SS retirement application stuck at '2/3 complete' since December - no communication from SSA
I filed for my Social Security retirement benefits back in January for a May 1st start date (my FRA). The application status on mySocialSecurity has been stuck at "2/3 complete" since mid-February. It's now been nearly 3 months with zero progress! I haven't received a single letter, email, or phone call from SSA. I've tried calling the 800 number at least 6 times but either get disconnected or can't stay on hold for 3+ hours due to work commitments. Has anyone else experienced this kind of delay? Is there something I'm missing? Should I be worried that something's wrong with my application? My retirement plans are counting on that first payment coming through on schedule in May.
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Isaiah Thompson
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.
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Jessica Nguyen
•Thanks for this! I actually did work in Canada for about 4 years in the early 2000s. That might be what's happening. How did you schedule the in-person appointment? When I try calling, I can never get through to anyone.
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Ruby Garcia
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.
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Jessica Nguyen
•I've never heard of this service before. Does it really work? I'm getting desperate since my retirement date is coming up fast.
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Ruby Garcia
•Yes, it absolutely worked for me. The regular SSA phone system is completely broken - I tried for THREE WEEKS to get through before using Claimyr. They connected me to an agent who could actually see my file and tell me what was happening. Turns out they needed one more document I had no idea about. Once I knew what the problem was, it was easy to fix.
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Alexander Evans
maybe u should just keep waiting thats what i did and it just showed up one day. the guvmint works slow lol
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Evelyn Martinez
•That's terrible advice. If their application is stuck, they need to be proactive. I waited "patiently" and ended up having my benefits delayed by 3 months because of a simple verification issue that could have been fixed in 5 minutes if someone had told me!
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Benjamin Carter
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.
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Jessica Nguyen
•I didn't know about the Congressional representative option - that's helpful! I just checked my Message Center and there's nothing there, not even a confirmation that they received my application (though the website shows they did). I'll try sending a secure message right now.
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Maya Lewis
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!!
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Isaac Wright
•While I understand your frustration, there's no evidence that SSA deliberately delays benefits. They're understaffed and working with outdated systems. I worked for SSA for 32 years before retiring, and I can assure you that no one there is trying to withhold legitimate benefits. The agency is simply overwhelmed with applications, especially as more Baby Boomers reach retirement age.
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Evelyn Martinez
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.
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Isaac Wright
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.
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Jessica Nguyen
•This is incredibly helpful! I do have some government employment in my history (worked for the state for 4 years), but I didn't think that would be an issue since it was covered employment with SS taxes withheld. Could that be triggering a review?
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Isaac Wright
•Yes, any government employment typically triggers a manual review to verify whether it was covered or non-covered employment. Even though you had SS taxes withheld, they still need to confirm this in their system. The reviewer will need to check that your state pension (if any) doesn't trigger WEP/GPO reductions to your Social Security benefits. This is a routine verification, but with current staffing shortages, these reviews are taking much longer than they should.
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Alexander Evans
my cousin works for ssa he says they are super behind right now bc of budget cuts
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Ruby Garcia
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.
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Jessica Nguyen
•I finally got through using that Claimyr service you mentioned! You were right - it worked perfectly. Turns out they were waiting for verification of my Canadian earnings, but the letter requesting it went to my old address (even though I updated my address when I applied). The agent resent the request and told me exactly what documents to submit. Such a relief to know what's happening instead of being in the dark!
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