I've been following this thread with great interest as someone who works in elder law and helps clients navigate Social Security issues regularly. The advice here has been excellent, particularly the strong consensus around using ID.me verification as the first option. I want to reinforce a few key points that have come up: 1) Absolutely do NOT create a new account - the fraud detection issues are real and can cause significant delays in benefit processing. 2) The ID.me verification route has clearly been the most successful for people in similar situations. It's worth noting that this system was specifically designed to address the exact problems you're experiencing with forgotten security questions and outdated contact information. 3) For anyone reading this thread in the future: when you do recover your account, take screenshots of your login credentials and store them securely. Also consider using a password manager to avoid this situation in the future. One additional tip from my professional experience: once you recover your account and before you reapply for benefits, take time to review your entire earnings record for accuracy. I've seen cases where incorrect earnings information wasn't discovered until after benefits started, which can be much more complicated to fix retroactively. Best of luck with your recovery - based on all the success stories here, you should be able to get this resolved quickly!

I'm a newcomer to this community but wanted to share my recent experience since I just went through something very similar! I had forgotten my MySocialSecurity login details after setting up an account two years ago and was really stressed about the recovery process. After reading through all the excellent advice in this thread, I tried the ID.me verification route that so many people recommended, and it worked perfectly! The whole process took about 18 minutes from start to finish. A few things that helped me based on the tips shared here: I made sure to have good lighting for the selfie, wore my glasses since they're in my driver's license photo, and had all my documents ready beforehand even though I only needed my ID. The system was much more user-friendly than I expected. For anyone else in this situation, I'd definitely echo what everyone has said about trying ID.me verification first - it really seems to have the highest success rate. And absolutely don't create a new account! The fraud detection stories shared here are genuinely scary. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences in this thread. Reading all these success stories gave me the confidence to tackle what seemed like an overwhelming problem. The community support here is amazing!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Applied for retirement benefits about 2.5 weeks ago and have been stuck on that Step 2 status with the "cannot provide payment information" message. Reading through all these experiences has been such a huge relief - I was starting to think something was seriously wrong with my application since I've been obsessively checking the portal daily with no progress shown. Like many others here, I also have some self-employment history from running a small tax preparation service for about 6 years in the late 90s/early 2000s, so now it all makes perfect sense why my processing is taking longer for verification purposes. It's incredibly reassuring to learn that Step 2 actually indicates they're actively calculating my benefits rather than my application just sitting in some digital limbo! I was definitely caught in that compulsive portal-checking trap too - literally refreshing multiple times per day and getting more anxious each time nothing changed. Now I understand the system doesn't update in real-time anyway, so all that obsessive checking was pointless. I'm going to follow everyone's advice here and wait until I reach that 30-day mark before attempting to call, and if I do need to contact them I'll definitely try that 8 AM strategy everyone mentioned. Thanks to everyone for sharing your timelines and experiences - it's so comforting to know this is completely normal processing time and that having self-employment years naturally extends the verification process!

I'm currently experiencing this exact same situation! Applied for my retirement benefits about 3 weeks ago and have been stuck on Step 2 with that same frustrating "processing" message. Like so many others in this thread, I also have some self-employment history from running a small home renovation business for about 5 years in the early 2000s. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - I was getting really worried checking the portal obsessively every day with no changes showing up. Now I understand that Step 2 actually means they're actively working on calculating my benefits rather than my application just sitting somewhere collecting dust! It's also helpful to know that self-employment years naturally add verification time to the process. I was definitely caught in that compulsive portal-checking habit too - literally refreshing it multiple times daily and getting more anxious each time nothing appeared to change. Now that I know the system doesn't update in real-time anyway, I realize all that obsessive checking was pointless! I'm going to follow everyone's advice and wait until I hit the 30-day mark before trying to call, and if I do need to reach them I'll definitely use that 8 AM calling strategy. Thanks to everyone for sharing your timelines and experiences - it's so comforting to know this is completely normal processing time and that we're all going through this same waiting game together!

