Can't reach Social Security Administration? Claimyr connects you to a live SSA agent in minutes.
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Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the SSA
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- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
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- 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!
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I was in a similar boat to u last year & honestly the BEST thing we did was just schedule an appointment at our local SSA office. My husband & I brought all our questions written down & the rep walked us thru everything step by step. Took about an hour but so worth it! Just be prepared for a long wait to get an appointment (took us like 3 weeks).
That's a great suggestion! In-person appointments can be really helpful for complex situations. If you're having trouble getting an appointment, that's where services like Claimyr can help - they can connect you with an SSA representative over the phone much faster than waiting on hold yourself. But an in-person appointment is definitely worth the wait if you can get one.
make sure u look at the tax situation too bc sometimes waiting doesnt help if ur gonna pay more taxes on the bigger benefit its all about whats left after taxes
While tax considerations are important, they rarely outweigh the benefit of delaying Social Security for a higher-earning spouse. The permanent 8% per year increase in benefits (plus COLAs on that larger amount) typically overshadows any tax differences. Plus, survivor benefits are a critical factor - ensuring the surviving spouse gets the highest possible benefit for life is usually worth potential tax implications. That said, a comprehensive financial plan should absolutely include tax planning.
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what's irmaa??? is that different from cola?
IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount) is completely different from COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment). IRMAA is an extra charge added to Medicare Part B and D premiums for higher-income beneficiaries. COLA is the annual increase in Social Security benefits to keep up with inflation. They're unrelated systems.
once i got random deposit from SS for $412 and it turned out they had calculated my benefits wrong for 3 months! but took them 5 months to tell me that lol. SS works in mysterious ways
Seems like unexpected money showing up with no explanation is a common theme! I just wish their communication was better.
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wait the WEP and GPO are gone now???? since when??? i've been getting reduced SS benefits for 6yrs because of my teacher pension!
Yes, the Social Security Fairness Act fully repealed both WEP and GPO effective January 1, 2025. If you've been receiving reduced benefits due to these provisions, you should contact SSA immediately to have your benefits recalculated. You won't automatically get an increase - you need to request it. The increase will only be for future payments (no retroactive adjustments for prior years).
OMG thank you!!!! calling tomorrow!!!
Can I ask what your benefit increase looks like with the WEP/GPO gone? My husband and I are both former federal employees with pensions and our SS benefits were basically nothing before. Trying to figure out if it's worth the hassle of reapplying.
We don't know the exact amount yet, but based on my husband's PIA and my own work record, I'm estimating about $1,450/month in spousal benefits that I would have gotten zero for before the repeal. Definitely worth looking into for your situation!
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I had a friend who thought she'd just wait to apply until after she retired completely so she wouldn't have to deal with any earnings test or complicated stuff. Turned out she lost 6 months of benefits she could have collected! Don't wait to apply - you can apply 3-4 months before you want benefits to start.
Thank you all for this incredibly helpful advice! I've called my local office and scheduled an in-person appointment for next month. I'm going to gather all my pension documentation, earnings records, and my husband's information as well. I'm still disappointed to learn about the GPO potentially reducing spousal benefits too - I had only known about WEP affecting my own record. It feels like being penalized twice for having a government job. Does anyone know if they'll calculate both options for me (my own benefit with WEP vs. spousal with GPO) and give me the higher amount automatically? Or do I need to specifically request they check both?
They should calculate both automatically and give you whichever is higher. However, I recommend specifically asking them to show you both calculations. In my experience, they sometimes rush through appointments and might not properly explain everything. Also, bring a notepad and write down the name of the person helping you and any specific figures they provide. I found this helpful when I had follow-up questions later.
QuantumQuasar
To address your question about what happens when your pension runs out: Under GPO rules, if your pension stops, the offset should stop as well. This is different from WEP, which generally continues even if your pension ends.When your pension payments end, you need to notify SSA immediately with proof that you're no longer receiving the pension. At that point, they should recalculate your spousal benefits without the GPO reduction. Make sure to keep documentation showing your pension has ended.If your pension is paid as a lump sum rather than monthly payments, SSA will calculate what the monthly amount would have been and apply the offset as if you were receiving monthly payments. Regarding your 403b specifically - some confusion might exist because 403b plans can be structured different ways. If your 403b was truly a pension from non-covered employment (no SS taxes paid), then GPO applies. But if it was more like a savings plan similar to a 401k where you contributed your own money, different rules might apply.This is definitely worth reviewing with SSA to ensure they've categorized your retirement plan correctly.
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Miguel Castro
Thank you SO much for this information! This gives me some hope that at least when my pension runs out, I might get my full spousal benefit. I'll definitely keep documentation about when my pension ends.And you've given me another avenue to explore - my 403b was partly my contributions and partly employer contributions. I need to verify if SSA is treating it correctly. I'll gather all my pension documentation before calling them.I can't thank everyone enough for all this guidance. I feel much better equipped to address this situation now.
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