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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.
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!
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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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By the way if your own benefit will be higher at age 70, you were smart to take survivors at 60 even with the reduction. It's actually the optimal strategy in many cases - take the reduced survivor benefit while continuing to work and build up your own record, then switch to your own maximized benefit at 70. So you've actually handled this correctly!
That's really reassuring to hear! I was starting to think I'd made a huge mistake.
wait i'm confused... doesnt the earnings limit go away at 62? or is it 67? my brother is dealing with this too
The earnings limit applies until you reach your full retirement age (FRA), which is between 66-67 depending on your birth year. At that point, you can earn any amount without reduction in benefits. There's no special rule at 62 - that's just the earliest age you can claim regular retirement benefits.
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The whole process is MUCH more complicated than they make it sound!!! I tried doing mine online and kept getting ERROR messages when I was nearly finished! Lost ALL my work! Had to start over THREE TIMES!!! Then waited on hold for 2+ hours trying to get help. ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE. Just go to the office in person if you can!!!
Sorry you had such a tough time! The website can definitely have glitches. If you need to call SSA again and don't want to wait hours on hold, try Claimyr.com - it's a service that gets you through the phone system much faster. Saved me when I had application issues.
Thank you everyone for all the helpful information! I feel much better prepared now. I've got my SS card, birth certificate, bank info, and I'll make sure I know my employment history for the past couple years. Good to know I probably won't need to upload actual documents for a standard retirement application. I'm going to set aside an hour this weekend to start the process. Really appreciate all the advice!
One last tip: complete your application during non-peak hours (early morning or late evening, or on weekends) when the SSA systems have less traffic. This reduces the chance of technical issues. Also, if you have any questions during the application that aren't addressed in the FAQs, write them down and call the SSA after you've submitted your application rather than abandoning the process midway. Good luck!
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To answer your follow-up question - yes, SSA will contact you if documentation is missing. They'll usually send a letter, but sometimes they'll call or email if you've provided those contact methods. This is why it's important to keep your contact information updated in your my Social Security account. And don't worry too much about them accidentally starting your benefits early - as long as you clearly specify March 2026 as your start date on the application, the system is designed to honor that.
That's reassuring! I'll make sure my contact info is current in my account. One last question - if I continue working past my FRA, will that affect my benefit amount or when I should apply?
Working past your FRA is actually beneficial! After you reach FRA, there's no earnings limit, so you can earn as much as you want without any reduction in benefits. Plus, your continued income might increase your benefit amount through something called recomputation. SSA automatically reviews your record each year and if your additional earnings increase your benefit, they'll adjust it upward. You should still apply 3-4 months before your FRA even if you plan to keep working.
That's fantastic news! I was planning to work part-time for a few more years, so it's good to know that won't negatively impact my benefits. Thanks to everyone for all the helpful information - I feel much more confident about the application process now!
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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!
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To summarize the key points for everyone: 1. The earnings test only counts EARNED income (wages, self-employment) 2. Social Security benefits do NOT count toward the earnings test 3. IRA withdrawals do NOT count toward the earnings test 4. HOWEVER, IRA withdrawals DO affect the taxation of your Social Security benefits The earnings test and tax rules are completely separate issues. The earnings test determines if SSA withholds some benefits due to work, while tax rules determine how much of your SS benefits are subject to income tax.
This is so helpful, thank you! I think my brother-in-law was confusing the earnings test with the tax rules. My monthly benefit is about $1,850, so annually that's $22,200, which is right at that earnings limit, so I thought I couldn't earn anything else! Now I understand that's not how it works at all.
My accountant told me that you only have to worry about the limit until you hit your full retirement age. Once you reach that, there IS NO LIMIT on how much you can earn! I turn 67 next year and can't wait to work as much as I want without SS taking anything back!
yes! this is so important to remember! the limits go completely away once you hit FRA
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The WORST part is how they apply these rules so INCONSISTENTLY!! My friend and I both worked for the same school district and have similar situations but got COMPLETELY different answers from SSA about our spousal benefits!!! It's like they're making it up as they go along sometimes!! 😡
This is because the new rules are being phased in gradually and affect people differently based on their exact work histories. Two people with similar but not identical work patterns can have different outcomes. The transition period creates situations where some people see larger increases than others. It's not inconsistency - it's that the formulas are incredibly complex and personalized.
