Can't find my Social Security benefits start date after approval - do I need to call SSA?
I finally bit the bullet and applied for my SS retirement benefits last month. I just logged into my MySocialSecurity account today and saw the status shows 'approved' (yay!), but now I'm stressing because I can't remember what start date I selected during the application process. I've looked through every section of my online account and can't find this information anywhere! Does anyone know if this date is shown somewhere in the portal that I'm missing? Or am I going to have to brave the dreaded SSA phone system to get this simple piece of information? Really don't want to spend hours on hold if I can avoid it!
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Manny Lark
Congrats on your approval! Unfortunately, the MySocialSecurity portal doesn't clearly display your selected start date in the main dashboard. You'll need to check your message center or click on 'Benefits & Payments' and then 'Payment Details' - sometimes the start date appears there after approval but before your first payment. If you don't see it there, you can also look for any correspondence in your MySocialSecurity message center as they sometimes send a digital award letter with all the details.
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Liam Duke
•Thank you! I checked both of those places and still don't see anything about the start date. I do see my estimated payment amount but nothing about when it begins. I'm worried I might have accidentally selected the wrong month and now I'll have to wait longer than I planned.
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Rita Jacobs
same thing happened to me too!! so frustrating. ended up having to call them anyway. took FOREVER to get through ugh
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Liam Duke
•Oh no, that's exactly what I was afraid of. How long did you end up waiting on hold?
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Rita Jacobs
•like 2 and a half hours the first time and then got disconnected! second try was maybe 90 mins? totally ridiculous
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Khalid Howes
I HAD THIS EXACT PROBLEM!! The online system is TERRIBLE. I spent 3 days trying to reach someone and kept getting disconnected. When I finally got through, turns out they had me starting 2 months later than I requested! Had to get it fixed and they had to process a whole new adjustment. Check ASAP because if there's an error you want to fix it before payments start.
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Liam Duke
•That's really concerning! Did they explain why there was a discrepancy between what you requested and what was in their system? Now I'm even more anxious about making sure my start date is correct.
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Khalid Howes
•They claimed I selected the later date on my application but I KNOW I didn't. The rep was nice but basically said it happens sometimes with the online system. They fixed it but I had to be super persistent!
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Ben Cooper
You should receive an award letter in the mail within about 2 weeks of approval that will contain all the details, including your start date, exact benefit amount, and first payment date. The online portal is still catching up to the full functionality of their paper process. If you're anxious to know sooner or need to verify the date is correct (which I recommend), calling is unfortunately your best option. Your benefit start date affects your payment amount if you're starting before your Full Retirement Age, so it's definitely worth confirming.
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Liam Duke
•Thanks for this information. I'm a few months past my FRA actually, so at least I don't have to worry about reductions. But I'm still anxious about when the payments will actually start since I've budgeted around a specific timeline. Sounds like calling is unavoidable.
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Naila Gordon
I had to call about a similar issue last month. After trying for days and getting nowhere with the regular SSA line, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a representative in about 20 minutes instead of hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - totally worth it for me rather than spending my whole day on hold. The agent I spoke with was able to tell me my exact start date and when to expect my first deposit.
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Cynthia Love
•does that service cost money? seems weird to pay just to talk to social security when its our benefits
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Liam Duke
•Thank you for this tip! I've never heard of this service before but I'm going to check it out. At this point I just want to confirm my start date without spending half my day on hold.
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Darren Brooks
just wait for the letter the other person mentioned, usually comes pretty quick. my husband got his in like 10 days after the approval showed up online
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Liam Duke
•That's good to know, thanks! Did the letter have all the details about payment dates and everything?
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Darren Brooks
•yep it had everything! when payments start, the amount, even stuff about medicare. really clear actually
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Manny Lark
One other option you could try before calling: If you saved a PDF copy of your application (which they recommend during the application process), your requested start date would be shown there. Many people overlook this, but if you did save it, check that file.
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Liam Duke
•That's a great suggestion! I just checked and I do have the PDF saved. You're right - the start date is clearly shown on page 2. According to my application, I selected benefits to begin next month. Now I'll just wait for the award letter to confirm that's what they processed. Thank you so much for this tip!
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Manny Lark
•Excellent! Glad you found it. Just be aware that occasionally SSA might adjust your start date by a month depending on when you applied and other factors. The award letter will be the final confirmation, but at least now you have a good reference point.
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