Social Security application stuck in Step 2 for 6 weeks while wife approved in 3 weeks - what's going on?

This sounds like your application might have been flagged for a manual review. If you have any past government employment, foreign work history, or earnings that approach the maximum taxable amount, that can sometimes trigger additional verification steps. Since your wife's got approved quickly, it suggests something specific about your work history or earnings is causing the delay.

mine took 9 weeks!!!! and i had 40+ years of work. the ssa is sooooo backlogged right now its not even funny. i kept calling and never got thru either. finally just had to wait it out. dont worry, they'll get to u eventually

I went through something similar last year. My husband's application went through in 3 weeks while mine took almost 12 weeks! And I was the one with the simpler work history! The system is SO frustrating and inconsistent. Have you tried sending a message through your MySocialSecurity account? Sometimes they actually respond to those.

The difference in processing times could be related to several factors. Your state government employment might trigger a WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) review. This happens when you've earned a pension from work not covered by Social Security. Also, if you've ever used a different SSN, had a name change, or if there are any earnings discrepancies in your record, these can all cause delays. Your wife's application might have been straightforward with no special circumstances, hence the quick approval.

This is SO typical of the SSA!! They're completely overwhelmed and understaffed! The same thing happened to my sister-in-law last month. Did you have any self-employment income? That always seems to slow things down too.

I had a similar experience last year when trying to reach SSA about my application. After spending days trying to get through on the phone with those ridiculous hold times, I found a service called Claimyr that actually worked for me. They reserve your place in line and call you when an SSA agent is on the line. Saved me literally hours of waiting. Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Given that you need to find out what's happening with your application, it might be worth trying instead of waiting indefinitely.

If your application involves the WEP due to your state employment, processing can take longer because they need to verify your pension information with the state retirement system. To expedite this, you could gather documentation about your state pension and have it ready. Also, try calling the SSA right when they open (often 9 AM local time) as hold times are typically shorter then. If you reach a representative, specifically ask if your application is being reviewed for WEP or if there's another issue requiring manual review.

The government pension offset thing is a NIGHTMARE!!! My husband had the same issue with his teacher's pension and it took FOREVER to process his application. We ended up having to send in additional documentation THREE times because they kept saying they never received it. Make sure you keep copies of EVERYTHING you send them!

One more thing to consider: check if your application might be affected by the Annual Earnings Test if you're still working. If you're applying before FRA and have earnings above the limit ($21,240 for 2025), there will be additional verification steps. Since you mentioned reaching FRA in January, this could be a factor if you applied for benefits to start before your FRA.

Congrats on retirement! Sorry about the delay tho. Sometimes these things just take time. My dad always said dealing with SS is like watching paint dry. You'll get there eventually!