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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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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!
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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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The rules for spouse's benefits are unnecessarily complicated! Here's my understanding based on research and my own experience with my husband's SSDI: 1. The spousal benefit is calculated as the DIFFERENCE between your spouse's own benefit and up to 50% of yours (if filing at FRA) 2. If your wife's PIA (full retirement age amount) is $1,200 but she's getting $850 at 62, they'll compare her $1,200 to 50% of your $2,375 ($1,187.50) 3. Since these amounts are so close, she might not get ANY spousal supplement at all 4. BUT... everything gets reduced for early filing, and the reduction factors are different for retirement vs spousal Possible scenarios: a) If her reduced own benefit > reduced spousal: she just gets her own benefit b) If reduced spousal > reduced own benefit: she gets her own benefit PLUS the difference to reach the spousal amount This is definitely worth scheduling an appointment with SSA to get the exact calculation. They can tell you exactly what she'd receive in all scenarios.
Thank you for breaking it down like this. I didn't realize they would compare her PIA (unreduced benefit) to 50% of mine first, then apply reductions. That makes the calculation even more complicated! Definitely going to need to speak with SSA directly.
my buddy's wife faced this exact situation last year and she ended up just taking her own benefit at 62 and then switching to the spousal benefit at her full retirement age when it wouldn't be reduced anymore. can ur wife do that?
Unfortunately, that strategy is no longer available for anyone born after January 1, 1954. The deemed filing rules were changed by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. Now when someone files for either their own retirement or for spousal benefits, they are deemed to be filing for both simultaneously, and will receive the higher of the two amounts (with appropriate reductions for early filing). The only exceptions to this rule are for surviving spouses (widow/widower benefits) who can still choose when to take each benefit.
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Wow, thank you all for the helpful responses! I feel like I understand the basics now - we'll get separate checks based on our own work records. The points about the earnings test and tax implications were things I hadn't even considered. I think our next step will be to sit down with our tax advisor to figure out the tax angle, and maybe use that Claimyr service to connect with SSA directly about how the earnings test might affect my wife if she claims while still working. It's a relief to know there's no benefit reduction just because we're married. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain!
That's a good plan. One more thing you might want to ask the SSA about is how survivor benefits would work. If either of you passes away, the surviving spouse can switch to the higher of the two benefit amounts. This is why sometimes it makes sense for the higher earner to delay claiming as long as possible - it could mean a higher survivor benefit later on.
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One important factor many people overlook is the impact on survivor benefits. If you're married, the higher of the two spouse's benefits becomes the survivor benefit when one passes away. If you expect your benefit to be higher than your spouse's, waiting to claim increases not just your retirement benefit but potentially your spouse's survivor benefit as well. This creates an additional incentive to delay, especially with family longevity on your side. The survivor benefit protection is essentially free "insurance" that comes with delaying your claim. If you're concerned about Social Security's future, remember that any legislative changes would almost certainly be phased in gradually and likely wouldn't affect those already near retirement age. Current retirees and those close to retirement are typically protected in reform proposals.
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@user8 It's called the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), along with the Government Pension Offset (GPO). These are the provisions being phased out over the next decade. But they're being reduced gradually, not eliminated immediately. 10% reduction in 2025, 20% in 2026, and so on until fully eliminated in 2035. @yourusername If you can't find the marriage certificate, you should request a certified copy from the county clerk's office where they were married. SSA typically requires official documentation and may not have marriage records in their system. They need to verify both the marriage and that it remained valid until your father's passing.
Thank you! I'll reach out to the county clerk's office this week. Mom's memory isn't great since Dad passed, but I think they got married in Sullivan County. I really appreciate all the helpful advice everyone has shared.
i don't understand why this is so complicated lol. just call social security and tell them ur dad died and see what they say. my grandpa died and my grandma got his social security check the next month, it was automatic
It's complicated because both parents worked in jobs with government pensions (teaching) that didn't pay into Social Security, but also had jobs that did pay into Social Security. The WEP/GPO provisions (which are being phased out) created special rules for these situations. Your grandparents' situation was likely more straightforward if they both worked in jobs that consistently paid into Social Security their entire careers.
Dmitri Volkov
my mom got benefits from 2 exhusbands at the same time so it might depend on ur situation call them and check dont listen to ppl on here
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LilMama23
•That's not possible under Social Security rules. You can be eligible for benefits from multiple spouses/ex-spouses, but you'll only receive the highest amount you're eligible for. Your mother might have received benefits sequentially (first from one ex, then switched to another when it was more advantageous) or she might have received benefits from one ex-spouse and then survivor benefits after another ex passed away, but she wouldn't receive multiple benefits simultaneously.
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Aisha Patel
Has anyone actually successfully claimed on an ex-spouse's record after being widowed from a subsequent marriage? I'm just trying to understand what the process will be like when the time comes. Should I go to my local SSA office or try to handle it by phone?
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Gabrielle Dubois
•I did this last year after my husband passed. The local office was backed up for months, so I made a phone appointment using Claimyr to skip the wait. The agent walked me through all my options based on my marriage history. In-person is good if you have lots of documents they need to see, but phone worked fine for my initial application. They just needed me to fax/upload the supporting documents afterward.
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