Social Security Administration
CommunityGovernment Services
Can't reach Social Security Administration? Claimyr calls for you, so you don't have to wait on hold.
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
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 :)
Social Security survivor benefits at 70 - where do my work FICA taxes go now?
I turned 70 last month and have been receiving survivor benefits since my husband passed 6 years ago. I still work about 25 hours a week at a local shop because I enjoy it and frankly need the extra money. I noticed my paychecks still have Social Security taxes taken out every time. This has me wondering - where exactly does that money go now? Since I'm already collecting survivor benefits and past my FRA, do these new contributions increase my benefit amount at all? Or am I basically just throwing money into the SS system with no personal benefit? Does anyone know if there's a way to track what happens to these contributions? I asked at my local SSA office but the guy at the desk seemed confused by my question.
Join the conversation
Social Security survivor benefits reduced due to GPO even though I cashed out city pension - should I appeal?
I'm really confused about the GPO (Government Pension Offset) and how it's affecting my survivor benefits. I worked for my local county government from 1987-1995 (about 8 years). When I left to raise my kids, I cashed out my retirement account - it was around $13,500 total, and I paid taxes on it at the time. I never received an actual pension from this job. Fast forward to now - I'm receiving survivor benefits after my husband passed away last year, and I just got a letter saying my benefit is being reduced by $50/month because of GPO. When I went to the Social Security office to ask why, the representative just said it was because of my government work, but I didn't get to speak with a specialist. I don't understand how I can be penalized for a pension I never received! I took the lump sum cash-out over 25 years ago. Should I request a reconsideration or formal appeal? Has anyone dealt with something similar? The reduction isn't huge, but it feels wrong since I never actually got a pension.
Join the conversation
My aunt had almost identical situation. They reduced her survivors benefit because of some county job she had in the 90s. She fought it and eventually won, but it took multiple appeals. The key was proving she paid SS taxes during that job, which sounds like you did if your SS statement shows earnings. Don't let them get away with this!
Yes! This is why I suggested Claimyr to get through to someone who actually knows the rules. Regular SSA reps often don't understand these special situations.
I want to add something important: there's a 60-day deadline to request reconsideration from the date on your notice. If you're close to that deadline, file the request immediately, even if you haven't gathered all your evidence yet. You can always submit additional documentation later during the reconsideration process. Based on everything shared here, you have a strong case for having the GPO removed completely. Good luck, and please come back to let us know the outcome!
The notice is dated about 3 weeks ago, so I still have time, but I'll definitely file the reconsideration request this week. Thank you for the reminder about the deadline! I'll update once I have some news.
Can I claim ex-spouse Social Security benefits at 70 when ex is collecting early at 63?
I'm turning 70 next month and just discovered something that might affect my SS benefits. I took my retirement benefits at 62 because I needed the money (my FRA was 67). My ex-husband, who's 7 years younger than me (he's 63 now), has apparently been on SSDI for cancer and recently switched to regular Social Security retirement benefits. We were married for 22 years before divorcing, and I just found out his monthly payment is about $700 more than mine! I always thought I had earned more over our careers, but apparently not. Since he's now collecting (although early, I assume), does this open up any possibility for me to claim some kind of ex-spouse benefit that might increase my monthly payment? I'm not sure if his FRA matters in this calculation or if I'm even eligible since I'm already collecting. Any insights?
Join the conversation
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.
Social Security earnings limits when retiring at 65 with spouse's cancer diagnosis - monthly vs. annual limits explained
Hi everyone, I'm turning 66 in late 2025 but thinking about retiring a few months before my actual FRA (which is in early 2026) because my husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His treatments are getting more intensive and I'm struggling to balance my full-time job with his care needs. I understand there are earnings limits before FRA, but I'm confused about how they actually work in practice. If I retire and claim SS in September 2025, how would the earnings limit apply? I've already made about $48,000 this year at my job. Would I be looking at the monthly limit of around $1,950 for each month I'm on benefits in 2025? Or would they look at my total 2025 earnings and penalize me for being over the annual limit (even though I earned that money before claiming)? And for 2026, would I fall under the higher ~$62K limit until my FRA, then have unlimited earnings after my FRA date? Or is there still some kind of monthly maximum I need to watch out for? My plan was originally to wait until FRA or even 70, but life happens. I'd like to continue working part-time if possible, but his medical appointments are getting more frequent and I'm taking on all the household responsibilities now. Just trying to understand what's practical from a benefits perspective. Thanks for any guidance!
Join the conversation
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!
Can I collect spousal benefits from my husband who took SS early while I'm at FRA?
My husband and I are trying to maximize our Social Security income but I'm confused about spousal benefits. He claimed his retirement benefits early at 62 (about 4 years ago) and took that 30% reduction. I just turned 66 last month, which is my full retirement age. I'm already collecting my own retirement benefit based on my work history, but it's less than his even with his reduction. Can I switch to a spousal benefit based on his higher amount even though we're both already collecting? If so, how much would I get - 50% of what he would've gotten at full retirement age or 50% of his reduced benefit? The SSA website is confusing me with all these different rules!
Join the conversation
I called SSA today and wanted to update everyone. The representative confirmed that I could receive a combination of my own benefit plus a partial spousal benefit to bring me up to 50% of my husband's PIA (what he would have received at full retirement age). In my case, it amounts to an extra $218 per month, which definitely helps! They're processing my application now. Thank you all for your helpful advice!
That's great news! An extra $218 per month is significant - that's over $2,600 a year. I'm glad it worked out for you. Did they tell you how long it would take to process and when you'll start receiving the increased amount?
They said it would take about 30 days to process, and the payments would start the following month. They also mentioned I might get a small retroactive payment since I was eligible as of last month when I reached FRA. Every bit helps with these inflation rates!
congrats! put that extra money to good use! :
Jamal Anderson
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.
0 coins
Mei Wong
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!!
0 coins
Giovanni Greco
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!
0 coins
Zoe Alexopoulos
AuthorWow, $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.
0 coins