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
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!
Join the conversation
my brother is self employed too and he said u should ask ur CPA about SEP IRA or solo 401k...he says u can put away more $ for retirement that way n reduce ur taxes at the same time
That's a good point - I do have a SEP IRA that my CPA set up. I contribute the maximum each year. Actually, that's part of what I'm meeting with the financial advisor about on Monday - figuring out if I'm saving enough between that and my expected Social Security benefits.
When I was self-employed, I found it helpful to create a spreadsheet to track my Social Security contributions each year. I used it to project my future benefits. One thing to keep in mind is that benefits are calculated based on your highest 35 years of earnings, adjusted for inflation. If you have fewer than 35 years of work, they'll use zeros for the missing years, which can significantly lower your benefit amount.
That's a great idea about the spreadsheet. I'm 42 now and have been working since I was 22, but I had several years of very low earnings when I was first starting out. I'll have to factor that into my calculations.
Join the conversation
My sister and I both retired around the same time (she was 65, I was 67) and there's about a 15% difference in our monthly payments even though we had very similar careers and earnings. Those two years make a big difference! Just something to think about...
Same with me and my neighbor! The difference adds up to thousands every year. I wish someone had explained this better to me before I applied.
Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! I think I'll apply in November 2024 so benefits can start in March 2025. I'm going to talk to my financial advisor one more time about whether I should wait until closer to my FRA given the reduction at 65. Really appreciate all the insights!
Good plan. One last thing to consider: if you have significant savings or investments, sometimes it makes mathematical sense to take SS early and preserve your nest egg. Other times, waiting and drawing down savings first yields better lifetime results. Your financial advisor should be able to run those calculations based on your specific situation.
Join the conversation
Thank you all for the helpful advice! Based on what everyone has shared, I think I need to reconsider my strategy. Since I'll still be working until September 2025 and earning well above the limit, it probably makes sense to wait until after I retire to apply for survivor benefits. I'll still be under my regular FRA but at least I won't have the earnings test reducing my benefits. Then I can consider switching to my own retirement benefit at 70 if the delayed credits make it higher than my survivor benefit. Is there anything else I should consider in this situation?
That sounds like a solid plan given your circumstances. One more consideration: the month you stop working in September 2025 might still count as a high-earnings month depending on when in the month you finish. Some people find it cleanest to start benefits the month after they completely stop working. Also, when you do apply, you'll need to complete an earnings estimate form for 2025 so SSA can calculate any necessary withholding. Be as accurate as possible, as significant differences between your estimate and actual earnings can result in overpayments or underpayments that need to be reconciled later.
Alfredo Lugo
I got widowed in 2019 and got hit with the GPO too because of my federal pension. I actually called my local office last week about something else and asked about this while I had them on the phone. The rep specifically said I don't need to do anything since I'm already getting the reduced amount. She said they'll be adjusting everyone automatically starting in 2025 and it'll happen in phases over 3 years.
0 coins
Harper Collins
•how did u even get someone on the phone??? i try calling my local office and it always sends me to the national number where i sit on hold forever
0 coins
Alfredo Lugo
•I called right when they opened at 9am on a Wednesday. Still waited like 45 minutes but eventually got through. Seems like mid-week mornings might be slightly better.
0 coins
Lucas Parker
Thank you all for the responses! This has been incredibly helpful. I'm going to ignore my friend's advice and trust that SSA will adjust my benefits automatically as their website states. I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and knowledge - it's given me peace of mind knowing I'm not missing some crucial deadline. I might try that Claimyr service just to get official confirmation from SSA, but it sounds like I'm already doing everything right by simply waiting for the automatic adjustment in 2025.
0 coins