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
wait i'm confused... isn't windexing for cleaning windows? lol what does that have to do with social security??
Haha, no - though that's an understandable mix-up! In Social Security context, people sometimes incorrectly use "windexing" to refer to detailed benefit calculations done through a program called WINDOWS (WINdfall Offset WorkSheet). But as another commenter correctly pointed out, WINDOWS is actually for worker's compensation offset calculations, not retirement benefit matrices. What OP needs is a month-by-month benefit calculation showing various claiming age options, which is a different service.
One more tip: When the technical expert does your calculation, make sure to ask about the impact of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) if you've ever worked for a government entity where you didn't pay into Social Security. These provisions can significantly reduce your benefits and aren't accounted for in standard calculations. Also, if you're planning on continuing to work while collecting benefits before your FRA, make sure they explain how the earnings limit would affect your payments. The benefit calculation matrix is much more useful when it includes these adjustments.
That's good to know. I did work for a state university for about 5 years where I didn't pay into Social Security, so I'll definitely ask about WEP. I hadn't thought about that.
Join the conversation
Has anyone actually successfully switched from one widow benefit to another? My mother tried to do this (switch from her second husband to first husband's record) and the SSA office gave her such conflicting information that she gave up. One person said she could, another said she couldn't - typical SSA confusion!
I successfully switched from my first husband's survivor benefit to my second husband's higher retirement benefit when he turned 70 (we were still married). Different situation, but yes, SSA will process benefit switches if you qualify. The key is getting to the right person who understands the rules. Using Claimyr helped me get to an experienced agent who processed everything correctly the first time. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - helped me bypass hours of hold time.
I've been reading through all these comments and now I'm confused about one thing - when exactly should the original poster apply? Right at 60? A few months before? After? I know with regular SS retirement you can apply a few months early but when does that process start for widow benefits?
For widow's benefits, you can apply up to 4 months before you want benefits to begin. So if you want benefits to start the month you turn 60, you should apply when you're 59 years and 8 months old. It's best to apply early rather than late because survivor benefits can only be paid for up to 6 months retroactively, so if you wait too long, you could lose some payments you're entitled to receive.
Join the conversation
Anyone else feel like the whole system is designed to be as frustrating as possible? 🙄 Good luck OP, you're gonna need it
Preach! 🙌 It's like they're stuck in the 1980s or something
Join the conversation
Quick question - has anyone here successfully lowered their Medicare costs? I'm in the same boat as OP and could use some pointers.
Thanks for the tip! Mind sharing what kind of evidence or arguments worked for you?
Sure thing! I brought a detailed breakdown of my medical expenses vs income, letters from my doctors explaining my health needs, and even got my local congressperson involved. It was a lot of work, but it paid off.
unpopular opinion: the whole system needs an overhaul. it's ridiculous that we have to jump through so many hoops just to get basic help. 🤦♂️
Preach! 🙌 It's like they make it complicated on purpose to discourage people from claiming benefits.
100% agree. My grandma literally gave up trying to get her benefits adjusted because it was too confusing and stressful for her.
Geoff Richards
Wait im confused...isnt SSI different from regular social security? Maybe the worker was talking about SSI which does have asset and income limits even after retirement age? Just wondering if there was a miscommunication about which program.
0 coins
Simon White
•Good point about potential confusion, but the OP clearly mentioned retirement benefits that started at age 65, which would be Social Security retirement (RSDI/Title II) not SSI (Title XVI). You're correct that SSI has strict income and asset limits at any age, but those rules don't apply to regular Social Security retirement benefits. The earnings test for retirement benefits disappears at FRA.
0 coins
Shelby Bauman
Thank you all so much for your helpful responses! I feel much better now knowing that the SSA rep was wrong and that my husband CAN earn unlimited income once he reaches his full retirement age next year without affecting his benefits. We'll definitely print out that SSA webpage for reference. And we'll make sure to verify that his benefit amount gets properly adjusted for any withheld amounts once he reaches FRA. What a relief - this means our retirement plan can proceed as we originally thought! I really appreciate everyone taking the time to help clarify this confusing situation.
0 coins