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
one more thing - make sure ur getting the EXACT right amounts. my mom thought she was getting everything she should but my sister looked into it and found out mom was being underpaid by almost $200/month for like 3 years!!! ssa gave her backpay but only after a big fight
That's concerning! Did your mom have to provide any special documentation to prove she was being underpaid?
Just to add some clarity: When you reach FRA, you should receive a letter from SSA about your SSDI converting to retirement benefits. That's the perfect time to inquire about divorced spouse benefits. Be prepared with your marriage certificate and divorce decree. SSA should be able to look up your ex's record with his SSN, but if you don't have it, they can usually find it with his full name and date of birth. The divorced spouse benefit calculation is: 50% of your ex's PIA minus 100% of your own PIA. If the result is positive, you get that amount added to your benefit. If it's zero or negative, your benefit stays the same.
Thank you for explaining the exact calculation! I'll make sure to have my marriage certificate and divorce papers ready. I appreciate everyone's help in understanding this complex topic.
Join the conversation
One more important thing - if you decide to take your own retirement benefit early at 62 while waiting to switch to survivor benefits at FRA, be aware that you must explicitly FILE FOR AND RESTRICT YOUR APPLICATION to retirement benefits only. Otherwise, SSA might automatically give you the higher of the two benefits, which could prevent you from using the strategy of switching later. This is one of those technical details that's incredibly important but often not explained clearly. When you do speak with an agent, specifically ask about the "restricted application" process for your situation.
This is so true! My friend didnt know about this restriction thing and ended up missing out on thousands of dollars because she didn't file correctly. The SSA people didn't even tell her about this option until it was too late. Always specifically ASK about all your options!
Hey just wondering did you ever get through to SSA? If you do get ahold of them can you post back what they said about your case? Im in a similar situation except I was married 12 years and I'm wondering how they calculate the amount for an ex spouse.
I haven't been able to get through yet, but I'm going to try that Claimyr service someone mentioned above. I'll definitely post back once I speak with SSA and let you know what they say about calculating ex-spouse survivor benefits. From what I understand so far, it should be the same as if you were still married when they died, as long as you met the 10-year requirement.
Join the conversation
To clarify some misinformation in this thread: Social Security payments are protected during government shutdowns because: 1. SS benefits are mandatory spending authorized by permanent law 2. The program has its own dedicated funding source (FICA taxes) 3. The Social Security Trust Fund is separate from general federal revenue During a shutdown, while some SSA services might be limited (like processing new applications or answering general questions), payments to current beneficiaries continue without interruption. Your mother's February payment will arrive on her regular payment date based on her birth date or when she first started receiving benefits. The payment will be her full benefit amount plus the 2025 COLA increase that went into effect in January. If she's concerned about her benefits, she should create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov where she can view her payment schedule and benefit amounts directly.
Thank you for breaking this down so clearly. I think a lot of the confusion came from news coverage that didn't distinguish between discretionary and mandatory spending. This is really reassuring.
My friend couldn't get ahold of SSA for TWO WEEKS when she needed to check on her missing January payment!!! They finally figured out it was some bank routing issue but she was almost EVICTED waiting for it to get fixed!!!
This is unfortunately common right now. SSA offices are understaffed and their phone systems are overwhelmed. For urgent payment issues like potential eviction, she should have contacted her local Congressional representative's office. They have liaison channels to SSA and can expedite emergency cases. Worth remembering for anyone facing critical benefits delays.
Join the conversation
Thank you all for the helpful responses! I'm feeling much more confident now. Here's my plan based on everyone's advice: 1. Check my detailed earnings record on mySocialSecurity 2. Request IRS transcripts for any questionable years 3. Start my application process now since I'm turning 70 soon 4. Mention my concerns about the earnings record when I apply 5. Focus only on correcting years that would be in my top 35 I'll report back once I've gone through the earnings history. Fingers crossed there aren't any major issues!
That sounds like a perfect plan! One more tip: When you look at your earnings record on mySocialSecurity, there's a way to download the entire history as a PDF. Do that and take your time reviewing it. Sometimes seeing it all in one document makes it easier to spot unusual patterns or missing years. Good luck!
Good luck! And don't forget to decide about Medicare too if you haven't already! That's a whole other thing to worry about lol
Oh thanks for the reminder! I'm already on Medicare since I signed up at 65, but I should check if there's anything that needs updating when I start receiving Social Security.
Alfredo Lugo
Just want to add something most people don't realize - if your ex dies, the rules change completely! Then you'd be eligible for survivor benefits which could be up to 100% of what your ex was receiving (not just 50%). Since he's 68 and already collecting, this is something to be aware of for future planning, even though nobody wants to think about that scenario.
0 coins
Lucas Parker
•That's actually really helpful to know. I hadn't considered survivor benefits at all. So if my ex passes away, I could potentially receive his full benefit amount if it's higher than mine? Is there any way to know what he's receiving now so I can compare it to my own PIA?
0 coins
Donna Cline
•You're correct that survivor benefits work differently. If your ex passes away, you could receive up to 100% of what he was receiving (not just 50% of his PIA). However, SSA won't tell you what your ex-spouse is receiving - that's private information. You'd only find out the survivor benefit amount if/when you apply for it after his passing. But you could make an educated guess based on his work history - if he had higher earnings than you throughout his career, his benefit might be higher than yours. If you're unsure, it's best to file for survivor benefits if that unfortunate event occurs, as SSA will automatically give you the higher of the two benefits anyway.
0 coins
Lucas Parker
Thanks everyone for the helpful explanations. I feel much clearer about my options now. Since I was born in 1958, I'm subject to the newer rules and can't do a restricted application. I'm going to crunch some numbers to decide whether to claim now at my FRA or wait until 70. Given my family history of longevity (both parents lived past 90), I'm leaning toward waiting to maximize my lifetime benefit, but I need to make sure I can afford to wait financially. I still wish the SSA rep had explained all this to me on the phone! They just said "no" without explaining why or what my options were. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to walk me through this.
0 coins