How long after repaying Social Security benefits does withdrawal request get approved for survivor benefits?

ugh, the SSA is SO slow with these things! i went thru something kinda similar last year when i withdrew my early retirement to switch to disability. took almost 5 months after i paid everything back to get the final approval letter. then another 2 months for my SSDI to actually start! no explanation for the delays either

There should be two separate processes happening: (1) The processing of your Form SSA-521 withdrawal request, and (2) The processing of your survivor benefit application. The withdrawal should be finalized once they've verified your repayment, which typically takes 30-60 days at most. You should definitely receive a formal approval letter for the withdrawal. Seven months is excessive and suggests something might be stuck in the system. Have you been able to speak with a claims specialist specifically about the withdrawal status? Regular representatives often don't have visibility into where things are stuck.

My mom had to withdraw her retirement benefits last year to get survivor benefits after my dad died. She got an official letter about 8 weeks after she repaid everything saying her withdrawal was approved. Then her survivor benefits started the next month. Something's definitely wrong with your timeline... 7 months isn't normal even for the SSA.

After my husband passed away 3 years ago, I had a similar situation with switching from my own retirement to survivor benefits. One thing I learned was that after the SSA withdrawal request is approved, the survivor benefits don't automatically start! My withdrawal was approved after about 2 months, but then I had to practically beg them to finalize the survivor benefits. Took another 3 months of calling constantly. The ONLY way I finally got through to a claims specialist who could ACTUALLY help was by using a service called Claimyr. My niece told me about it - you go to claimyr.com and they get you through to a real SSA agent quickly instead of waiting on hold forever. Here's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Best $20 I ever spent! The agent I reached saw that my claim was just sitting there and expedited it. Got my first survivor payment two weeks later with all the backpay.

Social Security withdrawal requests (Form SSA-521) must be processed by specific technicians who handle post-entitlement actions. These requests should be finalized within 90 days of receipt of repayment, and you should receive a formal withdrawal approval letter. The critical issue here is that your survivor claim has likely been assigned a different technician than your withdrawal request, and there's a lack of coordination. Once your withdrawal is processed, the survivor claim should be released for processing, but this requires internal communication that sometimes doesn't happen automatically. Specific actions to take: 1. Request to speak with a Post-Entitlement Technical Expert (not just a claims specialist) 2. Ask for a "status query" on your withdrawal specifically 3. Request that a "critical case flag" be added to your record due to financial hardship 4. If approved, your survivor benefits should be paid retroactively to the month of application or your husband's death (whichever came later) Keep detailed records of every conversation, including the date, time, and representative ID number.

not to be that person but have u checked ur myssa account online??? sometimes the letters show up there b4 they come in the mail. my cousin had something similar and the approval letter was sitting in her online account for like 3 weeks lol

THIS IS WHY THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!! 7 MONTHS and they've already GOT YOUR MONEY back?? What possible excuse could they have?? I waited 4 months for my disability hearing and thought THAT was bad. The right hand never knows what the left is doing at SSA. My neighbor works for SSA and even SHE admits the system is a disaster with all these different departments not talking to each other. You need to go to your CONGRESSMAN. That's the ONLY way to get action sometimes. Call your Representative's office and ask for constituent services - they can do a congressional inquiry that SSA HAS to respond to within 30 days!

have you tried going to the local office in person? Sometimes that's the only way to get things moving. My aunt had a similar issue and she went to the office with all her paperwork and refused to leave until someone looked into it. Suddenly they found her file and got things moving.

did u get any confirmation when u paid back the money? like a receipt or anything? just wondering if maybe they lost track of your repayment somehow

I went through almost the exact same situation when my wife passed away in 2023. Filed my withdrawal request in March, paid back everything within 3 weeks, and didn't get final approval until October - 7 months! What finally worked for me was going to my local SSA office with ALL my paperwork and asking to file a formal complaint about the delay. The supervisor there made some calls and discovered my withdrawal file had been sitting in someone's queue who was out on extended leave. They reassigned it and I got my approval letter 2 weeks later, then survivor benefits started the following month with full backpay. Don't give up - your timeline isn't normal even for SSA standards. Push for that supervisor meeting!

