Can't reach Social Security Administration? Claimyr connects you to a live SSA agent in minutes.
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Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the SSA
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the SSA drops your call
If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
Really made a difference
Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
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my husband tried the Claimyr thing someone mentioned above when he was dealing with his mom's SS problems. it did get him thru to a person pretty quick tbh. better than spending all day on hold!
I'm skeptical of these services... did they ask for a lot of personal info? I'm always wary of giving out sensitive details, especially anything related to SS numbers.
One more thing - make sure you're dealing with actual government websites. There are LOTS of scam sites offering to "help" with Social Security forms. Only trust ssa.gov and medicare.gov for official forms and information.
Great reminder! I'll make sure to only use the official sites. I appreciate everyone's help here - this gives me a solid plan of action to get started with.
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my freind told me you can call your local office directly instead of the main number, sometimes there easier to get thru to
This is actually good advice, though many local offices now route calls through the national system. However, if you can schedule an in-person appointment at your local office, that's often the most efficient way to get questions answered.
To add one more helpful bit of information - if you're wondering exactly how much your benefit will be after the COLA, you can calculate it yourself. Just take your current benefit amount and multiply it by 1.032 (for the 3.2% COLA for 2025). It won't be exact to the penny due to rounding rules SSA uses, but it'll be very close and can help with your budget planning while you wait for the official update.
That's a great tip! I'll calculate it myself to get an estimate while I wait. And to everyone who responded - thank you for all the helpful information. I feel much better knowing this timeline is normal and not something wrong with my specific account.
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i forgot to say make sure ur husband is already getting his ss!! my friend tried to get spousal and they said no cuz her husband wasnt collecting yet even tho he was over 70!
That's absolutely correct. Your husband must have filed for his own benefits before you can receive spousal benefits on his record. It doesn't matter if he's over full retirement age or even age 70 - if he hasn't applied for his benefits, you can't get the spousal portion.
Just wondering but why didn't you apply for spousal benefits right when you reached FRA? Did you start working again or something? Just curious because I'm trying to figure out my own situation.
When I reached FRA, my husband hadn't applied for his benefits yet. He was still working and wanted to delay to get the delayed retirement credits. He just started his benefits a few months ago, which is why I'm looking into this now. Every situation is different!
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btw OP, make sure you actually file an application even if you think you might not get anything. sometimes people are surprised by the result and if you dont file you definitely get nothing
This is excellent advice. Always file an application when you think you might be eligible. If you're denied, you'll receive a formal determination that explains why, which is valuable information. If you're approved for even a small amount, it could increase over time with COLA adjustments.
Update: I called SSA this morning (got through after only 45 minutes!) and they confirmed they do still have my marriage and divorce records on file from when I applied for Medicare. The representative ran some preliminary numbers and thinks I might get about $75/month after the GPO reduction. Not a fortune but better than nothing! I have an appointment next week to file the formal application. Thanks everyone for your help!
That's great news! $75/month is $900 a year you didn't have before. Glad you were able to get through to them relatively quickly too!
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Since we're discussing this topic - does anyone know if Roth IRA withdrawals affect the taxation of Social Security benefits? I've heard conflicting information and am trying to plan my own retirement withdrawals for next year.
Great question! Qualified Roth IRA withdrawals are tax-free and don't count toward the combined income formula that determines if your Social Security benefits are taxable. That's one of the big advantages of Roth accounts in retirement - they don't trigger taxation of your SS benefits like traditional IRA/401k withdrawals do.
Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! Just to summarize what I've learned: 1. 401k withdrawals do NOT count toward the earnings limit test (which is what I was originally worried about) 2. BUT 401k withdrawals CAN increase how much of my Social Security gets taxed 3. AND large withdrawals might increase my future Medicare premiums I definitely need to meet with both my financial advisor and tax person to create a better withdrawal strategy. This is much more complicated than I realized!
You've got it exactly right! Good luck with your planning - and congratulations on your retirement next year!
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dont forget state taxes too if ur state taxes social security
Good reminder! Fortunately my state doesn't tax Social Security benefits, but that would definitely complicate things further.
