Made the switch from SS survivor benefits to my own retirement at 70 - unexpectedly smooth process!
I've been on survivor benefits since my husband passed 8 years ago, and I'm finally making the transition to my own retirement benefits next month when I hit 70. Was honestly dreading the process after reading nightmares online! I wanted to apply online but couldn't figure out where to do it (the MySocialSecurity site is so confusing with all those menus). So I called the national number yesterday expecting to wait forever. Surprisingly, they actually called me back within their promised timeframe - I only waited about 45 minutes! The agent knew exactly what to do for switching from survivor to retirement benefits. She confirmed my estimated payment would be around $3,950 monthly (about what I expected from previous benefit estimates). The whole call only took 20 minutes. She even explained how the transition would work with no gap in payments. I know so many people have awful experiences with SSA, but I've always had good interactions with my local office. Anyone else had surprisingly positive experiences? Makes me wonder if certain offices are just better staffed or trained than others.
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Aiden Rodríguez
You got incredibly lucky! I transitioned from survivor to retirement benefits last year and it was a complete disaster. Three different agents gave me three different answers about when to apply. Then they lost my application twice. Then they underpaid me for 3 months after the switch. Had to make EIGHT calls to fix everything. Your local office must be one of the good ones!
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Maya Patel
•Oh wow, that sounds terrible! Maybe I should knock on wood and not celebrate too early? They did give me a confirmation number for my application and told me to expect an approval letter in about 2 weeks. I'm in a smaller town (population about 25,000) - maybe that makes a difference?
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Emma Garcia
I switched from SS disability to retirement last year and it was automatic, didnt even have to call anyone. just got a letter saying the change happened. but thats different from survivors i guess
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Ava Kim
•That's because SSDI to retirement is completely automatic when you reach FRA. The system is designed to do that without any action. But switching from survivors to your own retirement always requires a new application because it's a choice - sometimes people earn more on survivors than their own record, especially if they claim before FRA.
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Ethan Anderson
You're smart for waiting until 70 to switch! I delayed my retirement benefit until 70 while collecting on my late husband's record too. By waiting, my own benefit grew by 32% from the delayed retirement credits compared to taking it at my full retirement age (which was 66+4 months for me). The math worked out great. Since you already know what your payment will be, did the agent confirm when you'll receive your first payment on your own record? For me, I got my last survivor payment at the end of my birthday month, then the first payment on my own record came the following month. There was no gap, just a smooth transition.
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Maya Patel
•Yes! She said I'll get my December survivor payment at the beginning of January as usual, then my first payment on my own record will come in late January (my birthday is December 18th). So no gap at all which was a big relief. It did take me a while to understand that waiting until 70 was the best option - wish I'd found this group years ago!
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Layla Mendes
I'm really happy you had a good experience, but honestly this is NOT the norm with SSA right now. Their staffing levels are at historic lows and wait times for most offices are measured in months, not minutes. It's gotten so much worse since COVID. For anyone reading this who isn't having the same luck getting through: I recommend using Claimyr.com - they get you through to a live Social Security agent fast without the typical 2+ hour hold times. You can see a demo of how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU I used it when I needed to discuss my spousal benefits and was blown away at how quickly I got through. Worth every penny to avoid the frustration of constant busy signals and disconnects.
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Lucas Notre-Dame
•is that service legit?? seems sketchy to use a third party to contact a govt agency
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Layla Mendes
It's completely legitimate. They don't access your personal information or interact with SSA on your behalf - they just connect you directly to SSA's phone system but bypass the hold times. Once you're connected, you're talking directly to official SSA representatives, not anyone from the service.
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Maya Patel
•That's really good to know for future reference. I've been lucky with my local office, but I had a friend who kept trying to get through for WEEKS about her Medicare enrollment. Wish I'd known about this option to tell her!
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Aria Park
NOBODY AT SSA KNOWS WHAT THEIR DOING!!! I went in person THREE TIMES about widow benefits and got THREE DIFFERENT ANSWERS!!! Then they calculated my benefit wrong and I've been fighting for 7 months to get it fixed!!! The whole system is BROKEN and they just hide behind "we're understaffed" excuses. Your probably going to find out they messed something up in a few months, just wait!!!
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Ethan Anderson
•I understand your frustration - incorrect information happens too often. However, there are good employees at SSA who genuinely know the rules. The complexity of Social Security (particularly survivor benefits with their own earnings record) means even experienced agents sometimes misinterpret policy. I recommend getting everything in writing and requesting to speak with a Technical Expert specifically if you're getting conflicting information.
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Ava Kim
It's excellent you verified the benefit amount matched your expectations. That's actually very important! What happens in these transitions is that sometimes the Monthly Benefit Amount (MBA) calculation can get messed up if they don't properly account for all your earnings years or if they miss applying all your Delayed Retirement Credits (DRCs). A couple things to keep in mind: 1. Your first payment on your own record should arrive on the 3rd of the month or on the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Wednesday (depending on your birth date) in the month AFTER you turn 70. 2. Double-check your first payment to ensure it includes all DRCs (the 8% per year increase for each year you delayed past your FRA). 3. Keep a copy of any benefit estimates you've received previously so you can compare with the actual payment. I've seen cases where people had to fight to get their correct amount because some credits weren't properly applied during the transition.
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Maya Patel
•Thank you for this detailed advice! I have saved all my annual benefit statements for the past 8 years, so I have documentation of what my retirement benefit should be. The agent did confirm my payment will come on the 3rd Wednesday of each month since my birthday is on the 18th. I'll definitely double-check that first payment carefully!
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Emma Garcia
my aunt tried to do this switch last year and they messed everthing up and she didnt get ANY money for 2 months!!!!! had to borrow from family to pay rent. be careful and make sure u follow up!!!!!
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Lucas Notre-Dame
congratulations! glad it went smooth for you. my mom did this same thing last year (survivor to own benefits at 70) and she had no problems either. i think people mostly post when things go wrong not when they go right lol
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Maya Patel
•That's so true! We tend to hear all the horror stories but not the successes. It's reassuring to hear your mom had a smooth experience too!
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