Appointment times vary depending on ur local office. My mom tried to get one in Chicago and had to wait 6 weeks, but my office in rural Iowa had openings the next week. Try callin different offices near u if u need something sooner.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact situation last year! I was 61 and divorced, and the SSA office was incredibly helpful with explaining all my options. They walked me through the divorced spouse benefit calculations and showed me exactly when it would make sense to claim vs. wait. One thing I learned that wasn't obvious - you can actually claim divorced spouse benefits at 62 even if your ex-spouse hasn't filed for their own benefits yet, as long as you've been divorced for at least 2 years. The in-person appointment was definitely worth it because they ran multiple scenarios and printed out a personalized benefit estimate sheet I could take home. Don't worry about the rumors - these appointments aren't going anywhere, especially for complex benefit decisions like yours!

Is your son also disabled? Does he get any other benefits? Sometimes that affects the calculations too and makes everything even more confusing! My daughter got SSI but when my son started getting a small survivor benefit after his dad died, they had to recalculate everything and it was a nightmare trying to understand their math.

I'm a case worker who's dealt with these SSI/DAC interaction issues many times. Based on your description, SSA definitely made an error by not including the allocation for your 12-year-old son. Here's what you should do immediately: 1. Call SSA and request an "informal conference" - this is faster than a formal reconsideration 2. Specifically state: "You failed to apply the ineligible child allocation for my 12-year-old son in the deeming calculation" 3. Have your son's birth certificate and proof he lives with you ready 4. Request continuation of benefits during the review (you have 10 days from the notice date) The math should be: Your DAC ($1640) - $20 general exclusion - $522 ineligible child allocation = $1098 subject to deeming, not the full amount they're currently using. This error could be costing you around $185/month in your daughter's SSI. Don't let them brush you off - this is a clear calculation error on their part.

My condolences on losing your husband. When my husband died I was so overwhelmed with paperwork and decisions. Take your time and don't rush into decisions about benefits unless you have to for financial reasons. The choices you make now can affect benefits for many years.

I work as a paralegal at a law firm that handles Social Security cases, and I want to emphasize a few key points that might help you: 1. You are absolutely eligible for survivor benefits since you were married to your husband when he passed away and had been for 4 years (well over the 9-month requirement). 2. When you apply, make sure to ask SSA to calculate what your benefit would be if you waited until your full retirement age vs. taking it at 60. The reduction is significant - about 28.5% less at age 60. 3. If you're still working, be aware of the earnings limit. For 2024, if you're under full retirement age, you can earn up to $22,320 without affecting your benefits. Every $2 you earn over that limit reduces your benefits by $1. 4. Consider consulting with a Social Security attorney for a free consultation if your situation feels complex. Many of us offer free initial consultations for survivor benefits cases. The good news is your case seems straightforward - you were married at the time of death for more than 9 months, which is all that matters for survivor benefits eligibility.

btw if u really need the info before the 1099 comes u can calculate it yourself... just look at the deposit amount in his bank account, that's what my tax guy told us to do last year when we were in the same boat

Welcome to the SSA community! I went through this exact situation with my father-in-law two years ago. Since your husband's first payment was in December 2024, he will definitely receive a SSA-1099 for that tax year. The key things to remember: 1) New beneficiaries are often processed in the final batch, so expect it by mid-February at the latest, 2) It will show up under "Replacement Documents" in his mySocialSecurity portal once available, and 3) The SSA will also mail a paper copy to your address on file. Don't stress too much - this delay is completely normal for December starters. The amount on the 1099 should match exactly what was deposited into his account that month.

i wonder if her retirement $ will be affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision? my cousin had problems with that when he switched from government pension to social security

Update: Thank you everyone for all the great advice! I talked to my sister and we're going to start gathering her documents now and plan to apply in March (3 months before her birthday as suggested). I've also helped her create an account on my.ssa.gov to check her earnings record. According to the estimate, her retirement benefit would be about $1,120/month, which is definitely better than her current SSI payment! We're also going to check on how this might affect her Medicaid coverage since that's really important for her health needs.