As a newcomer to this community, I want to express my gratitude for this incredibly comprehensive discussion! I'm 61 and have been wrestling with similar questions about my state pension and Social Security timing, and this thread has provided more clarity than months of trying to research this on my own. The reassurance that pension income doesn't count toward the earnings limit is huge - I had been operating under the assumption that my monthly pension payments would eat into that $22,000+ threshold, which was really limiting my thinking about potential part-time work after claiming benefits. What's particularly valuable is seeing how many different scenarios people have navigated. The WEP impacts seem to vary so much based on specific employment situations, and the survivor benefit strategies are something I hadn't even considered exploring. I'm definitely taking the advice about scheduling an in-person SSA appointment rather than battling the phone system. After reading about everyone's experiences, it's clear that complex pension situations really need that face-to-face review of your complete work history. One thing that really stands out is how this community has created such a supportive environment for sharing these complicated financial decisions. The willingness of members to share both their successes and their mistakes is incredibly valuable for those of us still figuring out our path forward. Thank you all for taking the time to share your knowledge and experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that makes such a difference when facing these life-changing decisions!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful for this thorough and helpful discussion! I'm 60 and facing a very similar situation with a teacher's pension from 25 years in public education, plus some private sector work. Reading through everyone's experiences has been more educational than anything I've found elsewhere. The clarification that pension income absolutely does NOT count toward the Social Security earnings limit is such a relief - I had been calculating my potential part-time work income assuming my monthly pension would use up most of that $22,000+ threshold. This opens up much more flexibility for staying active in the workforce after claiming benefits. I'm particularly struck by how many people discovered their WEP situation wasn't as bad as they initially feared. Like several others here, I've been assuming the worst-case scenario about my benefits being drastically reduced, when I should really get my specific situation calculated by SSA first. The advice about scheduling face-to-face appointments rather than dealing with phone wait times is invaluable. I've been procrastinating on contacting SSA because of all the horror stories about their phone system, but it sounds like in-person meetings are much more productive for complex pension situations like ours. What really stands out is how supportive and generous this community is with sharing both successes and mistakes. The real-world experiences shared here are exactly what those of us approaching these decisions need to hear. Thank you all for taking the time to help newcomers navigate these life-changing choices!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say how incredibly helpful and comprehensive this entire thread has been! I've been struggling with the exact same mySocialSecurity account setup issues on my tablet and phone for several weeks now, and reading through everyone's detailed experiences has been both validating and enlightening. What really stands out to me is the remarkable consistency in everyone's solutions - it's clearly not just random technical glitches but specific, predictable problems with mobile browser compatibility and the ID.me verification system. The revelation about credit freezes and monitoring services interfering with government account verification is something I never would have thought to check on my own. I'm taking careful notes on the proven approach that has worked for so many people here: desktop computer with Chrome or Firefox browser, temporarily lifting credit freezes and monitoring services, having tax documents ready for verification questions, disabling browser extensions and VPNs, clearing cache and cookies completely, and manually entering all information without relying on autofill features. As someone who's just beginning to think seriously about Social Security planning strategies at age 59, I'm also really encouraged by all the context about the benefit calculators and retirement planning tools. Knowing that these resources are genuinely valuable for understanding different claiming strategies and benefit projections makes pushing through this technical frustration feel much more worthwhile. I'm planning to follow the collective wisdom here and try the desktop approach this weekend with all the proper preparation steps. This community has truly transformed what felt like an impossible individual technical problem into a shared challenge with clear, proven solutions. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their hard-won experiences so thoroughly - this is exactly the kind of supportive guidance that makes navigating complex government services so much more manageable!