One more tip that might help - when setting up the dedicated account, make sure the bank understands it's an SSI dedicated account. Some banks have special procedures for these accounts and can help ensure you don't accidentally mix funds. Also, consider keeping a simple spreadsheet or notebook tracking every expense with the date, amount, what it was for, and attach copies of receipts. This will make your annual reporting much easier and provide clear documentation if SSA ever requests an audit. The peace of mind is worth the extra paperwork!

Just wanted to add one more consideration - when you're dealing with the dedicated account, make sure you understand the timing requirements. SSI backpay in dedicated accounts typically needs to be spent within a certain timeframe (usually 9 months from when it's received), or SSA may start counting the remaining funds toward the $2,000 resource limit. This is separate from the installment payments some people mentioned. Also, if your daughter turns 18 while there's still money in the dedicated account, the rules change slightly since she'll become her own payee. It's worth asking SSA about this timeline when you set up the account so you can plan accordingly for any larger purchases like equipment or therapy programs.

As a new community member who's been following this discussion, I want to thank everyone for such detailed and helpful responses! I'm actually in a very similar situation to the original poster - just started receiving benefits and working part-time, but I'm in a different state so the tax implications might vary. This thread has been incredibly educational about the importance of proactive tax planning with Social Security benefits. The step-by-step guidance about checking the Benefit Verification Letter, understanding provisional income calculations, and the practical advice about W-4V withholding rates has been invaluable. It's clear that this community really looks out for newcomers and shares real-world experiences that you just can't find in official government publications. I'll definitely be bookmarking this discussion as a reference and will be sure to contribute my own experiences as I learn more about navigating the Social Security system!

As another newcomer to Social Security benefits, I want to add my voice to thank everyone for this incredibly comprehensive discussion! I'm in a slightly different situation - I'm 66 and just filed for my benefits but they haven't started yet, and I'm still working full-time making about $45k annually. Reading through all these experiences has made it crystal clear that I need to be proactive about tax withholding from day one. The calculation examples showing how combined income affects taxability have been eye-opening. I had no idea that with my salary plus SS benefits, I'd likely be in the 85% taxable range! I'm definitely going to submit my W-4V form before my first payment even arrives. Question for those with experience - would you recommend starting with 12% withholding given my higher work income, or stick with 10% and adjust later if needed? This community's willingness to share real-world experiences is exactly what new beneficiaries need to navigate this complex system successfully!

As a newcomer here, I want to echo the thanks for this amazing discussion! I'm 63 and was actually planning to file next month, but after reading through all these responses, I'm realizing I need to slow down and do more research first. The confirmation that benefits increase monthly (not just yearly) is exactly what I was looking for, but wow - I had no idea there were so many other factors to consider like taxes, spousal strategies, and even the option to withdraw your application within the first year. I'm especially intrigued by the SSA online calculator that shows month-by-month projections using your actual earnings history. That sounds way more accurate than the generic estimates I've been using. I think I need to take a step back, create my SSA account, run some detailed scenarios, and maybe consult with both a financial advisor and tax professional before making this decision. Better to take a few extra months to get it right than rush into something I might regret later. Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge and experiences - this community is incredibly helpful for those of us navigating these crucial retirement decisions!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to add my experience from having just navigated this decision last year at age 65. The monthly calculation is indeed accurate - every single month of delay increases your benefit, which was crucial for my planning. What I found most helpful was creating a detailed timeline showing not just the monthly benefit amounts, but also the cumulative benefits received over time. This helped me visualize the "break-even" point more clearly. One thing I didn't see mentioned is that if you're collecting other government benefits (like VA disability), the timing of Social Security can sometimes affect those benefits too. I had to coordinate with the VA to understand how my Social Security claim would interact with my disability payments. Also, for anyone who's self-employed or has irregular income, remember that your earnings test calculations (if claiming before FRA while still working) are based on annual earnings, not monthly - so timing within the year can matter for that aspect too. The SSA online tools mentioned by others are fantastic, but I also recommend printing out or saving screenshots of your calculations since the interface sometimes updates and you might want to reference your specific scenarios later.