As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly impressed by the depth of knowledge and support being shared here! I'm just beginning to research disability benefits for a family member, and this thread has been an absolute goldmine of practical information. What strikes me most is how many critical details aren't readily available in official SSA publications - things like the specific Medicaid protection provisions, the importance of requesting experienced DAC representatives, and the various state agency coordination requirements. It's clear that successfully navigating these transitions often requires insights that can only come from families who've actually been through the process. I'm particularly grateful for the emphasis on proactive documentation and timeline planning. The advice about creating transition binders, tracking all communications, and applying well in advance of when you actually need the benefits seems like it could prevent many of the administrative headaches others have experienced. The generosity of knowledge sharing here is remarkable - from specific regulatory citations to practical form completion strategies to emotional support during what can be an overwhelming process. This kind of peer-to-peer guidance is invaluable for families already dealing with significant challenges. Thank you all for creating such a supportive environment where complex benefit questions can be addressed with both expertise and empathy. This thread will be an incredible resource for anyone facing similar transitions!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely blown away by the comprehensive guidance shared in this thread! I'm currently facing a very similar situation with my 38-year-old daughter who has intellectual disabilities, and reading through everyone's experiences has been both educational and deeply reassuring. What I find most valuable is how everyone has emphasized the critical importance of documentation and proactive communication. The "transition binder" concept mentioned by several members seems like an absolute must-have, especially given how many different agencies and systems need to coordinate during this process. I'm particularly grateful for the specific regulatory references like Section 1634(c) and the detailed explanations of DAC Medicaid protections. These are exactly the kinds of technical details that can make or break a smooth transition, but they're not information you'd easily find without guidance from families who've navigated this successfully. The timeline insights have been incredibly helpful too - understanding that we're looking at potentially 8-12 months from application to first payment, plus the various waiting periods, is crucial for financial planning. It's clear that starting this process well before you actually need it is essential. Thank you all for being so generous with your hard-earned knowledge and for creating such a supportive environment. This community is an invaluable resource for families dealing with these complex benefit transitions!

Since you'll be 65 in April 2025, your Full Retirement Age is actually 67 (for people born in 1960 or later). Keep in mind that claiming at 65 means you'll get approximately 86.7% of your full benefit amount. Also remember that the annual earnings limit for 2025 will likely be around $23,000 if you're under FRA the entire year. Since you'll only have $15,000 in wages that count toward this limit, you should be fine even without considering the pension (which, as others have correctly noted, doesn't count toward the earnings test).

I just wanted to add that you might want to consider timing your retirement strategically around the earnings test. Since you're retiring in March and only working part of the year, SSA uses a monthly earnings test for the first year you retire (if it's more favorable). For 2025, this would be around $1,920 per month. Since you'll be done working by March, any months where you earn under this amount won't count against you - even if your annual total exceeds the yearly limit. This could potentially give you even more flexibility with your early retirement timing!

I want to clarify something important: Your first month of entitlement (April in your case) is the first month you're eligible for benefits. The actual payment for April will come in May. Here's what I recommend based on my experience: 1. Work until your birthday (April 28th) 2. Make sure your April earnings stay under the monthly limit (around $2,000/month in 2025) 3. Have savings to cover expenses from your last paycheck until late May 4. Apply for benefits 3-4 months before April (so December 2024/January 2025) This approach minimizes your income gap while ensuring you don't lose benefits due to excess earnings. And applying early gives SSA time to process everything so your May payment isn't delayed.