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to join this incredibly helpful discussion! I've been struggling with the exact same mySocialSecurity account setup issues on my phone and iPad for about three weeks now, and reading through everyone's detailed experiences has been such a relief - I was starting to think I was the only one having these problems! What's really fascinating is how consistent everyone's solutions have been. The pattern is so clear: mobile browsers struggle with the ID.me verification system, credit freezes are a major hidden culprit, and desktop computers with proper preparation seem to be the reliable solution. I had no idea that credit monitoring services could interfere with government account verification - that's been one of the biggest eye-openers for me. I'm planning to follow the proven roadmap that so many people have outlined here this weekend: desktop computer with Chrome, temporarily lift my credit freeze with all three bureaus, gather my 2023 tax return for those tricky verification questions, disable my VPN and ad blocker, clear all browser data, and enter everything manually without autofill. As someone who's 58 and just starting to get serious about understanding my Social Security options, I'm really motivated by everyone's comments about how valuable the benefit calculators and planning tools are once you get access. It makes all this technical troubleshooting feel much more worthwhile knowing there are genuinely useful retirement planning resources waiting on the other side. Thank you to everyone who has shared such detailed, step-by-step guidance - this community support has transformed what felt like an impossible individual problem into a manageable challenge with proven solutions. This is exactly why I joined this forum!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to echo what so many others have said - this thread has been incredibly educational! I'm 61 and planning to claim Social Security next year, and I had the same concerns about IRA withdrawals affecting my benefits. The clarity everyone has provided about the earnings test only applying to work income is such a relief. What really stands out to me is how many of us had this same misconception initially. It makes me wonder how many people are making suboptimal financial decisions based on incorrect assumptions about these rules. The real-world experiences shared here - from successfully making withdrawals without benefit impacts to the practical challenges of reaching SSA - are so much more valuable than trying to parse through official documentation alone. I'm grateful to have found a community where people are willing to share their knowledge so openly. This discussion will definitely influence my own retirement planning decisions!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to express my gratitude for this incredibly informative discussion! I'm 64 and recently started receiving Social Security benefits, and like so many others here, I had been under the impression that ANY income could potentially affect my monthly payments. Reading through all these responses has been such a relief - the clear explanation that only work income (wages and self-employment earnings) counts toward the earnings test, not IRA or other retirement account distributions, has completely changed my understanding. It's fascinating to see how many of us shared this same misconception initially. The personal experiences shared here, from successful withdrawals to practical tips about dealing with SSA phone lines, provide such valuable real-world context that you just can't get from official websites. I'm particularly grateful for the distinction clarified between the earnings test (affecting benefit amounts) and benefit taxation (separate issue entirely). This community's willingness to share hard-earned knowledge is truly remarkable and will definitely help guide my own retirement financial decisions moving forward!

I'm also new to this community and dealing with a very similar situation! My retirement application has been pending for 42 days now and I was really starting to panic until I found this thread. Reading through everyone's experiences has been such a relief - the pattern is incredibly consistent where SSA needs additional verification but their notification system completely fails to communicate this. What gives me the most hope are all the quick resolution stories once people actually got through to speak with someone, especially Leeann's 3-day approval after providing missing employment verification. The 40% statistic from the benefits counselor about delayed applications really puts this into perspective. I'm definitely calling tomorrow morning right at 8 AM with my confirmation number, SSN, and complete employment history organized and ready. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences - this community has been way more helpful than hours of searching the official SSA website which basically just tells you to keep waiting indefinitely. It's such a relief to know these delays are unfortunately common but that there's a clear action plan to move things forward!

I'm also new to this community and going through almost exactly the same thing! My retirement application has been pending for 35 days now and I was really starting to worry something was seriously wrong. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly reassuring - the pattern is so clear that SSA frequently needs additional verification but their notification system is completely broken. What really gives me confidence to call are all the success stories like Leeann's where she got approved in just 3 days once she provided the missing employment verification they never bothered to request. The 40% statistic from the benefits counselor about delayed applications needing verification really opened my eyes. I'm definitely calling tomorrow morning right at 8 AM with my confirmation number, SSN, and all my employment records organized and ready to go. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences - this thread has been infinitely more helpful than anything on the official SSA website. It's such a relief to know these delays are normal given the current system issues and that we have a clear path forward!

This has been such an incredibly comprehensive and helpful discussion! As someone who's 64 and trying to figure out my optimal retirement strategy, reading through all these real-world experiences has been invaluable. What strikes me most is how consistent everyone's message is - your coworker is definitely wrong, and the automatic recomputation system absolutely does work. The range of $30-75 monthly increases that multiple people have reported gives me realistic expectations rather than hoping for some massive windfall. I love all the practical tips that have been shared: creating the my Social Security account to review earnings history, taking annual screenshots of benefit verification letters, understanding the October processing timeline, and knowing that increases are retroactive even if there are delays. These are exactly the kinds of real-world insights you need but can't find in official SSA materials. One thing that really resonates with me is the point several people made about the long-term value of even modest increases. A $50 monthly boost might not seem huge now, but when you factor in 20+ years of retirement with COLA adjustments, that really adds up to meaningful money over time. I'm definitely going to work at least a few years past my FRA after reading this - it sounds like a win-win situation where I get to keep earning while also improving my Social Security benefits for life. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences here!

I'm 63 and still working toward my FRA, but this discussion has been incredibly educational for my future planning! It's so reassuring to see multiple people confirm that the automatic recomputation system actually works, despite what some people claim. What really caught my attention was the point about indexed earnings - I had no idea that SSA adjusts your historical wages for inflation when doing these calculations. That explains why it's not always obvious which years will get replaced when you continue working past FRA. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread and will be creating my Social Security account soon to review my earnings record. The tip about taking annual screenshots of benefit verification letters is brilliant - such a simple way to track changes over time. One quick question for those who have been through this: Did any of you find it helpful to estimate potential increases ahead of time, or is it better to just wait and see what happens? I'm wondering if there are any online calculators that account for the recomputation process, or if it's too complex to predict accurately. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed real-world experiences - this kind of peer knowledge is so much more valuable than trying to decipher official SSA publications!