Can't reach Social Security Administration? Claimyr connects you to a live SSA agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
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 :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
If you absolutely need to speak with someone sooner, check out Claimyr.com - it's a service that helps you get through to a real SSA agent much faster than calling yourself. I used it when I needed to sort out a complicated retirement filing issue last month. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU that shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration with the SSA phone system, especially since so many SSA offices are still dealing with staffing shortages.
I was skeptical about these types of services but my daughter used Claimyr when she needed to straighten out an issue with her deceased husband's survivor benefits. She said it worked exactly as advertised and got her through to someone in about 20 minutes when she'd been trying for DAYS on her own. Might be worth it if you have questions about your application that the online system can't answer.
Thank you all for the fantastic advice! I just finished submitting my application online and it was so much easier than I expected. I was able to specify February 2025 as my benefit start month, and the whole process took about 30 minutes (would have been faster but I had to hunt down some documents). The confirmation page says I should receive a decision within 30 days, which is such a relief compared to waiting for that December appointment! I did have one question pop up that wasn't covered in the application - if I continue to work part-time after starting benefits in February (just a few hours a week at my current job), do I need to notify SSA about that income? Since I'm past FRA, I know there's no earnings limit, but I wasn't sure about reporting requirements.
Great news that you got your application submitted! Regarding your work question - since you're past Full Retirement Age, you're correct that there's no earnings limit, so your benefits won't be reduced regardless of how much you earn. You don't need to proactively report your work activity to SSA at this point. However, your earnings will still be reported to the IRS through normal tax filing, and up to 85% of your Social Security benefits may be taxable depending on your combined income. SSA and IRS share this information automatically, so there's no additional reporting you need to do with SSA directly about your ongoing work. Just be aware of the potential tax implications when planning your finances for 2025.
Join the conversation
my friend says if u were married less than 10 years u get less. but i think thats for divorce not death???
Your friend is confusing different benefits. The 10-year marriage requirement is for divorced spouse benefits (both regular and survivor). For widow/widower benefits after a death, there's only a 9-month marriage requirement in most cases. For the original poster: Since you were married for 15 months before your husband passed away, you satisfy the duration requirement for full widow benefits at your FRA.
I called SSA again this morning and spoke with a different representative. They confirmed what most of you said - I'm eligible for 100% of my husband's benefit at my FRA regardless of what his ex-wife may receive. They explained the first representative confused spousal and survivor benefits rules. They also confirmed our 15-month marriage satisfies the 9-month requirement. I'll be able to choose between my own retirement benefit or the survivor benefit, whichever is higher. I'm so relieved and grateful for everyone's help here! It's frustrating to get incorrect information that caused me unnecessary worry.
Glad you got it sorted out! One more tip: when you approach your FRA, consider whether you want to: 1. Take your own retirement benefit now and switch to the survivor benefit at your FRA OR 2. Take the survivor benefit now and switch to your own retirement benefit later (up to age 70) if your own benefit would grow to be larger Unlike regular retirement benefits where you must take both benefits at once, with survivor benefits you can switch between your own and the survivor benefit to maximize your lifetime payout. This is one of the few remaining "claiming strategies" still available after the 2015 law changes.
Join the conversation
Just wondering but do u have to pay tax on the backpay if they owe you? my mom got a lump sum and it messed up her taxes that yr
Good point about taxes. Yes, a lump sum backpay can push you into a higher tax bracket for that year. There's a special tax calculation called a "lump-sum election" that might help reduce the tax impact, but you'd need to talk to a tax professional about that.
I want to thank everyone for your helpful responses. I was able to get through to SSA (used that Claimyr service that someone suggested - worked great) and found out my own benefit would actually be about $370 more per month than my widow's benefit! They're processing the change now and said I'll get 6 months of backpay. I'm disappointed I missed out on years of higher payments, but I'm grateful for the increase going forward. For anyone else in a similar situation, definitely check if you're receiving the highest benefit you're entitled to!
that's great! congrats on the extra $370! that's a big difference.
So happy for you but still ANGRY that SSA doesn't automatically check this for people!!
Join the conversation
my daughter got survivors benefits when she was 14 after her dad died they were really helpful it paid for most of her expenses until she graduated make sure you go in person and bring all the documents they ask for or they'll make you come back again
Thanks everyone for the helpful advice. I used the Claimyr service mentioned above and actually got through to schedule an appointment for next week! I've gathered all the documents mentioned and will be setting up a separate account for tracking her benefit funds. One last question - will these benefits affect her eligibility for college financial aid? She's planning to apply to colleges next year.
Good news on getting an appointment! Regarding financial aid, Social Security benefits are considered income for FAFSA purposes, so yes, they will be counted in financial aid calculations. However, this income is reported on the FAFSA and is treated differently than other assets. Make sure to work with her high school counselor next year when filling out financial aid forms, as there are sometimes special considerations for students receiving survivor benefits.
Thank you! I'll make a note to talk to her counselor about this when we start the college application process.
Raúl Mora
I didn't realize they recalculate at FRA! That makes me feel better about the whole situation. Thanks for explaining this.
0 coins
Diego Fisher
This is SUPER important info that most people don't know!!! The money isn't
0 coins