As a newcomer to this community and the Social Security overseas application process, I'm amazed by the wealth of practical knowledge shared in this thread! I just submitted my application through FBU Manila in February 2025 and am now anxiously waiting for my interview appointment. Reading through everyone's experiences has given me such a clear roadmap for preparation. The consistent themes around technology redundancy (multiple calling methods), proactive communication with the FBU office, and thorough document organization are incredibly valuable insights I wouldn't have known about otherwise. I'm particularly grateful for the recent updates about process changes - like the new proof of current address requirement mentioned in the March 2025 experience. It's so helpful to have current information rather than outdated advice. One thing I'm planning to do based on all your suggestions is create that comprehensive backup communication plan with multiple methods (Skype, Google Voice, WhatsApp) AND test them all from different locations before my interview gets scheduled. The portable WiFi device recommendation also makes perfect sense for ensuring connection reliability. Thank you all for being so generous with sharing your real experiences - both the successes and the challenges. This community support is transforming what felt like an intimidating bureaucratic process into something that feels completely manageable with proper preparation. Looking forward to hopefully sharing my own successful FBU Manila experience with future newcomers!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful to have found this thread! I'm currently preparing for my own Social Security overseas application and the wealth of practical advice shared here is invaluable. What strikes me most is how consistent everyone's recommendations are across different timeframes - the technology backup strategies (Skype, Google Voice, WhatsApp), proactive communication with FBU Manila, and thorough document organization seem to be universal keys to success. I'm particularly impressed by how supportive the FBU Manila staff appear to be with overseas applicants. It's reassuring to hear that they understand the unique challenges we face and are willing to accommodate special circumstances like travel schedules. One thing I'm taking away from all these experiences is that preparation really seems to pay off in reducing interview stress. Multiple people mentioned that the actual call was much more conversational and straightforward than expected when they came in well-prepared. Thank you all for being so generous with sharing your real experiences - both the successes and the challenges. This community knowledge is making what initially seemed like a daunting bureaucratic process feel completely manageable. I'm looking forward to implementing all these strategies and hopefully sharing my own successful experience to help future newcomers!

Based on what you've shared, your own benefit at FRA ($1,850) is actually higher than what you'd get as an ex-spouse benefit (50% of $3,400 = $1,700). And remember that filing at 62 means you'd only get about 70% of either amount. This is a critical point many people miss: SSA doesn't give you both benefits added together. They give you the higher of the two. So in your case, you'd likely just get your own reduced retirement benefit if you file at 62. If you can afford to wait until your FRA or even age 70, your own benefit would grow substantially and almost certainly exceed anything you'd get on your ex's record.

I went through this exact situation about 3 years ago! The key thing to remember is that you CAN file for divorced spouse benefits even if your ex hasn't filed yet, as long as you've been divorced for at least 2 years and he's at least 62 (which you both meet). However, here's what I wish someone had told me: based on your numbers, your own benefit at FRA ($1,850) is actually HIGHER than what you'd get as a divorced spouse benefit (50% of his $3,400 = $1,700). So you'd end up getting your own benefit anyway, not his! My advice? Create that my Social Security account online ASAP to see your exact projections. I was surprised to find that waiting until my FRA made way more sense than filing early, even though I was tempted by the immediate income. The reduction for filing at 62 is pretty steep - you'd only get about 70% of your full benefit amount. Also, don't let the SSA phone struggles discourage you from getting proper information. The online account will give you most of what you need to make an informed decision.

I'm just starting my career journey and this whole thread has been incredibly eye-opening! Reading about @Freya's situation with 46 years of work history really puts things in perspective for someone like me who's only been working for a few years. The concept that Social Security uses your highest 35 earning years (adjusted for inflation) is something I never learned in school but seems absolutely crucial to understand for long-term planning. It's actually pretty reassuring to know that if you have a long career, you get that buffer against lower-earning years later on. I'm definitely going to set up my Social Security account now while I'm young - hearing all the stories about missing earnings years or reporting errors makes it clear that monitoring this from the beginning is way smarter than waiting until retirement approaches. Plus it'll be interesting to watch how those early career years eventually get "pushed out" of the calculation as my earnings hopefully increase over time. Thanks to everyone who shared such detailed experiences and practical advice. This is exactly the kind of real-world financial education that I wish was taught more widely. @Freya, it sounds like you're in a great position to make whatever decision feels right for your lifestyle - congrats on such an impressive career!

