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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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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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CHECK HIS WORK CREDITS!!! my cousins husband got denied because he didn't have enough recent work credits even tho he worked for like 15 years but then took time off to be a stay at home dad for 3 years. you need to have worked 5 of the last 10 years i think
That's correct - it's called the 'recent work test.' At age 42, he needs 20 credits total (5 years of work) AND 20 credits within the last 10 years. If he's been working steadily, he should meet this requirement easily.
Thanks everyone for all this helpful info! I'm going to sit down with him this weekend to create a plan. We'll double-check his work credits, make sure his neurologist documents everything thoroughly with specific mention of the Compassionate Allowance List, and prepare for that 5-month waiting period. His MS symptoms have gotten really severe (mobility issues, extreme fatigue, cognitive problems), so hopefully that will help with getting approved faster. I'm also going to have him set up an appointment with SSA using that Claimyr service to get specific estimates for his situation. Really appreciate all the insights - this is such a stressful time for their family and having some idea of what to expect financially makes a huge difference.
One last tip - have him keep a detailed symptom journal documenting how his MS affects daily activities. Include good days AND bad days, noting when he's too fatigued to perform basic tasks, when cognitive issues interfere with concentration, detailed mobility limitations, etc. This documentation is GOLD during the application process, especially if he needs to appeal.
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Does anyone know if they look at your TAX RETURN from the previous year to determine your earnings? Or do they somehow track your current salary? I'm so confused about how they even know what you're making during the year when they calculate these deductions!!
Good question. SSA asks you to estimate your earnings for the year when you apply. They'll pay benefits based on that estimate. Later, when tax information becomes available, they'll compare your actual earnings to your estimate. If you earned more than estimated, you may have to repay some benefits. If you earned less, they may send you additional payments. If your earnings change significantly during the year, you should notify SSA to avoid potential overpayments or underpayments.
I just went through this exact situation! Few tips from my experience: 1) Apply for the survivor benefits even with your higher income. Yes, most will be withheld, but it establishes your eligibility and the withholdings aren't permanently lost. 2) SSA's online system won't let you apply for survivor benefits - you MUST call or visit in person. 3) Getting an appointment took me 3+ months, but I used Claimyr.com to reach an agent quickly who helped me complete everything by phone. 4) Have ALL your documents ready when you call: marriage certificate, divorce decree, death certificate, birth certificate, tax returns, etc. 5) The agent may encourage you to wait due to your income, but it's often better to have your application on file now. Hope this helps! Navigating this wasn't easy but definitely worth it for the long-term strategy.
Thank you for sharing your experience! I'll definitely have all my documents ready. Did they need original documents or were copies acceptable when you applied?
They accepted certified copies of everything except my own ID. For the application by phone, I didn't need to submit anything immediately - they gave me time to mail in or drop off the documents after the application was submitted. Just make sure any copies are certified!
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To clarify something important: With WEP, the maximum reduction in 2025 would be approximately $587 (50% of the first bend point). But since your husband has 22 years of substantial earnings under Social Security, his WEP reduction should be less than the maximum. Specifically, each year over 20 years reduces the WEP penalty by 5%. With 22 years, the reduction would be 10% less than the maximum, so approximately $528 instead of $587. If the SSA incorrectly thinks his pension just started, they might be applying some prorated calculation for 2025 only, which could explain the $150 difference. This is definitely worth pursuing with them.
Exactly right. Another thing that might be happening is they could be applying the WEP phase-in rules incorrectly. If they think the pension just started in 2025, they might be prorating the WEP reduction for that year, which would explain why their figure is $150 less than expected. It's a temporary advantage that would likely be corrected later and could result in an overpayment notice.
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One more thing to be aware of - if you're enrolled in Medicare, your Part B premium is based on your income from 2 years ago (so your 2023 income determines your 2025 premium). This is called IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount). With your income level, you might pay a slightly higher premium than the standard amount. This has nothing to do with your actual Social Security benefit calculation though.
Oh! That's really good to know. I am enrolled in Medicare. I'll look into this IRMAA thing - I had no idea the premiums could vary based on income from two years ago.
When I started collecting last year, I had to wait almost 3 months for my first payment! They backpaid me eventually, but just warning you it might not start next month like you expect. The SSA is EXTREMELY backed up right now.
same here!!! took forever to get my first check. they backdated it but still super annoying to wait
LordCommander
be carful about the GPO thing... it can really reduce ur benefits. my mom was a teacher in texas and lost almost ALL of her widow benefits bcuz of GPO. they took like 2/3 of it away!!! did anyone calculate how much ur actually gonna get after GPO reduction? might not be worth all this trouble honestly
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Camila Jordan
•This is exactly what worries me. I haven't had anyone calculate the exact GPO reduction yet. I know my PERA disability pension is about $2,450/month, and I believe my ex's Social Security benefit was around $2,800. Does anyone know how to calculate how much I'd actually receive?
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Madeline Blaze
•The GPO reduction is typically 2/3 of your PERA pension amount. So if your pension is $2,450, approximately $1,633 would be deducted from any Social Security spousal or survivor benefit. If your ex's benefit was $2,800, you might receive around $1,167 monthly after the GPO reduction ($2,800 - $1,633). However, this is a rough estimate - the actual calculation can be more complex based on your specific situation.
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Tyler Lefleur
DONT WAIT!!!! Contact your rep NOW! The backlog is getting WORSE not better. My mom waited 5 months for her widow benefits appointment and lost out on money because of it!!!
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Camila Jordan
•That's concerning to hear. I'll look up my representative's contact info today. Did your mom eventually get her retroactive benefits, or did she lose those completely?
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Tyler Lefleur
•She got some retroactive pay but not all she was entitled to because of confusion about her filing date. That's why I'm saying DON'T WAIT - get your rep involved ASAP! They have staff who deal with SSA problems all day long.
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