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
my brother said something about file and suspend but i think they got rid of that????? anyone know
Yes, the "file and suspend" strategy was eliminated by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. It's no longer available for anyone who wasn't already grandfathered in at that time. Some restricted application strategies were also eliminated for people born after January 1, 1954. The Social Security claiming rules have changed significantly over the past decade, which is why many online articles can be outdated or confusing.
Thank you all for the helpful information! I think I understand my options much better now. Just to summarize what I've learned: 1. The 8% delayed retirement credit is real, and it's simple interest (not compound) 2. After FRA, I can earn unlimited income from self-employment without benefit reductions 3. I'll get all COLA increases even while delaying 4. My wife's claiming decision doesn't affect my benefits 5. If I die first, my wife can switch to my higher benefit as a survivor, but she must APPLY for it (not automatic) 6. I need to consider taxation if I work while collecting I think I'm leaning toward delaying to 70 now, especially since it provides that "insurance policy" of a higher survivor benefit for my wife if I die first. I'll use that Claimyr service to get through to SSA and confirm these details for my specific situation. Really appreciate everyone's input!
Join the conversation
wait I just remembered something important!!! if ur turning 62 soon make sure u understand deemed filing!!! the rules changed after 2015 and now if u file for ANY benefit they automatically make u file for ALL benefits ur eligible for! so u cant do that strategy where u take spousal first then switch to ur own later like people used to do!!
This is an excellent point about deemed filing rules! Under current rules (for people born after January 1, 1954), when you file for either retirement or spousal benefits, you're deemed to have filed for both. The only exception is for surviving spouses claiming survivor benefits, which aren't subject to deemed filing rules.
If your husband is 64 and receiving survivor benefits, and you're turning 62, you might want to consider a 2-step strategy that could maximize your household benefits over time: 1) You file for your reduced retirement benefit at 62 (accepting the reduction) 2) When your husband reaches 70, he switches to his own retirement benefit (maximized with delayed credits) which then triggers your eligibility for potentially higher spousal benefits While you'd have a permanent reduction on your own benefit from filing early, the years of receiving some benefit (rather than nothing) plus the eventual higher spousal amount might work out better financially depending on your specific benefit amounts and life expectancy. I'd recommend sitting down with a financial planner who specializes in Social Security claiming strategies to review all your options with actual numbers.
I really appreciate this suggested strategy! I hadn't thought about having him delay until 70 for maximum benefits. We'll definitely talk to a financial planner about running the numbers. There are so many moving parts to consider!
Join the conversation
hey im confused about something kinda similar. what exactly is wep/gpo? i keep seeing it mentioned but don't understand if it affects me or not
WEP stands for Windfall Elimination Provision and GPO is Government Pension Offset. They only apply to people who worked in jobs that didn't pay into Social Security (like certain state/local government positions, some federal jobs, or foreign employment) AND who also qualify for Social Security benefits from other covered work. WEP can reduce your own SS retirement benefits while GPO can reduce spousal or survivor benefits. If you've only worked in regular private-sector jobs where you paid SS taxes, these provisions don't apply to you.
Update: I took everyone's advice and carefully reviewed my earnings record year by year. Everything looks correct - all my factory jobs are showing the right earnings with SS taxes paid. I'm still planning to call SSA about removing that warning message, but I feel much better knowing my actual work history is correctly recorded. Thanks for all the helpful information!
Glad to hear your earnings record is accurate! One additional tip: when you do speak with SSA, ask them to add a note to your file confirming you have no non-covered employment. This can be helpful when you eventually apply for benefits, as it creates documentation that the WEP/GPO warning was investigated and determined to be incorrect. It may save you some headaches down the road.
Join the conversation
BE CAREFUL!!!! My brother-in-law got hit with a HUGE overpayment bill because he misunderstood how this works! Make sure you report your earnings to SSA right away when you start benefits. They don't find out about your earnings until tax time the NEXT YEAR and by then you could owe thousands back if you went over the limit!!
This is a valid concern. To avoid potential overpayments, you should proactively report to SSA if you expect to exceed the monthly earnings limit in any month. You can do this through your my Social Security account online, by calling, or visiting an office. It's always better to report changes in advance than to deal with an overpayment later.
Just to add - when you do hit the earnings limit, they don't take away your entire benefit. They withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above the limit. So if you go over by $1,000 in a month, they'd withhold $500 in benefits.
That's less harsh than I thought! So I could potentially work a bit more and just accept a reduced benefit. That gives me more flexibility.
Freya Andersen
Just want to point out that SSDI conversion to survivor benefits is also important here. When a person is receiving SSDI and passes away, the survivor benefit calculation is a bit different than standard survivor benefits. The benefit is based on the SSDI payment amount, but there can be adjustments for the deceased's early claiming. Make sure the SSA rep understands your wife was on SSDI when calculating your survivor amount.
0 coins
Oliver Becker
•That's a really good point that I hadn't considered. I know she had only been receiving SSDI for about 9 months before she passed. Does that affect the calculation compared to if she had been on SSDI for years?
0 coins
Freya Andersen
•The length of time she received SSDI doesn't matter for the calculation. What matters is that SSA will calculate your survivor benefit based on 100% of her Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is the amount she would have received at her full retirement age. Since she was receiving SSDI, that's essentially what she was already getting (SSDI pays at the FRA rate regardless of age). Then that amount would be reduced based on YOUR age when YOU claim survivor benefits.
0 coins
Malik Jackson
IMPORTANT!!!! Did either of those SSA reps actually RUN THE NUMBERS for your specific situation???? Or were they just telling you general rules? Because without running your actual earnings record through their system, they might be GUESSING about which strategy is better for you!!!
0 coins
Oliver Becker
•You know what, they didn't! They were speaking in generalities. Should I specifically ask them to run calculations for both scenarios when I go back? Is that something they can do?
0 coins
LunarLegend
•Yes, absolutely ask them to run the numbers for your specific case. A good Claims Specialist can show you the exact dollar amount you would receive under different claiming scenarios. Make sure they show you: 1. Survivor benefit amount if claimed now at 65 2. Your own retirement benefit if claimed now at 65 3. Your own retirement benefit at your FRA (66+8mo) Seeing these specific numbers will make the best strategy clear and give you documentation to refer to.
0 coins