This thread has been incredibly informative! As someone who's about 12 years from FRA, I'm taking notes on all the great advice shared here. @Freya, your situation really highlights how much peace of mind comes from having a long work history. The fact that you can reduce hours without worrying about your SS benefits must be such a relief! One thing I wanted to add that I learned from my own research: if you're considering the part-time transition, you might also want to think about how it affects your final years for any other retirement benefits. For example, if your company has a defined benefit pension (though those are rare now), or if you're contributing to an HSA that you want to maximize before retirement. I'm definitely going to set up that my Social Security account this week after reading about all the potential earnings record issues people have discovered. Better to find any problems now when there's still time to fix them! Thanks to everyone for sharing such practical, real-world advice. This is exactly the kind of information that makes retirement planning feel less overwhelming.

I'm 62 and have been lurking in this community for a while, but this thread finally motivated me to create an account and join the conversation! I'm planning to have shoulder surgery next spring and was completely stressed about how it would affect my retirement timeline. Reading through all these experiences has been such a relief - I had no idea that short-term disability and Social Security retirement benefits were completely separate systems with no conflicts. The 3-4 month advance application timeline for Social Security was definitely the most surprising piece of information for me. I was planning to wait until I was ready to retire to apply, which clearly would have been a big mistake! I'm also taking notes on all the practical advice about separate bank accounts, detailed record-keeping, and getting clarity from HR about exactly when different coverages end. What really strikes me is how consistent everyone's experiences have been, despite the confusion from HR departments. It gives me so much confidence that this is actually a well-established process, even if workplace benefits staff aren't familiar with it. The peace of mind aspect that so many people mentioned - being able to focus on recovery without financial stress - is exactly what I'm hoping for. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories! This community knowledge is absolutely invaluable for navigating these major life transitions. I feel like I can actually start planning my surgery and retirement with confidence now instead of worrying about unknown complications.

I'm 65 and have been quietly following this discussion - what an incredible resource this has turned out to be! I'm scheduled for rotator cuff surgery in February and have been agonizing over whether to start my Social Security benefits or wait until I'm fully recovered. Reading through everyone's experiences has completely changed my perspective. Like so many others here, I had absolutely no idea about the 3-4 month advance application timeline. I was planning to apply in January for March benefits, which clearly would have been cutting it way too close! The consistency in everyone's stories about these being completely separate benefit systems is so reassuring - my company's benefits coordinator also seemed confused and mentioned potential "conflicts" that apparently don't exist. I'm particularly grateful for all the practical advice about separate bank accounts for tracking and keeping detailed records for tax purposes. These are exactly the kinds of real-world tips you can't get from official sources but make all the difference in actually managing the process successfully. The peace of mind aspect that everyone keeps mentioning really resonates with me. Being able to focus entirely on recovery and physical therapy without worrying about income gaps sounds invaluable. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their personal experiences - this thread has turned a stressful decision into something I feel confident about tackling with proper preparation!

I'm new to this community and just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences and solutions in this thread! I'm facing the exact same representative payee email conflict issue - I'm my adult daughter's rep payee for her SSDI benefits and have been locked out of my own SSA account for over a year. Like so many others here, I was repeatedly told by regular SSA customer service that creating a new email was my only option, which I really didn't want to do. Finding this thread has been such a relief - it's incredible how this community has provided clearer, more actionable solutions than months of dealing with SSA directly. I'm particularly encouraged by Miranda's recent success story and all the specific terminology that's been shared here. The phrase "account separation due to representative payee email conflict" and the advice about asking for "Tier 2 technical specialists" are exactly the kind of insider knowledge I needed. I had no idea there were different levels of technical support or that using their internal language would make such a difference. I'm planning to try the Claimyr service first to reach technical support quickly, then use the specific approaches outlined here. For other newcomers reading this, what really stands out is how this community turned what seemed like an impossible bureaucratic problem into a manageable step-by-step solution. I'll definitely report back with my results to help future community members. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their knowledge - this is exactly the kind of support that makes navigating these complex government systems possible!

I'm new to this community and absolutely amazed by how helpful this thread has been! I'm dealing with the exact same representative payee email conflict - I'm my elderly mother's rep payee and haven't been able to access my own SSA account for about 8 months now. Reading through everyone's experiences has given me so much hope after months of frustration. Like many others here, I was told repeatedly by regular SSA reps that creating a new email was my only option, but I really didn't want to manage multiple accounts either. Miranda's recent success story from last week is incredibly encouraging! The fact that she got it resolved in 45 minutes using the specific phrase "account separation due to representative payee email conflict" gives me the confidence to finally try this approach. I'm definitely going to use the Claimyr service to reach technical support quickly and ask specifically for Tier 2 specialists if needed. For other newcomers who might be reading this, what strikes me most is how this community provided clearer guidance in one thread than months of calling SSA directly. Having the exact terminology they use internally makes all the difference - I never would have known to ask for "account separation" specifically. I'll absolutely report back with my results to help future community members. Thank you to everyone who shared their solutions and experiences - this kind of detailed community knowledge is exactly what people like us need to navigate these complex government systems successfully!