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
Actually I just thought of this - have you checked if you qualify for any other programs? With your reduced income you might be eligible for assistance with utilities or property tax reductions for seniors. Our county has a program that caps property taxes for homeowners over 60 with income below certain levels.
This is a great point!! I found out our electric company has a senior discount program I never knew about. Saved me like $40/month which adds up!
Has anyone mentioned that Social Security MIGHT be taxable depending on your combined income?? I got surprised by this my first year on SS! If your combined income (adjusted gross income + nontaxable interest + half of SS benefits) exceeds $25,000 for individuals or $32,000 for couples, up to 85% of your benefits might be taxable. With your husband still working full-time, you'll probably hit that threshold.
This is an important point. With your husband's continued income, you would likely have a portion of any SS benefits subject to federal income tax. This is another reason why coordinating your claiming strategy as a couple is so important - it affects both your benefit amounts and your tax situation.
Join the conversation
I've been dealing with Social Security for YEARS and this is nothing new. They NEVER update their systems on time. My husband and I both got caught in the confusion when the FRA changed years ago. The website said one thing, the phone people said another thing, and the office staff said something completely different! Then they have the nerve to blame YOU when their mistakes cause problems. Do NOT trust what one agent tells you - always get a second opinion and GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING!!!
This happened to my cousin too! She was told different things by different people and ended up missing out on 6 months of benefits. Makes me nervous about applying myself next year.
Update: After reading all your helpful comments, I decided to try calling. After THREE HOURS on hold, I finally got through to someone. They confirmed that yes, for WEP/GPO repeal cases, phone or in-person are the only options right now. They're "working on updating the website" but couldn't give a timeframe. So frustrating! The agent was actually very helpful once I got through and started my mother-in-law's application. They'll be mailing her some forms to complete and return. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!
Glad you got through! Make sure she keeps copies of EVERYTHING she sends them. And note the date the forms were mailed back. If they claim they never received something (happens all the time), having proof of when it was sent can make a big difference. Also, if she has MySSA account, she can check the status online even though she couldn't apply online.
3 hours!!! thats actually not bad compared to what some people r waiting lol. glad u got through
Join the conversation
One thing no one has mentioned yet - there's a HUGE advantage to the higher-earning spouse delaying benefits until 70 if possible. Each year you delay past FRA increases your benefit by 8%, so waiting from 67 to 70 gives you a 24% higher benefit FOR LIFE. And if that higher-earning spouse dies first, that higher amount becomes the survivor benefit (assuming it's higher than the surviving spouse's own benefit). So in your case, since your benefit is higher than his, you might want to strongly consider waiting until 70 to claim, especially if you have longevity in your family.
This is SUCH good advice! My financial advisor told me the same thing - that delaying the higher earner's benefit is like buying the cheapest life insurance policy ever if that person dies first. The survivor gets that higher amount for the rest of their life!
Im still confused about something... if the husband takes SS at 62 but then keeps working, doesnt his benefit amount go up? And then wouldnt that mean the survivor benefit goes up too?
Great question! If he claims at 62 but continues working, two things can happen: 1. If he earns over the earnings limit ($22,320 in 2023), they'll withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 he earns above that limit until he reaches FRA. 2. SSA will recalculate his benefit amount annually to include those additional earnings years, which could increase his benefit slightly if those years are higher earning than the ones used in his original calculation. But the early claiming reduction is permanent - it doesn't go away. So while working might increase his benefit somewhat, he'll always have that early claiming penalty applied.
Join the conversation
just wondering - did your sister ever work enough to qualify for Medicare on her own record? if shes getting SS benefits i assume yes but just checking cause thats important at her age too
Yes, thankfully she does have Medicare. She worked enough before becoming a caregiver to qualify for her own retirement benefits, but they're just very small because of the years she wasn't able to work or had very low earnings.
After thinking about this more, I want to clarify something important: When your sister's husband eventually DOES file for benefits (whether now or later), she will automatically be eligible for the spousal benefit if it would increase her total benefit amount. The benefit calculation is: She gets her own benefit first, then an additional amount if the spousal benefit (up to 50% of her husband's PIA) would be higher. The early filing reduction from her claiming at 62 will affect the spousal amount, but she'd still likely see some increase. Also worth noting - if her husband passes away before her, she would be eligible for 100% of his benefit amount as a widow (assuming it's higher than her own). This survivor benefit can actually be a major factor in deciding when he should claim.
Thank you for this additional information! That's helpful to know about the survivor benefit - I hadn't considered that. I think we need to sit down with her husband and look at the long-term picture, especially considering both their ages and health conditions. I appreciate all the helpful responses here.
Paolo Ricci
After struggling with this exact decision, I consulted with a financial planner who specializes in Social Security strategies. The most eye-opening part was running a simulation that showed how the decision impacts total household benefits through both of our lifetimes, not just my individual break-even point. For couples, it's really a household income strategy, not an individual one. Money well spent for personalized advice!
0 coins
StarSailor}
•That's a really good point. I've been thinking about this mostly from my own perspective, but it really is a household decision that affects our combined income for potentially decades. Did the financial planner charge a lot for this analysis? I might look into finding someone who specializes in Social Security strategies.
0 coins
GalaxyGuardian
The whole system is DESIGNED to confuse us!!! My uncle waited till 70 to claim and got exactly TWO CHECKS before he passed. Meanwhile the SSA building in my town just got renovated with fancy new furniture. Tell me where all our money is REALLY going!!?
0 coins
StarSailor}
•I understand the frustration. It feels like a gamble no matter what we choose. Sorry about your uncle - that's exactly the scenario I'm trying to avoid. The system definitely feels opaque sometimes, which makes these decisions even harder.
0 coins