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
I'm turning 70 in March and this discussion has been incredibly helpful! I had the same confusion about whether to use March 1st or April 1st as my start date. Reading everyone's experiences has made it clear that I should use March 1st since that's my birth month. One question I have is about Medicare - I'm already enrolled in Medicare Part A and B. Do I need to do anything special with Medicare when I start collecting Social Security, or are they completely separate at this point? Also, has anyone had experience with how long it takes to get the actual Social Security card with your new status? I know it's not required for benefits, but I'd like to have the updated documentation for my records.
Hi Norman! Great questions about Medicare. Since you're already enrolled in Medicare Part A and B, you're all set - Social Security and Medicare are handled separately at age 70. You won't need to make any changes to your Medicare coverage when you start collecting Social Security benefits. As for the Social Security card, I don't believe they issue updated cards just for benefit status changes - your card should still be valid as is. The important thing is that your benefits will start flowing once your application is processed. You're absolutely right about using March 1st as your start date for your March birthday. It sounds like you're well prepared for this transition!
One more important detail I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure you understand how Medicare premiums will be handled once you start receiving Social Security benefits. If you're already enrolled in Medicare Part B, those premiums will automatically be deducted from your monthly Social Security payment. This is actually convenient since you don't have to worry about separate billing, but it does mean your net Social Security payment will be lower than the gross amount you see in your benefit estimates. Also, if you have Medicare Part D or a Medicare Advantage plan, those premiums may also be deducted if you set that up. Just something to factor in when you're planning your budget around your new Social Security income. The Medicare.gov website has good information about how this all works together.
This is such an important point that I hadn't considered! I knew Medicare premiums would be deducted, but I didn't realize it would affect the actual amount I receive each month. That's definitely something I need to factor into my budget planning. Do you happen to know if there's a way to estimate what my net Social Security payment will be after Medicare deductions? I want to make sure I have realistic expectations about my monthly income. Thanks for bringing this up - it's exactly the kind of detail that could catch someone off guard if they're not prepared for it!
Join the conversation
One additional thing to keep in mind - the SSA does recalculate your benefit amount when you reach Full Retirement Age to give you credit for the months they withheld benefits due to the earnings test. So while your wife may see reduced benefits now if she exceeds the earnings limit, her benefit amount will increase at FRA to account for those reductions. Many people don't realize this adjustment happens automatically.
Wait really??? I didn't know they adjust it later! I thought that money was just gone forever. That makes me feel better about working more hours.
Just wanted to add some practical advice based on what I've learned helping my mom navigate this same situation. Since your wife is 65 and her FRA is 67, she has two years where this earnings limit will apply. The key thing is to track her earnings monthly - don't wait until the end of the year! I created a simple spreadsheet for my mom that tracks her gross pay each month against the annual limit ($23,400 for 2025). Also, if she does go over, the SSA typically doesn't catch it until they get her W-2 the following year, so you might not know about any overpayment until 2026. One strategy that worked for us was having her employer reduce her hours in November/December if she was getting close to the limit. School districts are usually pretty flexible about this since they understand the SS earnings test issue with older employees.
This is such practical advice! The monthly tracking spreadsheet idea is brilliant - I wish I had thought of that earlier. It's good to know that school districts are usually understanding about this situation. My wife works for a school district too, so hopefully her HR department will be flexible if we need to reduce her hours later in the year. The timing issue you mentioned is concerning though - waiting until 2026 to find out about an overpayment would be stressful. Do you know if there's any way to get updates from SSA during the year, or is it really just a wait-and-see situation until they process the W-2?
Join the conversation
MY NEIGHBOR JUST DID THIS!!!! She married her friend and got his benefits when he died but she had to fight with SSA for MONTHS because they said it was a "marriage of convenience" or something like that. They investigated her!!! Be careful what you say to them about why you're getting married!!
This is important to clarify. SSA doesn't technically have a "marriage of convenience" policy that would disqualify someone from benefits. If the marriage is legal, it generally counts for Social Security purposes regardless of the reasons for marrying. The 9-month duration requirement for survivor benefits is primarily what they'll check. However, if fraud is suspected (marriage solely for benefits with no intent to live as spouses), that could potentially be investigated, though it's relatively rare in cases like this.
