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 think everyone is overthinking this. Its just a seasonal job way under SGA. Report it and dont worry.
Did anyone mention EXTENDED PERIOD OF ELIGIBILITY??? After the 9 TWP months there's 36 MORE months where benefits can restart without a new application if earnings drop below SGA!!! The SSA website is SO CONFUSING about this!!!
You're right about the Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE), but for this specific situation with temporary seasonal work below both TWP and SGA thresholds, the OP's daughter likely won't need to worry about EPE details yet. It's good information to have if she decides to work more regularly in the future though.
Join the conversation
The WHOLE SYSTEM is designed to confuse us!!! Different rules for withdrawal vs suspension, deadlines we don't know about, and impossible to get answers!!! Why make it so COMPLICATED???
I understand the frustration, but the distinction between withdrawal and suspension actually makes sense. Withdrawal is meant to be a safety net for people who claim early and quickly realize it was a mistake (within 12 months). Suspension is a different planning tool that allows you to pause benefits after FRA to earn delayed credits. But yes, SSA could definitely do a better job explaining these options to people.
Based on what you've shared, it sounds like you likely did properly withdraw your application. The fact that you remember submitting the SSA-521 form and repaying benefits is very encouraging. When you apply at your FRA, your benefit should be calculated as if you never claimed early at all. One suggestion: when you apply again, be sure to mention your previous withdrawal in the remarks section of the application. This helps ensure the claims specialist handling your case looks for that information in your record. While their system should show the withdrawal, it never hurts to flag it explicitly.
Thank you for this advice! I'll definitely mention the withdrawal in the remarks section. I want to make sure they have all the information needed to process my application correctly. Would you recommend applying online or making an in-person appointment for my situation?
For your situation, I'd recommend starting online (to get in the queue faster) but then following up with a phone appointment to discuss your specific circumstances. You can request a callback when you complete the online application. Given your previous withdrawal, having a conversation with a claims specialist would be beneficial.
Join the conversation
Since you're turning 63 and plan to wait until 67 (your FRA), here are the key points to consider: 1. The Government Pension Offset (GPO) will likely apply since your husband's pension comes from a state government job that didn't pay into Social Security. 2. The GPO reduction is 2/3 of your gross pension amount, so approximately $1,433 will be deducted from your survivor benefit. 3. Your earnings won't affect your survivor benefits once you reach FRA (67), but they would reduce benefits if you claimed earlier. 4. To make an informed decision, you need to know what your survivor benefit amount would be before the GPO reduction. This amount is based on what your husband would receive if he were alive at your FRA. 5. Request a detailed calculation from SSA showing both your survivor benefit amount and the GPO reduction. This will help you determine if you'll receive any benefit after the reduction. The optimal claiming strategy depends on these numbers. If the GPO would eliminate most or all of your survivor benefit, it might make sense to claim earlier and accept the earnings reduction.
Thank you for laying this out so clearly. I called the local SSA office but couldn't get through. I'll try to schedule an appointment to get these calculations done. My husband would have received about $2,800/month at his FRA, so I'm hoping there will be something left after the GPO reduction. It's just so frustrating that they penalize me for receiving his pension when we planned our retirement assuming both income sources would be available.
Join the conversation
my mom started her SS at 67 last year while dad was still working part time at 64. her check wasnt affected by his work at all, but they did have to plan for taxes. they set aside about 15% of her SS check just to be safe. also they found out that when dad does retire she can switch to a spousal benefit if its higher than her own which was news to them! good luck with everything
Yeah the tax thing is what gets most people! My neighbor thought SS was completely tax free and got hit with a huge bill. Better to set aside some money like your parents did!
Thank you all for the helpful responses! I'm going to go ahead and file for my benefits at FRA next month. I'll set aside some money for potential taxes, and we'll look at whether spousal benefits make sense when my husband is closer to retirement. I managed to get through to SSA using that service someone mentioned above - the agent confirmed everything you all told me and helped me understand our specific situation. Really appreciate this community!
Glad you got the information you needed! One final tip: Even though you're setting aside money for taxes, you might want to consider quarterly estimated tax payments to avoid an underpayment penalty. Your tax situation will change once you start receiving Social Security benefits, so it's worth consulting with a tax professional for your first year of benefits.
Dmitri Volkov
u should also think about taxes if u take ss and work parttime. my friend did that and got hit with a huge tax bill she wasnt expecting
0 coins
LilMama23
•Good point about taxes. Up to 85% of your Social Security benefits can become taxable depending on your combined income. If you work part-time while collecting benefits, more of your SS might be subject to income tax. This isn't a penalty, but it's definitely something to factor into your budget planning.
0 coins
Aisha Patel
Thank you all for the helpful advice! I've decided to talk to my employer about reducing my hours first before completely retiring. If that doesn't work out, I'll go ahead with retirement knowing what to expect with the benefit reduction and making sure I handle the Medicare enrollment correctly. I'm also going to check my earnings record on my.ssa.gov to see if working longer would significantly improve my benefit calculation. I really appreciate all your insights!
0 coins