Confused about Social Security retirement application process - FRA backpay questions
My husband reaches his Full Retirement Age (FRA) on February 1st and we're totally confused about the application process! Can he just apply online at ssa.gov or does he NEED a phone appointment? If he does the online application, will the website let him schedule a phone appointment too, or do we have to call and wait forever on hold? Also really worried about timing - if he applies now but they don't schedule his phone appointment until March (and first payment comes in April/May), will they backdate his payments to his February 1st FRA date? I've heard conflicting things about backpay - some people say they can backpay up to 6 months? Does that apply in our situation? We've never done this before and don't want to mess up his benefits. Any advice from those who've gone through this recently would be so helpful!
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Ellie Lopez
Yes, he can apply online at SSA.gov without needing a phone appointment. The online application is fairly straightforward for retirement benefits. However, if he wants to speak with someone about his specific situation, he can request a callback appointment during the online application process. Regarding backpay - yes, Social Security will pay him from his entitlement date (February 1st) regardless of when the application is processed. The 6-month retroactive benefit rule only applies if you're applying AFTER your FRA date. Since he's applying right at FRA, he'll get benefits from February onward, but not before that. My advice: Do the online application now, don't wait. The sooner it's in their system, the better. Make sure all his earnings records are correct before submitting.
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Lauren Wood
•Thank you so much! That makes me feel better. So even if they take until April to process everything, he'll still get paid for Feb and March? And the online system will let him request a phone appointment if he has questions? That's perfect!
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Chad Winthrope
Did the online thing last year when I turned FRA. Was super easy but then they STILL called me anyway like 2 weeks later about some question with my birth certificate!!! So annoying. But yeah you get backdated to eligibility date no matter what.
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Paige Cantoni
•Same! They called me about my marriage certificate even though I uploaded it. SSA systems seem really disconnected sometimes
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Kylo Ren
SSA.gov is the WORST website I've ever used!!! I tried the online application 3 times and it kept crashing. When I finally got through to someone after waiting 3.5 HOURS on hold, they told me there was a "note" on my account that I needed to verify in person!!! NOBODY EVER TOLD ME THAT!!! Total waste of time! They're completely disorganized. My advice is to skip the website and just CALL THEM DIRECTLY. Yes, you'll wait forever, but at least you know someone is actually handling your case properly.
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Nina Fitzgerald
•I understand your frustration, but this isn't typical. Most straightforward retirement applications process smoothly online. The website works reliably for about 90% of applicants. Issues usually happen when there are special circumstances like name discrepancies, non-citizen status, or pension offsets that require additional verification.
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Jason Brewer
When I hit my FRA in October, I was in the same boat - totally confused about the process. I tried calling SSA directly and spent DAYS getting busy signals or being disconnected. Super frustrating. I ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA representative in under 10 minutes. They have this system that navigates the SSA phone tree and holds your place in line. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The representative I spoke to said I could have just done it all online, but she helped me with some specific questions I had about my pension offset. They backdated my benefits to my FRA date even though the application wasn't processed until November. Hope this helps!
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Lauren Wood
•That sounds really helpful! I've been worried about getting stuck in phone limbo. Does the service guarantee you get through?
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Jason Brewer
•Yep, they guaranteed I'd connect with an agent. It was such a relief after trying for days on my own. Totally worth it for the time saved and stress reduction.
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Chad Winthrope
wait whats FRA again? is that different from full SS age? my brother got early SS at 62 but got less money
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Nina Fitzgerald
•FRA stands for Full Retirement Age - it's when you're eligible for 100% of your Social Security retirement benefit. It's 66-67 depending on birth year. Taking benefits earlier (like at 62) means permanently reduced benefits, about 30% less than waiting until FRA. Your brother probably took early retirement, which is why his benefit amount is lower.
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Paige Cantoni
Just want to mention, when my wife applied online, they had this section where you could submit questions and request a callback! Much easier than calling. And yes, they did backdate to her eligibility date no problem.
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Kiara Fisherman
My sister-in-law just went through this whole ordeal. Applied at FRA online in September, got her appointment in November, and didn't see her first payment until December, but guess what? They included backpay for October and November! So don't worry about when the money starts flowing - they'll catch you up. I remember when my husband filed for his disability we waited like 6 months for approval. That's a whole different headache though. Retirement claims move faster. Also make sure you check if he should file for spousal benefits on YOUR record if your benefit amount is higher than his! A lot of people miss that opportunity.
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Lauren Wood
•That's reassuring! My benefit will actually be lower than his, so I don't think spousal benefits would help in our case.
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Ellie Lopez
One more important thing: if your husband is still working, make sure you understand how the earnings test works. At FRA, there's no longer an earnings limit, so he can earn as much as he wants without affecting his benefits. Also, if he hasn't already, he should create a my Social Security account on ssa.gov. That way he can check his earnings record before applying and monitor his application status afterward. It's much easier than calling for updates.
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Lauren Wood
•He does have an account and thankfully retired last year, so no earnings issues to worry about. I'll make sure he logs in to verify his earnings record is correct before applying. Thanks for the reminder!
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Nina Fitzgerald
To summarize what others have said: 1. Yes, he can apply entirely online at ssa.gov for straightforward retirement benefits 2. The system will let him request a callback if he has questions during the application 3. Payments will be backdated to his eligibility date (February 1) regardless of when the application is processed 4. The 6-month retroactive payment rule only applies if you're applying AFTER FRA, not at FRA 5. Online applications typically process within 4-6 weeks I recommend applying online at least 3 months before his FRA date (so right now) to ensure timely processing. While technically you can apply up to 4 months before eligibility, applying now gives plenty of time for SSA to process everything.
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Lauren Wood
•Thank you for laying it all out so clearly! We'll start the online application this weekend.
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