Just wanted to add something that might be helpful - if you do decide to get married, make sure you understand how it could affect any other benefits you might be receiving. I learned this the hard way when my grandmother got married in her 80s and it impacted her food stamps and housing assistance because they started counting her new husband's income. Also, since you mentioned this is more of a practical arrangement with longtime friends, you might want to look into whether a legal domestic partnership or civil union would give you some of the same protections without all the Social Security complications. Some states have different options that might work better for your situation. The 9-month marriage requirement for survivor benefits is pretty strict - I've seen cases where someone married in January and their spouse died in September (8 months later) and they got nothing. So timing really matters if that's part of your planning.
Join the conversation
I'm so sorry for your loss, Liam. As someone new to this community, I'm really moved by how everyone came together to help you navigate this complicated situation during such a difficult time. This thread has been incredibly educational for me - I had no idea that Social Security benefits were paid in arrears, which is such crucial information for families dealing with these situations. It's wonderful that you were able to get official confirmation from SSA and that everything worked out as expected. The fact that you took the time to call them directly and also ask about the death benefit shows great presence of mind during what must be an overwhelming period. Thank you for updating everyone with the resolution - this thread will definitely serve as a valuable resource for others who find themselves in similar circumstances. Wishing you strength as you continue to handle all the details during this challenging time.
I'm so sorry for your loss, Liam. As another newcomer to this community, I've been really touched reading through this entire conversation. It's incredible how everyone rallied around you with both practical advice and emotional support during such a difficult time. I learned so much from this thread - particularly about how Social Security benefits work (being paid in arrears) and the importance of getting official confirmation even when funeral homes say they'll handle notifications. Your experience navigating this process will undoubtedly help countless other families who find themselves in similar situations. Thank you for taking the time to update everyone with the resolution and for sharing details about the death benefit application. This kind of follow-through makes this community so valuable for people dealing with complex government processes during already overwhelming times.
I'm so sorry for your loss, Liam. As a newcomer to this community, I've been incredibly moved reading through this entire thread. It's wonderful to see how everyone came together to provide both practical guidance and emotional support during such a difficult time. This conversation has been so educational for me - I had no idea that Social Security benefits were paid in arrears, which is such important information for families navigating these situations. It's reassuring that you were able to get official confirmation from SSA and that the funeral home actually followed through with their notification. Your proactive approach in calling SSA directly and asking about the death benefit was really smart. Thank you for taking the time to update everyone with the resolution - this thread will be an invaluable resource for others who find themselves dealing with similar questions after losing a loved one. The knowledge and experiences shared here truly demonstrate the value of having a supportive community during life's most challenging moments.
Jamal Carter
I'm at week 7 of waiting for my online retirement application and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Like so many others here, I've been anxiously checking my mySocialSecurity account seeing nothing but "processing" with zero updates from SSA. I was really starting to panic that something was wrong with my application, especially after hearing stories about people getting approved in just a few days. Reading through everyone's experiences here - ranging from 4 weeks up to 8+ weeks - has been such a relief and really confirms this extended waiting period is normal, even though it's nerve-wracking. I've definitely been guilty of that obsessive daily checking so many others mentioned! Based on all the advice in this thread, I switched to checking just once a week which has helped my stress levels. I'm thinking of calling this week since I'm now past that 6-week mark several people mentioned, though the phone horror stories are making me hesitant. It's really reassuring to know about retroactive payments - takes away the financial worry knowing we won't lose money due to these processing delays. Thanks to everyone for sharing their timelines and experiences - it's amazing how much better it feels knowing this waiting game is completely normal and we're definitely not alone in this process!
0 coins
Amelia Dietrich
I'm at week 1 of waiting for my online retirement application and already feeling anxious about the process! This thread has been incredibly reassuring to read though - I had no idea that 4-6 weeks was actually the normal timeframe. I was expecting something much faster since everything else online seems to happen instantly these days. Reading everyone's experiences here really helps set realistic expectations. I can already tell I'm going to fall into that trap of checking my mySocialSecurity account way too often, so I'm going to try to follow the advice about limiting it to once a week from the start. It's really helpful to know that "processing" with no updates is completely normal and not a red flag. The retroactive payment information is especially reassuring since I'm planning my finances around when the benefits will start. Thanks to everyone for sharing their timelines - it's so comforting to know what to expect and that this waiting period is just part of the normal process!
0 coins