specific definition of "earnings" that only includes wages from employment (W-2 income) and net earnings from self-employment. This is clearly outlined in their Publication 05-10069 "How Work Affects Your Benefits." What does NOT count as earnings for the Social Security earnings test: - Annuity payments - Pension benefits - IRA/401(k) withdrawals - Investment income (interest, dividends, capital gains) - Rental income - Social Security benefits themselves The confusion often comes from the fact that these same income sources DO count for determining if your Social Security benefits are taxable - but that's handled by the IRS, not SSA, and it's a completely separate calculation. Owen, you're absolutely safe withdrawing from your annuity without affecting your monthly benefit amount. Just keep good records for tax purposes!

The WHOLE SYSTEM is designed to be confusing on purpose!!! They don't want us to understand how our benefits are calculated because then we might realize we're not getting what we deserve after paying in our whole lives!!!!

Just want to add that if you're looking for a really detailed breakdown of how AWI indexing works, SSA Publication 05-10070 "How Work Affects Your Benefits" has some good examples with actual numbers. You can download it from their website. Also, one thing I learned the hard way - make sure you're checking your earnings record on your my Social Security account regularly. I found errors in mine from jobs I had in the 1990s that would have affected my indexing calculation. You have limited time to correct these, so don't wait until you're ready to retire! For planning purposes, the online estimator is pretty accurate if your earnings record is correct. But if you want to really understand the math behind it, those AWI tables and the PIA formula are worth studying.

Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! I called SSA again today and specifically asked for a Technical Expert as suggested. I explained the difference between withdrawal and non-claim (which the first rep didn't seem to understand). After being transferred, the TE confirmed that since I hadn't received any payments yet, I could indeed file for a non-claim! I'll be sending a written statement to make it official. Such a relief. I plan to maximize my LTD until October and then reassess my options. This forum has been incredibly helpful - I was getting nowhere with the standard SSA phone line. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge!

That's fantastic news! I'm so glad you were able to get this resolved. Your experience really highlights how important it is to know the right terminology when dealing with SSA - the difference between "withdrawal" and "non-claim" seems to be something many reps don't fully understand. Your story will definitely help others who might find themselves in similar situations. It's a good reminder that persistence pays off, and sometimes you just need to find the right person who knows the system. Best of luck with your LTD benefits through October!