SS retirement application stuck at '2/3 complete' since December - no communication from SSA

I had the exact same issue earlier this year. Filed in December for April start date (my FRA), and status was frozen at 2/3 for almost 10 weeks. What finally worked was visiting my local SSA office in person with an appointment. They told me my application was flagged for a manual review because I had worked outside the US for a few years. The representative was able to complete the review right there and my application was finalized within a week. Check if there's anything unusual in your work history that might be causing the delay.

Something similar happened to me, but mine was stuck at "processing" for months. I found out they were waiting for earnings verification from my last employer even though I had already submitted all that documentation! The SSA never bothered to tell me this was the holdup. If you can't get through on the phone, try using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they got me connected to an actual SSA agent within 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - definitely worth it when you're stuck in limbo like this. After I finally spoke with someone, they told me exactly what was missing and my benefits were approved within 2 weeks.

maybe u should just keep waiting thats what i did and it just showed up one day. the guvmint works slow lol

SSA is severely backlogged right now. The system shows "2/3 complete" for many applications that are actually just waiting in a queue for review. However, 3 months is excessive even with current delays. Here's what you should do: 1. Request a callback through the SSA website (sometimes works better than calling) 2. Contact your Congressional representative's office - they have liaisons specifically for SSA issues 3. Check if there's any verification requests in your mySocialSecurity Message Center 4. Send a secure message through the portal asking for status Most importantly, document every contact attempt. If your benefits are delayed, you may be eligible for back payments to your intended start date as long as you can show you've been trying to resolve the issue.

THIS IS WHY THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!! I had the EXACT same issue last year and guess what? My benefits were delayed by TWO MONTHS because some paper pusher at SSA "forgot" to check a box on their system!!! No one called me, no one emailed me, no one sent me a letter. My application just sat there while I was burning through my savings!!! The SSA is DELIBERATELY making it hard to get through on the phone so they can delay paying benefits as long as possible!!

Have you checked if there's a problem with your earnings record? My hubby's application got stuck because there was a year where his employer reported his earnings under a slightly different name (they added his middle initial). It's worth looking at your earnings statement on mySocialSecurity to make sure everything looks correct.

Former SSA employee here. The "2/3 complete" status often means your application is in the queue for manual review. This happens when: 1. There's foreign work involved (as someone mentioned) 2. There's a name/SSN discrepancy anywhere in your record 3. You have government pension offset (WEP/GPO) considerations 4. There are earnings after your application date that need verification 5. Your benefit calculation is complex due to prior claims or family maximum issues Your best bet is getting an actual SSA representative on the phone who can see the specific notes on your claim. The representatives can see exactly what's causing the delay and what (if anything) you need to provide. Don't wait until May - get this resolved now, as benefit processing can take additional time once your application is approved.

my cousin works for ssa he says they are super behind right now bc of budget cuts

Just checking back - were you able to get through to anyone? My neighbor just went through something similar and she had to provide her military discharge papers from 40 years ago! They never even told her that was what they were waiting for until she finally got someone on the phone.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - filed in February for July start date and my application has been sitting at "1/3 complete" for over a month. Reading through all these responses is both reassuring and terrifying! It sounds like getting stuck in the system is unfortunately common, but at least there are ways to get unstuck. I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service that several people mentioned, and also check if there's anything unusual in my work history that might trigger a manual review. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's so helpful to know we're not alone in dealing with these delays and that there are actual solutions!

I'm going through something very similar right now! Filed my retirement application in late January for a June start date, and it's been stuck at "2/3 complete" for about 6 weeks now. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea so many things could trigger manual reviews. I worked overseas for a few years in my 20s (military deployment) and also had some contract work where I paid self-employment taxes, so either of those could be causing the delay. Thank you especially to Isaac for explaining what the different statuses actually mean - that insider knowledge is invaluable! I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service that Ruby recommended, and also reach out to my congressman's office as Benjamin suggested. It's frustrating that the system is so opaque, but at least now I have a roadmap for getting answers instead of just waiting and hoping.

I'm new to this community but dealing with a very similar situation! Filed my retirement application in early February for an August start date, and it's been stuck at "2/3 complete" for almost 6 weeks now. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both comforting (knowing I'm not alone) and informative about what might be causing the delay. I worked for a few different government contractors over the years and also lived in Germany for 18 months in the early 90s, so either of those could be triggering a manual review. The lack of communication from SSA is the most frustrating part - you'd think they could at least send an automated message saying "your application requires additional review" instead of leaving us completely in the dark! I'm definitely going to try the Claimyr service that several people have recommended, and also check my earnings record more carefully to see if there are any discrepancies. Thanks to everyone, especially Isaac, for sharing such detailed insights about what goes on behind the scenes. It's incredibly helpful to have this kind of real-world guidance when the official SSA website tells you basically nothing!