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
Quick additional note on your question about the early claiming: When you claimed survivor benefits at 64, you took a reduction from your full benefit amount. If your new husband passes away, the survivor benefit calculation from his record would be based on your age at THAT time. So if you're past your FRA when he passes away, you would get the full survivor benefit from his record (assuming it's higher than your current one).
Thanks for this clarification! So the early claiming reduction doesn't follow me around forever - that's good to know. I appreciate everyone's help with this question.
I went through something similar last year. Remarried at 68 after being on survivor benefits for years. The SSA representative told me that each survivor benefit is calculated separately, and they'll pay you whichever one is higher. In my case, I'm still getting my first husband's benefit because it was higher than what I'd get from my second husband who passed away recently. Make sure you bring your marriage certificate when you report the marriage to SSA - they required that documentation.
I'm sorry about your loss. Thank you for sharing your experience - it's helpful to hear from someone who's been through this. I'll definitely make sure I have all the right documentation when the time comes.
Join the conversation
DONT FORGET about the earnings limit if ur still teaching when u take survivors at 60!!! if ur under FRA they will take back $1 for every $2 u earn above limit. learned this the hard way :
This is an excellent point. For 2025, if you're under Full Retirement Age and working, SSA will deduct $1 from your benefits for each $2 you earn above $22,320 (the current annual limit, which increases slightly each year). Teaching salaries typically exceed this limit, which means your survivor benefits could be substantially reduced or eliminated until you stop working or reach your Full Retirement Age.
Thank you all SO much for the helpful responses! I think I have a clearer strategy now: 1. Apply for survivor benefits at 60 2. Be aware of the earnings limit while I'm still teaching 3. Consider delaying my pension as long as possible to minimize GPO 4. Switch to my own SS benefit at 70 (which will end survivor benefits) I'll definitely look into Claimyr to get connected with an SSA specialist who actually understands these rules. And I'll find a financial advisor who specializes in GPO/WEP issues as well. This is all so complicated! I'm grateful for all your help and experiences.
That sounds like a solid plan. One last tip - after you get professional advice and make your decision, document EVERYTHING. Keep copies of all applications, approval letters, and calculation explanations. I've seen cases where the SSA made adjustments years later and people needed their historical documents to prove what they were entitled to. Good luck!
Join the conversation
just wondering, did your husband work for the government? my sister's husband did and she got almost nothing from spousal benefits because of something called WEP or GPO i think?
No, he worked in the private sector his whole career, so that shouldn't affect us. But thank you for mentioning it - I've heard those government pension offset rules can really reduce benefits for some people.
One last tip - when you do reach your FRA and apply for the spousal benefit, print out a copy of your husband's benefit verification letter showing his PIA amount, and bring your own as well. Having documentation of both benefit amounts will help ensure they calculate everything correctly. Also, if the online benefit verification letter doesn't show your exact start date, you can request your complete earnings record, which will show when benefits began. Log in to your my Social Security account, go to "Review Your Information" and then "View Earnings Record.
Thank you for all the help! I've got my earnings record now and see exactly when I started. I'm going to make a calendar reminder for when I reach FRA so I don't forget to apply for the spousal benefit. Fingers crossed it's worth the effort!
Join the conversation
One important thing to verify: make sure your Medicare Part B premium is correctly handled during this transition. Sometimes when switching benefit types, the system temporarily
Ryan Vasquez
Also remember they'll probably ask for proof of the marriage ending (divorce decree for first marriage) and proof of subsequent marriage (marriage certificate for second husband). My sister got caught in a loop where they kept asking for more documents.
0 coins
Keith Davidson
Something nobody has mentioned yet - when your first husband does pass away (which I'm sorry to hear about), make sure you check if there are any children who might be eligible for benefits on his record too. My neighbor didn't realize her adult disabled son qualified for benefits on her deceased husband's record for almost a year after he died. There might be other family members eligible besides just you.
0 coins
Samantha Howard
•Thank you for mentioning that. We do have a daughter together who has a disability, but she's 42 now. I'm not sure if she would qualify at this age?
0 coins
Avery Saint
•If your daughter's disability began before age 22 and she meets the medical requirements for adult disability, she could potentially qualify for Disabled Adult Child benefits on either parent's record. This is definitely something to look into.
0 coins