I'm so sorry you're going through this nightmare with SSA! Seven months is absolutely unacceptable, especially when you've already paid back everything they requested. I work in benefits advocacy and see this kind of bureaucratic limbo far too often. Here's what I'd recommend as immediate next steps: First, document EVERYTHING - every call, every rep you speak with, dates, times, what was said. Second, escalate beyond regular customer service by specifically requesting a "Post-Entitlement Technical Expert" as someone mentioned earlier. Third, if your local office visit doesn't produce results, file a formal complaint through SSA's Office of Inspector General (oig.ssa.gov). Most importantly, don't let them brush you off with "it's still processing" - demand specifics about WHY it's taking so long and what exactly needs to happen for approval. After 7 months with repayment confirmed, there's no legitimate reason for this delay. You deserve those survivor benefits and the backpay that comes with them. Keep fighting!

Maya, I'm so sorry you're dealing with this frustrating situation! Seven months is completely unreasonable, and you're absolutely right to feel desperate about it. I went through a similar withdrawal process in 2022 when I needed to switch from my own retirement to survivor benefits after my husband passed. What really helped me was creating a paper trail by sending a certified letter to SSA summarizing my situation, including dates of all my phone calls, and specifically requesting an update on my Form SSA-521 status within 15 business days. I sent copies to both my local office and the national processing center. Something about having it in writing seemed to get their attention - I got a call back within a week and my approval letter came shortly after. Also, when you do get through to someone, ask them to put notes in your file about the conversation and read those notes back to you. This creates accountability and helps the next person who pulls up your case. The squeaky wheel definitely gets the grease with SSA, so don't feel bad about being persistent. You've done everything right and deserve to have this resolved immediately!

Maya, your situation is infuriating but unfortunately not uncommon with SSA's withdrawal process. Seven months after repayment is absolutely excessive - the standard timeframe should be 30-90 days max. I'd strongly recommend taking a multi-pronged approach: 1) Visit your local office in person with ALL documentation and demand to speak with a supervisor about filing a formal delay complaint, 2) Contact your Congressional representative's constituent services office - they can initiate a congressional inquiry that SSA must respond to within 30 days, and 3) File a complaint with SSA's Office of Inspector General online. Don't accept "it's still processing" as an answer anymore. Your withdrawal should have been completed months ago, and your survivor benefits should be flowing with full backpay. The system failed you, but there are escalation paths that can force action. Document every interaction going forward and keep pushing - you deserve those benefits!

Maya, I'm so sorry you're going through this bureaucratic nightmare! Seven months is absolutely unacceptable, especially when you've already paid back every penny they requested. I went through a similar situation in 2021 when my father passed away and I needed to switch from my own retirement to survivor benefits. What finally broke the logjam for me was getting my state senator's office involved. They have a dedicated caseworker for federal agency issues, and within 48 hours of them making a call to SSA, I had a claims specialist calling me back with a detailed status update. Turns out my file had been sitting in a queue waiting for a supervisor's signature for THREE MONTHS - no one had even looked at it! The key is being very specific when you contact your representative's office. Tell them you need a "congressional case work inquiry" for an SSA Form SSA-521 withdrawal that's been pending for 7 months despite full repayment. Give them your SSN, claim numbers, and all the dates. They can often get answers in days that would take you months to get on your own. Also, when you do finally get your approval, make sure to ask for the retroactive survivor benefits to be expedited. Mine took another month to process even after the withdrawal was approved, which was another unnecessary delay. Don't let them drag their feet on that part too!

