Social Security application processing delay - waiting since November with January start date

I filed in September and didn't hear ANYTHING for almost 8 weeks!! The website says 30 days but that's just not realistic right now. They're super backed up from what the agent told me when I finally got through. Don't panic yet!

Social Security is experiencing significant backlogs right now, especially with retirement claims. The 30-day processing guideline is just that—a guideline. In reality, 6-8 weeks is becoming more common for straightforward retirement applications. A few things to know: 1. As long as you applied prior to when you want benefits to begin (January), you should be fine even with the delay. 2. If approved, benefits will begin as requested regardless of how long processing takes. 3. First payments typically arrive the month after your benefit month (so February payment for January benefit start). I wouldn't worry too much yet, but if you're approaching 8-9 weeks with no update, it might be worth contacting them.

STILL NO WORD?? Call them NOW!! Don't wait any longer! When I applied last year they lost my application completely and I had to start over!! The website never updated to show there was a problem. I ended up having to wait 3 extra months for my first check because of their mistake. Don't assume they're processing anything!

After dealing with busy signals for THREE DAYS trying to reach Social Security, I finally used this service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person in about 20 minutes. Saved me literal hours of frustration. You might want to check out their demo video at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU if you decide to call. The agent I spoke with told me they're running about 6-8 weeks behind on processing retirement claims right now.

when i applied in october it took 7 wks to get approved, the website never updated until suddenly i got a letter in the mail saying i was approved! first check came in december exactly when they said it would. don't worry too much, they're just really slow with the paperwork part but once approved the payments are usually on time

If your application is straightforward (standard retirement benefit at or after your FRA with no complications), then waiting 6-8 weeks is unfortunately normal these days. However, certain factors can cause delays: - If you're filing for both retirement and spousal benefits - If you have government pension offset (GPO) or windfall elimination provision (WEP) considerations - If your earnings record needed corrections - If you worked outside the US Do any of these apply to your situation? That might explain a longer processing time.

My wife waited 9 weeks last year. They're always behind in winter months because so many people retire at end of year. Jan 1 is biggest retirement date

i had the same worry but mine came thru! i filed in aug and got my first payment in nov which was what i wanted. the website never updated until after i got my first deposit lol. their system is from the stone age

Just to clarify something important: even though your first payment may be delayed due to application processing, you won't lose any money. If you requested benefits to start in January and they don't approve your application until February, your first payment will include any retroactive amounts owed. Also, remember that Social Security pays benefits in the month following the month they're due for. So January benefits are paid in February, February benefits in March, etc. This trips up a lot of new beneficiaries.

Have you checked your my social security account online? sometimes they update the status there before sending anything in mail. also check your spam folder for emails they might have sent!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed my application in early November and still waiting. Reading through all these responses is actually really helpful - sounds like 6-8 weeks is pretty normal these days even though their website says 30 days. I was starting to panic that something went wrong with my application, but it seems like they're just really backed up. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, it's reassuring to know I'm not alone in this waiting game!

Welcome to the waiting club! I filed in late October and just got my approval letter this week - took about 8 weeks total. The hardest part is the complete silence from SSA during processing. My online account never updated until the day I got the letter, so don't read too much into the lack of status changes. One thing that helped my anxiety was calling the national number (1-800-772-1213) around week 6 just to confirm they had received my application and it was in the system. The wait time was brutal (about 45 minutes) but the agent was able to tell me it was "in process" which at least confirmed it wasn't lost. Hang in there - from what I've seen here and experienced myself, most straightforward retirement applications are getting processed, just taking longer than the advertised timeframe. Your January start date should still be fine!

I'm in a very similar situation - filed my retirement application in mid-November and still waiting! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been really reassuring. It sounds like 6-8 weeks is becoming the new normal despite what their website says about 30 days. I was getting worried something went wrong with my application, but it seems like they're just overwhelmed with the volume of claims right now. I'm also hoping to start benefits in January, so fingers crossed we both hear something soon. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines - it really helps to know this delay is pretty common and that most people still got their payments on time even with processing delays!

I'm dealing with the exact same situation! Filed my retirement application in late November and it's been radio silence ever since. I keep checking my MySocialSecurity account hoping for an update, but it just keeps saying "processing" with no additional information. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful though - it's reassuring to know that 6-8 weeks seems to be the new normal even though their website still claims 30 days. I was starting to panic that maybe I made an error on my application or that it got lost in the system somehow. My planned start date is also January, so I'm crossing my fingers that the processing delay won't affect the actual benefit payments. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines - it really helps to know we're not alone in this waiting game! Hopefully we'll all hear something soon.

I'm going through this exact same situation! Filed my retirement application in mid-November and still haven't heard anything back. Like many others here, I keep obsessively checking my MySocialSecurity account only to see the same "processing" status with no helpful details. It's really frustrating that their website still advertises 30 days when it's clear from everyone's experiences that 6-8 weeks is more realistic right now. I was also getting worried that maybe I made a mistake on my application or that it somehow got lost in their system, but reading through all these responses has been so reassuring. It sounds like SSA is just completely overwhelmed with applications right now, especially with so many people retiring at year-end. My benefit start date is also January, so I'm really hoping the processing delay won't push everything back. Thanks to everyone for sharing their timelines - it's such a relief to know this extended wait is normal and that most people still got their payments on time despite the delays!

I'm also in the same boat - filed my retirement application in early November and still waiting for any word from SSA! It's been almost 8 weeks now and my MySocialSecurity account still just says "processing" with no additional details. I was really starting to worry that something went wrong, but reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring. It sounds like 6-8 weeks is just the new reality despite their misleading 30-day estimate on the website. I'm also planning to start benefits in January, so I'm crossing my fingers that the processing delay won't affect my payment timeline. The worst part is the complete lack of communication - you'd think they could at least send an email acknowledging they received the application or giving a more realistic timeframe. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories - it really helps to know we're all going through this together!

I'm also going through this exact same situation! Filed my retirement application in mid-November and still haven't received any updates. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a relief - I was starting to think something went wrong with my application, but it's clear that 6-8 weeks is just the new normal despite what their website claims. Like others mentioned, my MySocialSecurity account just shows "processing" with no helpful details whatsoever. I'm also hoping to start benefits in January, so it's really reassuring to hear from people like Evan and Amy that the processing delay shouldn't affect the actual benefit start date as long as we filed before January. The waiting is definitely anxiety-inducing, especially with such poor communication from SSA, but this community discussion has been invaluable for peace of mind. Hopefully we'll all hear something soon!