Should I proceed with Social Security appointment during COVID benefit calculation changes?

Your appointment timing won't affect how your benefit is calculated. Social Security retirement benefits are based on your highest 35 years of earnings, regardless of when you apply. The COVID years will only impact your benefit if those were among your highest 35 earning years, which sounds unlikely since you mentioned working part-time during that period. If you're at FRA in June, and those pandemic years would actually lower your calculation, keeping your appointment makes perfect sense. The PIA calculation automatically uses your best years, so lower-earning years don't necessarily hurt you.

I was in a similar situation last year and finally got through to an actual SSA agent who explained everything clearly. The online calculators were giving me really different numbers than what I expected. If you're having trouble getting accurate information through the normal SSA phone line (I was on hold for HOURS), I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a Social Security agent in about 15 minutes instead of the usual 2+ hour wait. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Totally worth it to get definitive answers about your specific situation rather than stressing about appointment timing.

YOUR NEIGHBOR IS WRONG!!!! Social Security doesn't calculate benefits 'differently' because of COVID. The formula is THE SAME. They take your highest 35 years of earnings (adjusted for inflation), average them, then apply a formula to that average. If 2020-2021 were lower earning years, THEY SIMPLY WON'T BE USED in your calculation if you have 35 other higher-earning years. The SSA computers do this automatically. SO MANY PEOPLE spreading misinformation about this!!!

i filed last month and it went fine. took like 20 minutes for the whole thing. they asked basic questions about my work history but didnt ask anything specific about covid years. check ur ss statement online first so u know what to expect for payment amount

Keep the appointment! I put mine off last year because of similar concerns and all it did was delay my benefits starting. The SSA rep told me they're actually caught up on processing now, and the pandemic backlog is mostly cleared. The formula for calculating benefits hasn't changed - it's still based on your highest 35 years of earnings adjusted for inflation. One thing to consider though: if you're still working or planning to work part-time after claiming, be aware of the earnings limit if you're claiming before your full retirement age.

my sister waited 3 months to get her first payment after her appointment so dont count on getting money right away even if you keep your may appointment just sayin

You should definitely keep your appointment. Since you'll be at your Full Retirement Age in June, this is the perfect time to file. Regarding the COVID income concerns: The Social Security benefit formula uses your highest 35 years of indexed earnings, so those lower-earning pandemic years will simply not be included in your calculation if you have 35 other higher-earning years. Also, filing at your appointment in May for benefits to begin in June (your FRA month) is ideal timing. The only reason to possibly delay would be if you wanted to earn delayed retirement credits (8% per year until age 70), but that's a separate strategic decision based on your financial needs and longevity expectations.

After I used Claimyr to get through to SSA, the agent confirmed that each month you delay past FRA gives you approximately 0.67% more (which equals 8% per year). So waiting even a few months does increase your benefit, but you have to decide if the permanent increase is worth missing those months of payments. For me, I decided to start right at my FRA because I needed the income immediately.