Just wanted to add one more tip that helped me - consider setting up direct deposit for your Social Security benefits BEFORE your first payment is due. You can do this online at ssa.gov or when you apply. This ensures your May payment goes straight into your account without any additional delays from waiting for a paper check to arrive in the mail. Also, if you have a credit union or bank that offers short-term emergency loans to members, it might be worth asking about that option to cover the gap. Some financial institutions have special programs for retirees in exactly this situation.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful to have found this thread! I'm actually dealing with a very similar mySSA account situation right now - I locked my account for security reasons about a month ago after my bank recommended it following some suspicious activity alerts, and now I'm completely unable to get back in to check my benefits status. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both reassuring (knowing I'm not the only one facing this!) and incredibly educational. The detailed explanation from Finley about Account Lock vs. Block Electronic Access was a revelation - I had no idea there were two different security measures with completely different unlock procedures. That distinction alone probably explains some of my confusion. James's success story with the 48-hour wait and early Wednesday morning calling strategy gives me real hope, and Marina's advice about documenting everything with screenshots before locking is something I desperately wish I'd known beforehand. The consistency in everyone's recommended approaches (original device, exact information matching, patience with wait periods) really reinforces that there are proven solutions here. What impresses me most is how this community has collectively created a more comprehensive troubleshooting guide than anything available through official SSA channels. Based on all the shared wisdom here, I'm going to try the 48-hour wait approach, use my original laptop (hoping I can remember which one I used initially), and if needed, attempt the early morning calling strategy on a Wednesday. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a supportive environment for navigating these frustrating but important security challenges!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so thankful to have found this incredibly detailed and helpful thread! I'm currently facing my own mySSA account lockout situation and was feeling pretty overwhelmed until I read through everyone's experiences here. Like many others, I decided to lock my account after reading about identity theft risks, but now I'm stuck trying to get back in to access my Social Security information. The wealth of practical knowledge shared here is amazing - Finley's explanation about Account Lock vs. Block Electronic Access was particularly enlightening since I had no idea these were separate security measures. The consistent success strategies everyone has identified give me real hope: the 48-hour wait period, using the exact same device and browser from initial setup, ensuring all personal information matches precisely, and the early morning Wednesday calling approach if needed. Marina's advice about taking screenshots and documenting everything before locking is brilliant (wish I'd known that earlier!). What really impresses me is how this community has created such a comprehensive troubleshooting resource through shared experiences - honestly more useful than anything I could find on official SSA websites. The emphasis on patience, precision, and persistence really resonates, and seeing so many successful resolution stories shows that while these lockouts are frustrating, they're definitely solvable. I'm planning to implement the strategies discussed here and will update everyone on how it goes. Thank you all for being so generous with your knowledge and creating such a supportive environment for navigating these government service challenges!

I'm completely new to Social Security and this thread has been such an incredible resource! I'm just starting to understand the basics of how retirement benefits work and had absolutely no idea that first payments could arrive earlier than your regular scheduled date. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it's obvious this early payment thing is actually very common, but SSA's communication about it is really poor. I would have definitely panicked too seeing an unexpected deposit from them! It's so frustrating that they could easily prevent all this confusion by simply including one line in their award letters explaining that initial payments may be processed before your regular payment schedule begins. Thank you so much for taking the time to call SSA to get official confirmation and then sharing those results with everyone here. These real-world experiences from people who've actually navigated the system are so much more helpful than trying to understand their confusing official documentation. This discussion is going to save so many newcomers like me from unnecessary worry when we see that early first payment show up!

I'm also completely new to Social Security and this entire discussion has been incredibly enlightening! I'm just beginning to research how retirement benefits work and had absolutely no idea that first payments could arrive earlier than the regular monthly schedule. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it's so clear that this early payment situation is actually very common, yet SSA doesn't explain this anywhere in their standard communications. I would have definitely panicked too seeing an unexpected deposit from them! It's really frustrating that such a simple addition to their award letters - just one sentence explaining that "your initial payment may be processed before your regular payment schedule begins" - could prevent so much unnecessary anxiety and confusion. Thank you so much for calling SSA to get official confirmation and sharing those results with the community. These real-world experiences and practical insights from people who've actually navigated the system are exactly what newcomers like me need to understand what's normal versus what might actually be a problem. This thread is going to help so many people avoid unnecessary worry when they see that early first payment appear in their accounts!