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
Update: I just checked my mail and my paper 1099 arrived today! Seems like they really are sending them out already. For anyone else waiting, keep checking your mailbox. Now I don't have to worry about accessing it online.
lucky you! nothing in my mailbox yet. hopefully tomorrow
Great to hear people are starting to receive their paper forms! For those still waiting, I'd recommend checking your MySocialSecurity account settings to make sure your mailing address is current. Sometimes delays happen because forms get sent to old addresses. You can update your address online and it should take effect for future mailings. Also, if you moved recently and filed a change of address with the postal service, that should forward your SSA-1099 to your new address automatically.
Join the conversation
One thing to keep in mind - when you get your first combined payment, it might be prorated if you're starting mid-month. Don't panic if the first deposit looks lower than expected! SSA typically pays benefits for the month after you're entitled, so if you became eligible in February, your first payment in March might only cover part of February. The following month should be the full combined amount. Also, if there are any delays in processing the spousal benefit portion, they'll send you retroactive payments to make up the difference.
That's really good to know about the prorated first payment! I was wondering why my first deposit might look different. So if I became eligible in February, my March payment would only be for the partial February period, and then April would be the full monthly amount? And any delays in calculating the spousal portion get made up retroactively - that's reassuring since I know SSA can be slow with processing sometimes.
Hugo, I'm in a very similar situation - just filed at 67 and my husband has been collecting for a while. One thing I learned that might help you: when SSA processes dual entitlement cases like yours, there can sometimes be a delay between when your own retirement benefit starts and when they add the spousal portion. Don't be surprised if your first few payments are just your own retirement amount, and then you get a lump sum adjustment later once they finish calculating the spousal benefit. This happened to me - took about 6 weeks for them to sort out the spousal calculation and then I got a nice retroactive payment to make up the difference. The combined amount has been coming as one deposit ever since, right on schedule based on my birthday. Keep your paperwork handy in case you need to follow up!
Thanks Freya, this is exactly what I was worried about! Good to know that the delay between the retirement benefit starting and the spousal portion being added is normal. I'll definitely keep all my paperwork organized and not panic if the first few payments are lower than expected. Did you have to do anything to follow up during those 6 weeks, or did it all get sorted out automatically? I'm trying to figure out if I should be proactive about checking on the status or just wait it out.
Join the conversation
I really appreciate everyone sharing their real experiences here! As someone who's 45 and finally getting serious about retirement planning, this thread has been incredibly helpful. I've been putting off looking into my Social Security benefits because the whole system seemed so confusing, but reading through everyone's comments has motivated me to actually dig in. It sounds like I should set realistic expectations - I've had a decent career in tech but definitely had some lean years early on when I was freelancing. Based on what others have shared, I'm probably looking at something well below that theoretical maximum, but that's okay as long as I know what to expect. One question for those who've already gone through this process: how far in advance should I start seriously planning the timing of when to claim? I know there's the trade-off between claiming early vs. waiting, but is there an optimal time to start running those calculations?
Great question about timing! I'd suggest starting to run those calculations seriously around age 55-57, but definitely begin getting familiar with your benefits earlier. That gives you enough time to really understand your options without feeling rushed into a decision. The key is getting your actual benefit estimate from ssa.gov first - don't rely on generic calculators or rough estimates. Once you have your real numbers, you can use the SSA's online calculators to compare claiming at 62, FRA, and 70. The "break-even" analysis usually shows that if you expect to live into your 80s, delaying can pay off significantly. Also consider your overall financial picture - if you have good savings and can afford to delay, the 8% annual increase from waiting until 70 is hard to beat. But if you need the income or have health concerns, claiming earlier might make more sense. There's no one-size-fits-all answer, which is why starting the analysis early gives you time to really think it through without pressure.
Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who recently went through this process at age 62. I was in a similar situation to the original poster - worked consistently for 35+ years with earnings usually at or above the Social Security wage base. When I finally got my actual benefit calculation, I was eligible for about $3,400/month at my FRA (which was 66 and 6 months). Not quite the theoretical maximum, but pretty close. However, I ended up claiming early at 62 because my company offered an early retirement package and I had enough other retirement savings to bridge the gap. My reduced benefit is about $2,550/month, which honestly feels pretty good even though it's lower than waiting would have given me. The peace of mind of having that guaranteed income starting immediately was worth more to me than the extra money I might have gotten by waiting. One thing that really helped was using the SSA's detailed benefit calculators on their website - they show you exactly how much you'd get at different claiming ages based on your actual earnings record, not just generic estimates. Definitely worth the time to create that my Social Security account and run the numbers for your specific situation!
Join the conversation
Since your friend's husband hadn't started benefits yet, she should definitely understand the "deemed filing" rules don't apply to survivor benefits. This means she could potentially take reduced survivor benefits now at 62 and then switch to her own retirement benefit at 70 if it would be higher (or vice versa - take her reduced retirement now and switch to full survivor benefits at her full retirement age). This is one of the few remaining ways to use a "claim now, claim more later" strategy since the 2015 rule changes. The chart should help explain this, but it might be worth her consulting with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security to run the numbers for her specific situation.
Wait WHAT?? You can still do that with survivor benefits?? I thought they eliminated ALL the switching strategies with that 2015 law! So you're saying if my husband dies (God forbid) I could take survivor benefits at 60 and then switch to my own at 70?? Why don't they make this clear on the SSA website???
Yes, that's correct. The 2015 Bipartisan Budget Act eliminated most of the "claim now, claim more later" strategies for retirement and spousal benefits, but it specifically exempted survivor benefits. This is one reason why the flowchart is so helpful - it clarifies which rules apply to which benefits. The SSA website explains this, but it's buried in technical language most people don't understand.
This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a widow myself (lost my husband 18 months ago) and I wish I had found that flowchart back then. I made some mistakes early on because I didn't understand all my options. Just wanted to add a few things that might help your friend: 1. She should definitely apply for the $255 death benefit if she hasn't already - it's a one-time payment but every bit helps during this difficult time. 2. If she's working, there are earnings limits that could affect her survivor benefits before her full retirement age (but NOT after FRA). 3. The Social Security office will want to see the death certificate, so make sure she has certified copies. 4. Don't let anyone pressure her into making quick decisions about when to claim - she has time to figure out the best strategy for her situation. The grief makes everything so much harder to process, so having visual aids like that flowchart really does help. Sending good thoughts to your friend during this tough time.
Caleb Stone
One important thing to consider - you mentioned you're 66 now. Depending on your exact birth year, your Full Retirement Age might be 66 plus a few months. If you're not quite at your FRA yet, you might want to wait until then to apply for the survivor benefit to get the full 100%. Or if your own retirement benefit is significantly lower, you could apply for your own reduced retirement benefit now and then switch to the survivor benefit at your FRA. The SSA can calculate which strategy would give you the highest lifetime benefits.
0 coins
Jade Santiago
•That's a good point - I was born in 1956, so my FRA is 66 and 4 months, which is still a few months away. I'll ask about these options when I speak with them. Thank you!
0 coins
Olivia Garcia
Since you were born in 1956, your Full Retirement Age is indeed 66 and 4 months (July 2022 if you turned 66 in March). You're making a smart move by gathering all your documents first. Just a heads up - when you call SSA, they'll likely want to verify your deceased husband's Social Security number and his work history to confirm he earned enough credits for survivor benefits. If you don't have his SSN memorized, try to locate any old tax returns or documents that might have it. Also, be prepared for them to ask detailed questions about the marriage dates to verify the 9+ month requirement. Good luck with your call tomorrow!
0 coins
Diego Rojas
•Thank you for the heads up about needing his SSN! I actually found an old tax return from when we filed jointly that has his number on it. I never thought I'd need it again after all these years. It's good to know what questions they'll ask - I've written down our exact marriage date (June 3rd) and the date he passed away (March 8th the following year) so I can be precise when they ask. I'm feeling more prepared now thanks to everyone's advice here.
0 coins