Thank you all for the helpful responses! I've scheduled an appointment with SSA for next month, right after I reach my FRA. I'm gathering all my pension documentation and work history records like suggested. I'll make sure to specifically ask about how both WEP and GPO apply in my situation with the new law changes. I'm hopeful I might get a bit more in benefits, even if it's not the full 50% of my husband's PIA. Every bit helps with groceries getting so expensive lately! Wish me luck navigating the SSA bureaucracy! I'll update here after my appointment in case it helps anyone else in a similar situation.
Good plan waiting until you reach FRA. One final tip: after your appointment, ask for a detailed explanation in writing of how they calculated your benefit. This serves two purposes: 1) It helps you understand exactly what you're receiving, and 2) If there's ever a question later, you have documentation of how they made their determination. Good luck!
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The SSA is so frustrating!!! Why don't they WARN people before taking the system down?? Some of us depend on that site to check payment status and get letters for housing. When I worked in IT, we ALWAYS notified users about maintenance windows. Their communication is terrible.
they actually did post a notice but it was only on the site for like 2 days before the maintenance started. easy to miss if you dont log in regularly. still annoying tho
UPDATE: The MySocialSecurity site is working for me again as of this morning. I just successfully logged in and was able to access my account. They've made some changes to the interface - you now have to verify your identity with a text code every time you log in, not just the first time. Try again today and see if it's working for you now.
Great news! Just tried and I can log in now too. The new verification step is a bit annoying but I guess it's more secure. Thanks everyone for your help!
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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! :
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OK honest question - has anyone actually sucessfully gotten half of their spouses benefits while the spouse is still working?? my sister tried this and SSA told her she had it all wrong. She couldn't get it til her husband FILED not just became eligible. so confusing!!
Your sister was told correctly. NO ONE can get spousal benefits until the main worker ACTUALLY FILES for their own benefits. Being "eligible" means nothing - you have to actually apply and start receiving benefits before your spouse can get anything based on your record. This is why the original question is asking if she should file at 62 - because her husband can't get anything extra until she does file. It's not about when she's eligible, it's about when she actually starts taking her own benefits.
After reading through this thread, I want to offer some additional information that might help with your decision: 1. You can request a detailed benefit calculation from SSA that will show exactly what your benefit would be at 62, FRA, and 70, as well as what your husband's spousal benefit would be once you file. 2. Remember that if you file at 62, your benefit will be reduced by approximately 30% from your FRA amount for life. 3. If your husband is receiving $625/month now, and your FRA benefit would be around $3,400, then his spousal benefit would potentially increase his total to around $1,700 (half your FRA amount). 4. This means filing at 62 could give him an additional $1,075/month, but would permanently reduce your own benefit by about $1,000/month compared to what you'd get at FRA. 5. The breakeven calculation should consider both your life expectancies and immediate financial needs. Have you considered whether you might work part-time between 62-67? If you claim benefits early but continue working, you'd be subject to the earnings test, which could temporarily reduce or eliminate your benefits until you reach FRA.
Thank you so much for this detailed information! I hadn't even considered the earnings test. I definitely plan to keep working until at least 65, possibly longer. So if I understand correctly, if I filed at 62 but kept working at my current salary, I might not even receive benefits until FRA anyway because of the earnings limit? I think I really need to get those exact calculations from SSA. Based on everything everyone has shared, I'm leaning toward waiting at least until my FRA to file, maybe even 70 depending on our financial situation and my husband's health in the coming years. It sounds like filing at 62 would only make sense if: 1. My husband lives for several more years to collect the increased spousal amount 2. I wasn't planning to work past 62 (which I am) 3. I had reason to believe my own life expectancy was shorter than average None of those really apply to us, so waiting is probably the smarter move financially.
Elin Robinson
my aunt tried to get her ex husband benefits and they made her go to court to get his info! but that was like 10 years ago so maybe rules changed
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Esteban Tate
•The rules haven't changed regarding ex-spouse benefits, but the process for locating information has improved. Today, the SSA rarely requires court intervention to locate basic information like birthdates or SSNs for benefit purposes. Their internal systems are more integrated now, which is why they can usually find this information if given enough identifying details to locate the correct person.
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Ivanna St. Pierre
when i filed for ss they kept askin for stuff i already sent!! check ur mail careful cuz they send letters asking for same stuff over n over. took me 4 months to get approved
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Alice Pierce
•THIS!!! I had to send my marriage certificate THREE TIMES because they kept "losing" it. Make copies of EVERYTHING and get receipts when you submit documents in person. The SSA is a bureaucratic nightmare!
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