Maya, I'm so sorry you're dealing with this incredibly frustrating situation! As someone who works in elder advocacy, I see these SSA delays far too often, but 7 months after full repayment is truly excessive and unacceptable. Based on what others have shared, it sounds like your case has likely fallen into a bureaucratic black hole - possibly sitting in someone's queue who's on leave, or stuck waiting for a supervisor signature that never came. The good news is that several people here have given you excellent escalation strategies that really work. My recommendation is to take a three-pronged approach this week: 1) Visit your local SSA office in person with ALL your documentation and refuse to leave without speaking to a supervisor about the delay, 2) Send a certified letter to both your local office and the national processing center documenting the timeline and demanding resolution within 15 days, and 3) Contact your Congressional representative's constituent services office to request a congressional inquiry. Don't accept any more "it's still processing" responses - demand specific answers about WHY it's taking 7 months and WHAT needs to happen for immediate approval. You've been far too patient already. When this is finally resolved, make sure you get full retroactive survivor benefits back to your original application date. You deserve every penny of backpay for this unnecessary delay! Keep us updated on your progress - we're all rooting for you!

Maya, I went through this exact same nightmare in 2020 when my spouse passed away! Filed my withdrawal request in April, paid back everything by May, and didn't get approval until December - 8 months total. What I learned is that withdrawal requests get bounced between different departments and sometimes just sit in digital purgatory. The breakthrough for me came when I physically went to my local SSA office and asked them to do a "case status inquiry" right there while I waited. Turns out my file had been flagged for "quality review" and was sitting in some supervisor's electronic inbox for months. The front desk rep was able to see this and immediately escalated it to get unstuck. Also, make sure when you go in person that you ask them to put a "critical case" flag on your account due to financial hardship. This can help prioritize your case through the system. And definitely get the name and direct number of whoever helps you - having a contact person makes all the difference for follow-ups. Your survivor benefits should be backdated to either your husband's death or when you applied, whichever is later, so you'll get a nice chunk of backpay when this finally gets resolved. Hang in there - 7 months is ridiculous but unfortunately not unheard of with SSA's broken system!

Maya, I'm so sorry you're going through this! Seven months is absolutely unacceptable - I work as a benefits counselor and this is one of the worst delays I've heard of for a withdrawal request with confirmed repayment. Here's what likely happened: your Form SSA-521 got stuck in what we call a "technical review loop" where it bounces between different units. Sometimes files literally get lost in electronic queues or assigned to technicians who are out on leave with no backup coverage. My advice: Go to your local office ASAP and ask for an "urgent case review" with a Post-Entitlement Technical Expert. Bring copies of everything - your Form SSA-521, repayment receipt, husband's death certificate, and your survivor benefit application. Don't leave without getting a supervisor involved and a specific timeline for resolution. Also request they add a "critical hardship" flag to expedite processing. After 7 months, this qualifies as an unreasonable delay that's causing financial harm. Your survivor benefits should be retroactive to your application date, so you'll get substantial backpay once this nightmare finally ends. Stay strong and don't let them brush you off anymore - you've been patient long enough!

Maya, I'm so sorry you're experiencing this nightmare! As someone who recently went through the SSA system after my mom passed away, I can tell you that 7 months is absolutely outrageous for a withdrawal approval, especially when you've already repaid everything. Reading through all these responses, it's clear you've gotten some excellent advice. The consensus seems to be that your file is stuck somewhere in the bureaucratic maze - possibly assigned to someone who's out on leave or sitting in a supervisor's queue waiting for a signature that never comes. I'd definitely recommend the multi-pronged approach several people mentioned: hit your local office hard with an in-person visit demanding a supervisor and "urgent case review," send that certified letter creating a paper trail, and get your Congressional representative involved with a formal inquiry. The fact that congressional offices can force a 30-day response is huge leverage. One thing I'd add - when you do get through to someone who can actually help, ask them to flag your case as "expedited processing" due to the unreasonable delay. After 7 months, you absolutely qualify for expedited handling. Don't let them wear you down with more "it's processing" nonsense. You've been way too patient already. Your survivor benefits should have started months ago, and you deserve every penny of that backpay when this finally gets resolved. Keep fighting - we're all rooting for you!