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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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Not to get off topic but make sure your brother applies for both SSDI and SSI at the same time. I didn't know you could do both and it delayed my benefits by months. The SSA should automatically screen for both but sometimes they don't.
That's really good to know. He worked consistently until about 2 years ago when his MS started getting worse, so I think SSDI would be his main benefit. But we'll definitely make sure both are considered.
An update based on the questions - yes, being in different states is not a problem for either the SSA-3288 or SSA-1696 forms. For the SSA-1696, you don't need to show ID when submitting the form, but you will need your brother's signature on it. The easiest approach would be to: 1. Help him start his disability application online 2. List yourself as a contact person on that application 3. Submit the SSA-3288 form to allow information sharing 4. Only pursue the SSA-1696 if you need to formally represent him later This gives you the ability to help with forms and communicate with SSA on his behalf without the more formal representative relationship that's typically used for attorneys or appeal situations.
Thank you so much for this clear step-by-step plan! This makes it much easier to understand. We'll start with the online application this weekend.
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After considering the earnings test information and your continued employment until August 2025, here's what I'd suggest: Call Social Security and have them calculate your break-even point with WEP factored in. Then make your decision based on your health/longevity expectations and financial needs. Also, file a
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One more thing to consider - if your husband passes away before you, at that point you would be eligible for survivor benefits. As a widow, you could receive up to 100% of what your husband was receiving (including his delayed retirement credits). So while you might not get additional spousal benefits now, his decision to wait until 70 could still benefit you substantially in the future through higher survivor benefits.
This is exactly why my financial advisor told me and my wife to have the higher earner delay as long as possible - it's like buying life insurance through Social Security! The survivor benefit calculation is sooo much better than the stupid spousal benefit rules.
dont forget about taxes!!!! if you get more SS benefits you might have to pay more taxes on them if your over the limit. my brother got a big surprise at tax time last year
That's a good point. We're already paying some tax on our Social Security, but I'll keep that in mind if there is an increase. Thanks!
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When my mom died my dad got that $255 payment automatically I think. But that was like 15 years ago so maybe the rules changed? It showed up in his bank account but he was already getting her SS check as a survivor benefit so maybe that's why it was automatic. The whole SS system is so confusing!!
The $255 death benefit is never paid automatically - someone must apply for it. What likely happened was that your dad applied for survivor benefits, and they processed the death benefit at the same time. It might have seemed automatic because it was all handled in one appointment or phone call. You're right that the system can be very confusing though!
Thank you everyone for the helpful information. I've made an appointment at my local SSA office for next week. I'll bring both our marriage certificate and his death certificate. I'm also going to ask about the survivor benefit options since it sounds like I might be leaving money on the table if I don't understand all the choices. I really appreciate the support during this difficult time.
Andre Rousseau
Update: I finally got through to SSA after trying different times of day (Wednesday at 4pm seemed to have shorter wait times). The agent confirmed that I can indeed claim the full survivor benefit at 66 and 10 months instead of waiting until 67 and 2 months. They also said I absolutely need the death certificate - they won't process the claim without it. I'm going to request one from the county where he passed away. Thanks everyone for your help!
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AstroAdventurer
•glad u got thru! good luck with everything!
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Jamal Carter
MAKE SURE you keep copies of EVERYTHING you send them!!! My friend had her original marriage certificate LOST by SSA and it was a nightmare to replace!!! They deny everything when they make mistakes!!!
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Andre Rousseau
•Oh no, that's terrible! Thanks for the warning - I'll definitely make copies of everything before I submit anything.
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