That's such great news that you got it figured out! Thanks for sharing the resolution - this is really helpful for anyone else who might get an unexpected payment like this. It's reassuring to know that sometimes these surprise deposits are actually money we're legitimately owed rather than errors. I'm definitely bookmarking that Claimyr service too since calling SSA directly seems to be such a nightmare these days. Glad everything worked out in your favor!

Wow, what a relief that it turned out to be money you were actually owed! This thread has been so educational - I had no idea that SSA could do retroactive adjustments based on actual vs. estimated earnings. I'm in a similar situation (recently widowed and working part-time while receiving survivor benefits) and this gives me a better understanding of how the system works. I'm also impressed that the Claimyr service actually worked - I've been dreading having to call SSA about some questions I have. Thanks for taking the time to update everyone with the resolution!

I'm glad to see others reporting this same issue! I received an unexpected second payment of $1,456 on February 16th (my regular payment comes on the 2nd Wednesday). Like others mentioned, it shows up as "SSA TREAS" in my bank account. I was really worried I'd done something wrong or that my account got hacked somehow. Reading through all these comments makes me feel much better that it's a known system error. I'm definitely going to report it tomorrow - better safe than sorry. Has anyone heard if SSA is planning to send out any official notifications about this error to affected beneficiaries?

I'm a new member here and just wanted to say thank you to everyone for sharing their experiences with this duplicate payment issue! I received an unexpected second payment of $1,289 on February 17th (my regular payment date is the 4th Wednesday) and I was completely panicked thinking there was some kind of fraud or mistake on my account. Reading through all these comments has been so reassuring - it's clearly a widespread system error affecting many beneficiaries. I'm definitely going to call SSA tomorrow to report it and get it documented in my account. It sounds like the key is reporting it quickly to avoid any potential penalties later, even though it was their mistake. Has anyone who reported it early heard back from SSA about when they expect to reverse these payments?

my neighbor tried doing what ur talking about and ended up owing ssa money at the end of the year!!! be careful cuz they don't always explain everything up front!!

I've been following this discussion and wanted to add one more consideration that might be helpful. If you do decide to wait until your FRA (which sounds like the smart move based on everyone's advice), make sure you understand what happens to any delayed retirement credits. While ex-spouse benefits don't earn delayed retirement credits past FRA, YOUR own retirement benefit does continue to grow by about 8% per year until age 70 if you delay claiming. So if your own benefit might eventually be higher than the ex-spouse benefit, waiting until 70 to claim could maximize your monthly payment for life. Also, just a heads up - even though the earnings test goes away at FRA, you'll still need to consider the tax implications of Social Security benefits combined with your work income. The taxation thresholds are pretty low, so you might end up paying taxes on a significant portion of your benefits even after FRA. It's frustrating how complicated they've made this system, but it sounds like you're getting good advice here to wait it out!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Ivanna. Losing a spouse is incredibly difficult, especially with young children to care for. I wanted to add some practical advice that might help with your immediate situation. Since you mentioned the SSA office is hard to reach and you can't take more time off work, consider these options: 1. **Online account**: If you haven't already, create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov. You can view benefit estimates, check your earnings record, and sometimes get information without calling. 2. **Written requests**: For complex questions like yours, sometimes submitting a written request to your local office can get you more detailed, documented answers than phone calls. 3. **Timing your calls**: If you must call, try early morning (8-9 AM) or late afternoon (4-5 PM) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays. Mondays and Fridays tend to be busiest. Regarding your strategy - everyone here is correct that you can take survivor benefits at 60 and switch to your own at 67 if higher. Since you're 45 now, you have 15 years to accumulate those work credits. Working full-time should easily get you the 40 credits needed. One thing to keep in mind: when your youngest turns 16 (in about 4 years), you'll become eligible for mother's benefits, which could provide some financial relief during those crucial working years before you're eligible for survivor benefits at 60. Stay strong - you're asking all the right questions and planning wisely for your family's future.

I'm really sorry for your loss, and I can see you're getting excellent advice here from people who've been through similar situations. One additional point I wanted to mention that might be helpful: when you do eventually apply for survivor benefits at 60, make sure to ask about "protective filing dates." If there's any delay in processing your application, SSA can sometimes backdate your benefits to when you first inquired, which could mean several months of retroactive payments. Also, since you mentioned being a teacher's aide, you might want to double-check whether your school district participates in Social Security or if they have their own retirement system. Some public employees don't pay into Social Security, which could affect your ability to earn those 40 credits you'll need for your own retirement benefit. The fact that you're thinking about this strategy now, 15 years ahead of time, shows you're being incredibly smart about planning for your family's future. Many people don't realize they have these options until it's too late to optimize their benefits. Keep working on building those credits - you've got plenty of time, and this community is here to help if you have more questions along the way.

Congratulations on getting your application submitted! That's such a relief when you're worried about timing. Just wanted to add that when SSA calls you for that verification interview, they'll typically ask about your work history and might need clarification on some of the information you provided. Don't worry if you don't remember exact dates - they have access to your earnings record and can help fill in any gaps. The call usually takes about 15-20 minutes and they're pretty helpful about walking you through anything you're unsure about.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this process recently! I applied online in December for a February start and it was surprisingly smooth. The website saves your progress automatically, so you don't have to worry about losing your work if you need to step away. One tip - when they ask about your work history, don't stress if you can't remember every single employer or exact dates. They have your earnings record and will help verify during the follow-up call. The most important thing is getting your application in before the end of March so you can still get that April start date. Also, make sure your bank account info is exactly right for direct deposit - any errors there can cause delays in your first payment. Good luck with your retirement!