How long for Social Security retirement application approval? Applied late October, still waiting

applied in sept took almost 8 weeks to get approval! dont panic yet

Thanks for sharing! Did they notify you online or through regular mail?

I filed for retirement benefits in early October and received my approval notice after 45 days. The notification came both through my MySocialSecurity online account (there was a message in my inbox) AND through postal mail about a week later. The holidays definitely slow things down, plus SSA is dealing with their usual end-of-year rush as many people choose January start dates.One thing to keep in mind is that \

That's really helpful context, thank you! I'll check his online account more regularly then. Good to know the benefits won't be delayed regardless of processing time.

I WAITED 9 WEEKS AND THEN THEY REJECTED MY APPLICATION FOR SOME STUPID REASON!!! Had to start all over again. The whole system is designed to make us wait and suffer. Don't count on anything happening when they say it will.

Oh no, that sounds awful! What reason did they give? Now I'm getting worried about my own application...

My wife applied September 15th for benefits beginning January 2025, and we just received approval notification on November 28th - so about 10 weeks total. First notification was through MySocialSecurity account, then paper letter arrived 5 days later. The online notice included her exact benefit amount and payment schedule.I've noticed SSA processing gets significantly slower in Q4 each year, likely due to all the January start dates people select. If you're approaching 30 days without word, I wouldn't worry yet - 45-60 days seems more typical these days, especially with the holidays.One tip: check that your husband has verified his identity through ID.me on his MySocialSecurity account. Sometimes notifications only appear once that verification is complete.

That's a great tip about ID.me verification - I'll double check that right away. Thank you for sharing your timeline, helps set more realistic expectations for us.

I had a terrible time trying to check on my application status. Called SSA over 35 times and could never get through! Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in about 20 minutes instead of trying for days. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puUThe agent told me applications are taking 45-60 days currently due to holiday staffing and end-of-year volume. Apparently January is the most popular month to start benefits so October/November applications pile up. After I called, my approval showed up online 3 days later - not sure if the call helped push it through or just coincidence.

Is that service legit? Seems weird to pay someone just to make a phone call?

Totally get the skepticism! I felt the same way. But after wasting hours redailing SSA myself, it was worth it to me. The agent I spoke with confirmed my application was just sitting in a queue waiting for review.

my husband and i both applied for our retirement the same day in september (his FRA and me 2 months before FRA) and weirdly his was approved in 3 weeks but mine took almost 7 weeks!!! no explanation for the difference. but we both got the notice thru the mail first not online. hang in there!!

How strange they processed them so differently! Thanks for sharing your experience - helps to hear these real-world examples.

btw make sure ur looking at the right place online. my approval was buried in the

This is a great point. SSA notifications appear in the Message Center section of MySocialSecurity accounts, not on the main dashboard. Many people miss this. Also, sometimes email notifications that a message is waiting get filtered to spam folders.

Just to add to what others have shared - if your husband worked for a state or local government that didn't participate in Social Security for part of his career (had a pension instead), those applications typically take longer to process because of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) calculations. Similarly, if he had any foreign earnings or complicated self-employment income, those can extend the timeline.Standard applications with straightforward earnings records are usually processed faster than ones requiring manual review of special situations. If it's been more than 8 weeks, it's reasonable to contact SSA for a status update.

That's helpful context. He had a pretty straightforward career with one employer who participated in SS the entire time, so hopefully that means simpler processing. We're just at about 4.5 weeks now, so I'll give it more time before getting too concerned.

My neighbor said her daughter had to call the SS office like 20 times before they even looked at her application last month. Something about them being super understaffed right now???

yes thats true!! my niece works for SSA (not in benefits dept) and says theyre extremely short staffed right now with a hiring freeze! but calling over and over doesnt help, it just clogs the system more