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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!
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Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
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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!
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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.
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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!
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i think my mom had someting like this and they made her pay a penalty or something??? just make sure you ask if theres any downside to applying late
There's no penalty for applying for divorced spouse benefits at any age after your full retirement age. Your mom may have experienced a different situation, perhaps related to Medicare enrollment penalties or something else entirely. For divorced spouse benefits, the only potential downside to applying late is missing out on back payments, since they only go back 6 months maximum.
Just want to add that when you DO get through to SSA, INSIST they explain exactly how they calculate everything. I've had agents give me completely different answers about the same question. And get the agent's name and ID number too, because if they give you wrong info, you'll need to reference who told you what.
That's excellent advice. I'll definitely ask for a detailed explanation of the calculation and make sure to note the agent's information. I've heard horror stories about inconsistent information, so I'll be prepared to advocate for myself.
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Before WEP repeal I lost $413 every month because I worked for state government AND private sector. THE GOVERNMENT STOLE MY MONEY FOR YEARS!!! Now that WEP is gone they're STILL finding ways to take our money. Check your payment carefully - they're probably still applying a "partial" WEP reduction. The whole system is rigged against public servants!!!
While I understand your frustration, the WEP repeal is actually being phased in gradually through 2027. For 2025, beneficiaries are receiving 33% of their previously withheld amount, with additional increases each year until full implementation. This was clearly outlined in the legislation. It's not a case of SSA "finding ways to take money" but rather following the law as written.
Regarding your payment schedule going forward - yes, with your birth date falling in the range for 3rd Wednesday payments, that will be your regular payment date for February benefits onward. The January benefit was just handled differently because it was your initial claim. As for the $92 difference from your estimate, if you're not on Medicare and didn't request tax withholding, it's most likely related to the WEP transitional provisions. For 2025, beneficiaries affected by WEP are receiving 33% of their previously withheld amount, with that percentage increasing annually until 2027 when the full amount will be restored. Your award letter will break down the exact calculation. If you don't receive it within two weeks, definitely call SSA for clarification.
Thank you for the detailed explanation! This makes much more sense now. I'll definitely check my award letter when it arrives and follow up with SSA if anything seems off. I appreciate everyone's help in figuring this out!
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One more important thing to note - even if your own retirement benefit amount doesn't exceed your survivor benefit now, it's still worth checking every couple of years if you continue working. Each additional year of earnings could potentially replace a lower-earning year in your 35-year calculation for your own benefit. The difference might be small each year, but over time it could eventually push your own retirement benefit higher than your survivor benefit. Also, don't forget that your continued work might affect your future Medicare Part B premiums through IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount) if your income is high enough. This isn't directly related to your benefit amount but is something to be aware of as you continue working.
omg the IRMAA thing!! happened to my neighbor and she got hit with a HUGE medicare increase because she kept working part time. they dont warn u about this stuff!!
Just to share my experience - I was in a similar situation and discovered my own benefit had grown to be $230 higher than my survivor benefit! I had been working part-time for 8 years after starting survivor benefits. When I finally got through to SSA after countless attempts (seriously, their phone system is the worst), they did the calculation and switched me to my own benefit. They were only able to backpay me for 6 months though, which was frustrating since I could have been getting the higher amount for years if I'd known to ask. Don't wait - check on this now!
Wow, $230 is significant! That would make a real difference in my monthly budget. I'm definitely going to be persistent about getting through to them now. Thank you for sharing your experience.
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I tried calling SS about this exact issue last month and spent TWO HOURS on hold only to be disconnected! The whole system is broken. Why can't they hire more people to answer the phones??!!
That's exactly why I recommended Claimyr earlier. I was skeptical at first but it saved me hours of frustration. My call got through in about 15 minutes instead of the usual 2+ hour wait. For someone juggling caregiving responsibilities, those hours make a huge difference.
my aunt retired at 65 and she said the monthly thing worked great for her. but she had to be really careful about tracking her hours at her part time job. good luck with everything!
Thanks for sharing your aunt's experience! That's encouraging to hear. I'm pretty good with keeping records so I'll definitely track my hours carefully. Every bit of real-world experience helps!
Victoria Charity
i got married at 61 and wish i had known all this stuff before. make sure you both look at EXACT numbers because everyone on here is giving general advice but YOUR specific earnings records matter most. the SSA calculators online suck btw they never worked right for me
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Hannah Flores
•That's a good point - we should probably look at our actual earnings records and run the numbers. Is there any reliable way to calculate this accurately?
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Mia Roberts
The most accurate way to estimate your specific situation is to: 1. Create my Social Security accounts online for both of you 2. Download your earnings records 3. Use the detailed calculator from SSA called "Anypia" (it's not user-friendly but it's accurate) Alternatively, you could schedule an appointment with a Social Security claims specialist and have them run projections for you. They can show you exactly how different filing ages and marriage timing would affect both your benefits. One timing consideration: If you marry shortly after turning 59, you'll satisfy the 1-year marriage requirement before earliest possible filing age (62).
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Hannah Flores
•Thank you! I didn't know about the Anypia calculator - we'll look into that. We both have our mySocialSecurity accounts set up already, so we can download our earnings records. Appreciate the tips!
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