Update: Just received my letter in the mail today explaining the COLA adjustment! It says my first increased payment will be on the 4th Wednesday of this month, and the lump sum for retroactive adjustments will come within 10 business days after that. Going to mark my calendar and stop worrying. Thanks everyone for the helpful info!

Just wanted to share my experience for anyone still waiting - I'm also on the 4th Wednesday payment schedule and haven't received mine yet, but after reading all these responses I'm feeling much more confident about the timeline. It's really helpful to see that the SSA website doesn't update right away and that the money often shows up before any letters. I've been checking my bank account obsessively but now I know to just wait for my regular payment date. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and especially to those who provided the official schedule breakdown - this community is so valuable for getting real information when the official channels are hard to reach!

One important thing to understand about the SSDI process: the SSA has what they call the "sequential evaluation process" - five steps they use to determine disability: 1. Are you working above SGA level? ($1,550/month in 2025) 2. Is your condition "severe"? 3. Does your condition meet or equal a medical listing? 4. Can you do your past work? 5. Can you do any work in the national economy? Based on your description, they denied you at step 5 - they're saying despite your MS, they believe you can do some type of work. This is where you need to focus your appeal. For MS specifically, compile evidence related to: - Fatigue levels throughout the day (time-specific documentation) - Cognitive issues like memory problems, focus, concentration - Motor control difficulties - Vision problems if applicable - Need for rest periods throughout the day Demonstrate why these symptoms make even sedentary work impossible to sustain consistently.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the initial denial is soul-crushing when you're already struggling with your health. I went through something similar with my lupus diagnosis. Even though I had joint damage visible on X-rays and blood work showing active disease, they still denied me the first time. What really helped during my appeal was keeping a detailed symptom diary. I tracked not just my bad days, but HOW bad - like "couldn't get out of bed until 2pm due to fatigue" or "hands too stiff to type for more than 10 minutes." The specificity seemed to make a difference when I finally got to my hearing. Also, if your neurologist hasn't already, ask them to complete an RFC form (Residual Functional Capacity). It's different from a regular doctor's letter because it addresses specific work-related limitations like how long you can sit, stand, concentrate, etc. The judges seem to give these more weight than general "patient can't work" statements. Don't lose hope - the system is brutal but many of us do eventually get approved. You have a legitimate medical condition and a doctor supporting you. That's more than a lot of people have when they start this process.

As someone who's been navigating Social Security for a while, I just wanted to add that it's worth noting that different banks may process the deposits at different times even on the same day. My credit union typically shows my SS deposit by 6 AM on payment day, while my friend with a big national bank sometimes doesn't see hers until later in the afternoon. So even when payments are released by SSA on schedule, the timing of when it appears in your account can vary by financial institution. Don't stress if yours takes a few extra hours compared to others!

This whole thread has been so reassuring to read! I'm also relatively new to receiving Social Security (started about 6 months ago) and had no idea about the holiday delay procedures. I actually set up automatic bill pay specifically timed around my SS payment dates, so knowing about these potential delays will help me adjust my scheduling. It's frustrating that there isn't more upfront communication about how holidays affect payments when you first start receiving benefits - seems like something they could mention during the application process or in the initial paperwork.

One more important thing to check - if your mother has been collecting her own benefit all these years because it was higher, you should verify whether the SSA properly calculated the survivor benefit when your father passed away. Sometimes they miss applying exceptions or special rules. If your father had enough "substantial earnings" years or if his WEP reduction wasn't properly calculated, your mother might have been eligible for a higher survivor benefit all along. SSA can pay back benefits for up to 6 months if they discover an underpayment. Also, survivor benefits ignore any reduction your father might have taken for claiming early retirement. So even if he took benefits at 62½, your mother's survivor benefit would be based on his full retirement age amount (minus any applicable WEP reduction).

This is such a valuable discussion! As someone new to navigating Social Security complexities, I'm learning so much from everyone's experiences. One thing that struck me is how many different factors can affect benefits - WEP, GPO, early retirement reductions, substantial earnings years, and survivor benefit calculations. It really highlights why getting professional help or using services like the Claimyr mentioned earlier makes sense. Dallas, your systematic approach of listing out next steps is smart. I'd also suggest documenting everything when you call SSA - dates, representative names, what they tell you - because you might need to reference it later or call back for clarification. Has anyone here had success getting SSA to review old determinations and find underpayments? I'm curious how often they discover calculation errors when people specifically ask them to double-check WEP-related benefits.

To summarize what everyone has said: 1. Your children's survivor benefits continue until they turn 18 (or 19 if still in high school) regardless of YOUR marital status 2. SSA doesn't monitor social media platforms 3. Cohabitation without legal marriage has no effect on benefits 4. Only legal remarriage would affect any widow's benefits YOU might receive (not the children's) So go ahead and use whatever name you want on social media without worrying about it affecting benefits.

I understand your concern about protecting your children's benefits - that's such an important priority as a parent. Just wanted to add that if you're still feeling anxious about this, you could also consider using a hyphenated name on social media (like Curtis-[Boyfriend's Last Name]) as a compromise. That way you're showing your relationship status without fully adopting his name, though as everyone has said, either approach is fine from a benefits perspective. The key thing is that you're being thoughtful about your family's financial security, which shows you're a great mom!