one more thing - make sure u have ur marriage certificate! they made us bring original or certified copy, no photocopies allowed. was a whole extra trip to county office to get it

Welcome to the community! I just wanted to add that it might be worth contacting your local congressional representative's office as well. They often have staff who specialize in Social Security issues and can sometimes get faster responses from SSA than calling directly. My neighbor used this approach when she had issues with her disability claim and got much better service. They can also help clarify any confusing information you might receive. Given how many people will be affected by the GPO repeal, having an advocate might be really helpful in navigating the process once applications open in 2025.

Based on everything discussed here, my recommendation would be: 1. Request your Social Security Statement online (if you haven't already) to see your projected benefit amounts at different ages 2. If possible, try to calculate what your ex-spousal benefit might be (approximately 50% of your ex-husband's benefit at his full retirement age, reduced if you claim early) 3. Consider whether you absolutely need the income now or if you can wait 4. Remember that for every year you delay filing between your FRA and age 70, your own benefit increases by about 8% 5. Speak directly with an SSA representative about your specific situation before making your final decision While general advice is helpful, your optimal strategy will depend on your specific benefit amounts, health status, financial needs, and other income sources.

Hi Mateo! I went through a similar decision process a few years ago and wanted to share what I learned. Given your numbers ($1,620 at 63 vs $2,175 at FRA), that's a significant difference - about $555 per month or $6,660 per year. One thing that really helped me was using the SSA's online benefit calculator to run different scenarios. You can create a my Social Security account and see projections for different claiming ages. For the ex-spousal benefit calculation, you'll need an estimate of your ex-husband's benefit at his FRA (not what he'll get at 70). Since he hasn't filed yet and you mentioned he's waiting until 70, you might want to consider this: if your own benefit at FRA ($2,175) is already pretty substantial, the ex-spousal benefit might not add much. The spousal benefit is calculated as the difference between 50% of his FRA benefit and your own benefit amount. Also, I noticed someone mentioned Claimyr - I actually used them too and found it really helpful for getting specific answers about my situation. Sometimes paying a small fee to get through to an actual SSA expert is worth it when you're making a decision that affects thousands of dollars over your lifetime. Have you considered working with a fee-only financial planner who specializes in Social Security optimization? They can run scenarios with your actual numbers.

Update: I finally got through to SSA this morning! The representative confirmed they have the correct start date for my Medicare (August 2022) despite what the letter said. She told me the Medicare reimbursement should come within 6-8 weeks as a separate payment. She also noted that I'll see the reimbursement pending in my MySocialSecurity account before it hits my bank account. Thanks everyone for your help and sharing your experiences. I'll update again when I receive the payment!

Great to see you got through to SSA and got some clarity! That MySocialSecurity account tip is really valuable - I didn't know the reimbursement would show up there first. For others still waiting, it might be worth setting up online access if you haven't already. Having a way to track these things online beats calling and waiting on hold for hours. LunarEclipse, definitely keep us posted when you get that reimbursement - it'll help give the rest of us a realistic timeline to expect.

UPDATE: I finally got through to SSA! The agent confirmed there was an error in my case. Apparently, they had me coded incorrectly in their system, which prevented the automatic recalculation at FRA. They're fixing it now and said I should receive the retroactive adjustment within 30-60 days. The agent said the back payment will be for all reduced benefits from June 2024 (my FRA month) through now. Thank you all for encouraging me to keep pushing on this!

Congratulations on getting this resolved! This is such a perfect example of why we all need to advocate for ourselves with SSA. A "coding error" that prevented automatic recalculation - that's exactly the kind of thing that could have gone on indefinitely if you hadn't pushed for answers. I hope when you get that retroactive payment it's a substantial amount that makes up for all the stress and time you spent trying to get through to them. Your persistence really paid off, and I'm sure your story will help other people in similar situations know they need to keep fighting for what they're owed!

I'm so sorry for your loss. I just went through this exact process 6 months ago when I turned 60, and I completely understand the confusion about conflicting information from SSA! You absolutely CAN apply by phone - don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Here's what worked for me: 1. Call 1-800-772-1213 early morning (around 8 AM) for the best chance of getting through 2. Tell them you want to schedule a phone appointment to apply for survivor benefits 3. They'll schedule it for your 60th birthday or shortly after 4. About 2 weeks before your appointment, they'll mail you forms to complete 5. During the hour-long phone interview, they'll walk you through everything For documents, I mailed certified copies of my marriage certificate using certified mail with return receipt. They returned everything to me within 3 weeks, and I got my first payment about 6 weeks after the phone appointment. The rep who told you that you MUST come in person was definitely misinformed. I never set foot in an SSA office and everything went smoothly. Having your husband's SSN, death date, and marriage date ready will help the process go faster. Don't stress - the phone process is actually much easier than the office visit! You've got enough to worry about without dealing with long office waits on your birthday.

I'm so sorry for your loss, and I completely understand your frustration with the conflicting information from SSA! I went through this exact same situation about 9 months ago, and I can confirm that you absolutely CAN apply by phone. Here's what I learned from my experience: - The local office reps sometimes give outdated or incorrect information about phone applications - Call the national number (1-800-772-1213) and specifically ask to schedule a "survivor benefits phone appointment" - Best calling times are right at 8:00 AM on weekdays - I got through on my second try this way - They'll mail you paperwork about 2 weeks before your scheduled phone appointment - The actual phone interview takes about 45-60 minutes and they're very thorough For the marriage certificate, I sent a certified copy via certified mail with tracking, and they returned it to me within 2-3 weeks. Since SSA already has your husband's death certificate on file, that part should be straightforward. One tip: when you call, don't mention that a local office rep told you it had to be in-person. Just ask to schedule the phone appointment as if that's normal (because it is!). The phone process was actually much less stressful than I expected, and I received my first payment about 5 weeks after the interview. You're doing the right thing by starting early - this gives you time to get everything sorted properly without rushing. Don't let one misinformed rep discourage you!