After reading through this thread, I just want to emphasize one thing: most online calculators are indeed calculating your TOTAL tax liability when they give you that final number (assuming you entered all income sources correctly). What confuses many people is that the calculator might break down how much of your Social Security is taxable (the 5% you mentioned), but the final tax number ($600) typically represents what you'll owe based on ALL your taxable income combined. I'd suggest double-checking by using the IRS's own calculator. If that also shows around $600, you can be confident that's your total federal tax liability for the year.
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IMPORTANT: Even after FRA when there's no earnings limit, you should know that receiving Social Security while earning a high salary will likely make up to 85% of your SS benefits subject to federal income tax. So while there's no penalty or reduction in benefits after FRA, the tax implications can be significant if you're still earning $85k plus collecting SS. Not saying you shouldn't do it - just be prepared for the tax impact. I'd suggest talking to a tax professional before you make your final decision.
Good point about taxes - I hadn't thought about that. I'll definitely talk to my accountant before making any decisions. Thanks!
WAIT! Does anyone know what happens if you're over the limit BEFORE reaching FRA? I heard they take back money but then give it back to you later?? Is that true? So confused about this system!
Yes, that's partially true. If your benefits are reduced due to the earnings test before FRA, when you reach FRA, the SSA will recalculate your benefit amount to give you credit for the months when benefits were withheld. This results in a higher monthly benefit going forward after FRA. So you do eventually get some of that money back, just in the form of higher monthly payments for the rest of your life rather than a lump sum.
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my neighbor gets both railroad and social security checks every month so it must be possible somehow
It depends on the specifics of her work history and which spouse's record the benefits are based on. Some people can receive both, but often with reductions. Without knowing the details of your neighbor's situation, it's hard to compare.
Thank you all for the informative responses! I now understand this is more complicated than I initially thought. I'll help my aunt contact the Railroad Retirement Board to get specific information about her case. It sounds like even if she can't get her full Social Security retirement benefit, she might still be eligible for some portion of it, which would help with her monthly expenses. I appreciate everyone taking the time to share your knowledge and experiences!
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Hey just wondering - have u thought about what happens with Medicare if ur delaying SS??? You gotta sign up for Medicare at 65 even if ur waiting on SS benefits!!! i almost missed this and woulda had penalties!!!
Oh good point! Yes, I already enrolled in Medicare when I turned 65 last year. I signed up during my initial enrollment period even though I knew I'd be delaying Social Security. Thanks for mentioning this though - it's definitely something people need to remember!
To address your last question: The DRCs (Delayed Retirement Credits) are indeed applied immediately to your benefits when you start receiving them. There's no separate waiting period for the credits to kick in. Just to summarize what we've covered for anyone else in a similar situation: 1. DRCs accumulate at 2/3% per month (8% per year) for those born in 1958 2. Credits are calculated monthly, not just yearly 3. The increase applies to your own retirement benefit, not to spousal benefits 4. The increased amount does apply to survivor benefits 5. Medicare enrollment at 65 is separate from Social Security filing decisions Your 6-month delay strategy sounds well-thought-out. It strikes a good balance between getting some benefits this year while also securing a permanent 4% increase.
Perfect summary! Wish I had this info laid out so clearly when I was deciding. For what it's worth, I'm happy with my decision to delay just a few months - got some extra $ without having to wait too long.
Aisha Jackson
I strongly recommend consulting with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security planning. We paid for a consultation and it was worth every penny. They ran multiple scenarios through specialized software and showed us exactly how different claiming strategies would play out over our lifetimes. The difference between optimal and sub-optimal claiming strategies can literally be tens of thousands of dollars over your lifetime. This isn't something to figure out through a forum (though we're trying to help!).
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Kevin Bell
•That's excellent advice. I hadn't considered hiring a specialist, but with so much money potentially at stake, it makes sense. Do you have any tips on finding a reputable advisor who truly understands Social Security strategies?
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Aisha Jackson
•Look for a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) who specifically lists Social Security planning as a specialty. Ask if they use specialized Social Security analysis software. And definitely check reviews and ask for references. The good ones will offer a free initial consultation to see if you're a good fit.
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Ryder Everingham
My wife's younger than me too. I waited til my FRA to claim and she waited til hers. Glad we did! Her check would've been tiny if she'd claimed at 62. Now we have enough to actually enjoy retirement a bit. Good luck figuring it all out!
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