Thank you all for the helpful responses! I'm going to create that my.ssa.gov account today to look at my numbers. I think I might try the strategy of taking the reduced survivor benefit now (even with the earnings limit reduction) and then switching to my own benefit later if it would be higher. I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences!

Make sure u ask for a WRITTEN BENEFIT ESTIMATE before you decide!! My neighbor got totally different amounts than what the website calculator said she would get!

This is completely normal. When your payment date falls on a weekend or federal holiday, Social Security will issue your payment on the previous business day. The slight increase in amount ($5) is likely from the 2025 COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) which was just applied to benefits. This is your regular monthly payment that was scheduled for the 3rd, but since the 3rd of next month falls on a Sunday, you received it on the previous Friday. This is not an error or overpayment, and the money is yours to use as needed.

One more thing to know - you can check your mySocialSecurity account online to see your payment schedule and any notices. Sometimes they post information there before sending letters in the mail. The website has been much more reliable for me than trying to call.

My cousin said online is faster BUT the problem is if you make ANY mistake they don't tell you for like 2 months and then you have to start all over again!!! That happened to his wife and it was a nightmare. At least with the phone appointment a real person can catch mistakes right away.

After reading through the responses, I think the best approach is to file online now and keep your phone appointment as a backup. This way, you can get your application in the system immediately, but still have the opportunity to speak with someone directly if you encounter any issues or have questions about your application status. When filing online, be sure to: 1. Have your birth certificate and SSN ready 2. Know your employment history for the past 2 years 3. Have your bank information for direct deposit 4. Set aside 30-45 minutes of uninterrupted time 5. Print or save the confirmation page when you finish Good luck with your application!

just wondering does her ss checks still get deposited while shes traveling? my aunt went to philippines for 3 months and had problems with her bank

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I've checked mom's Medigap Plan F policy and confirmed it does include the foreign travel emergency coverage ($250 deductible, 80% coverage up to $50,000 lifetime). Based on your advice, I'm also getting her a supplemental travel medical policy for peace of mind. Found one that specifically coordinates with Medicare/Medigap and includes medical evacuation coverage. Mom's really excited about her trip now that we have the insurance figured out. I appreciate all the personal experiences shared - it really helped us make an informed decision!

One practical suggestion: Have your mother request an appointment with a Technical Expert at her local Social Security office, not just a regular claims representative. Technical Experts have more advanced training on these complex benefit calculation scenarios and can provide detailed explanations of how her specific benefit was calculated. Make sure she brings documentation of your father's disability approval, death certificate, and any correspondence about benefits. Ask specifically for a written explanation of how her survivor benefit was calculated and have them document any questions about alternative calculations in her file. If she believes there's been a mistake, she can request a reconsideration, but be aware these are rarely successful without clear evidence of a calculation error.

Just want to add my two cents that whatever amount they calculate, your mom should double-check it. When I got survivor benefits they miscalculated the first time and it was almost $300 less than it should have been! I had to fight with them for 3 months to get it fixed and get backpay.

One more thing to consider - make sure you're tracking any Medicare premiums if you're 65+. Those will be deducted from your SS payment and can cause confusion when trying to reconcile the numbers. I got all worked up about my payment being wrong before realizing they were taking out Medicare Part B!

my sister said that she called them when this happened to her and they told her she couldn't do anything but wait. i think its just how the system works

Anyone else notice how the government keeps forcing us to create more and more online accounts with different companies? First Login.gov, then ID.me, what's next? I've been receiving SS for 5 years and used to be able to check my COLA increases by just calling. Now everything requires some complicated online setup. Not everyone is tech savvy enough for this!

UPDATE: I tried the LOGIN.GOV option and it did let me create a new account, but it's still not connecting to my existing SS information. Then I used that Claimyr service someone recommended, and it actually worked! Got a call back in about 25 minutes and spoke with an agent named Marcus who was super helpful. He explained that when they transitioned to the new system, some accounts got a data mismatch - my birth date was entered differently in the two systems (MM/DD/YYYY in one and DD/MM/YYYY in the other). He fixed it on their end and walked me through resetting everything. I'm back in my account now and can see my statement! Thanks everyone for the help. What a ridiculous process but at least it's resolved now.

quick question - does anyone know if the earnings limit applies to investment income or just wages?? i have some stocks i might sell this year

Thanks everyone for the great information! To summarize what I've learned: there's NO hourly limit, just the earnings cap of $59,520 for months before FRA in 2025. I need to track when money is EARNED not paid, and be proactive about reporting if I might exceed the limit. Investment income doesn't count toward the limit, and any benefit reductions now will increase my benefit amount later. Really appreciate all the help!

As others have said, you won't see your children's benefits in your MySocialSecurity account. This is actually a privacy measure. Even though you're the representative payee, the benefits legally belong to your children, so SSA maintains separate records. The system could certainly be improved to provide online access for representative payees while maintaining appropriate privacy protections, but the current technology doesn't support this. I recommend calling your local office (not the main number) first thing when they open. You'll have better luck getting through than calling the national 800 number.

If possible, I would recommend scheduling that appointment, even if it's 7 weeks out. Face-to-face interactions with SSA are almost always more productive than phone calls. When you go, ask them to print out a benefit verification letter for each child and a payment history. These documents will show exactly what they're entitled to and when payments were issued. You might also want to ask them about any potential adjustments to their benefits coming up. Survivor benefits can sometimes change based on various factors, and it's better to know in advance.

Just wondering - have you checked if your own retirement benefit might actually be higher than your widow benefit? If you've been earning $68k for many years, your own benefit might actually be better than your husband's reduced benefit (since he claimed at 62). In that case, you might want to just wait and claim your own benefit later.

Based on all the advice here, your best approach would be: 1. Apply for widow benefits when you turn 60 (the earliest eligibility age) 2. Understand that much of it will be withheld due to the earnings test while you're working 3. When you reach your Full Retirement Age (probably 67 for you), you'll have a choice: - Continue with widow benefits (which will no longer be reduced for early claiming) - Switch to your own retirement benefit if it's higher This strategy gives you some benefits now and preserves your options for maximizing benefits later. The SSA won't automatically give you the highest benefit - you need to know your options and request the best one for your situation.