Social Security application stuck in Step 2 for months - retirement plans on hold

Same thing happened with my husband last year!! His app got stuck in step 2 for like 2 months. So annoying! We finally had to go to the local office and make a scene. The lady said the system flagged something in his employment history that needed verification but nobody ever contacted us about it 🙄 typical government efficiency lol

This is a common issue right now due to the backlog from the system update they implemented in October 2024. Applications from that period are experiencing longer processing times than normal. Here's what you should do: 1. Continue checking your MySocialSecurity account daily for updates 2. Send a secure message through the portal specifically asking for status update (this creates a task for an agent) 3. Request an in-person appointment specifically for "retirement application status review" 4. Try calling right when they open at 8:00am Eastern time - the hold times are usually shorter Don't panic about your February 1st deadline. Once approved, your benefits will be paid retroactively to your entitlement date. So even if the approval comes after your retirement date, you'll still receive all payments you're due.

YOU NEED TO KEEP CALLING!!!! The website is useless and they NEVER update it!! I was stuck for THREE MONTHS and nobody did ANYTHING until I managed to get through to them!!! The callback option is a JOKE - they NEVER call back when they say they will!!! The whole system is broken and they DON'T CARE about making seniors wait for their money!!!

I discovered a service called Claimyr that actually helped me get through to SSA after weeks of trying. You go to claimyr.com and they basically wait on hold for you and call when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. I was skeptical but it actually worked when I needed to sort out an issue with my deceased spouse's survivor benefits. Way better than the callback option which never seems to happen.

I've worked as a claims specialist for years (though not with SSA directly), and I can tell you this prolonged Step 2 indicates one of several issues: 1. Earnings record discrepancy requiring manual verification 2. Identity verification flags in the system 3. A non-covered pension that needs to be calculated (WEP/GPO considerations) 4. System processing delays from the October modernization project The most important thing - your application IS being processed. It's not lost or forgotten. The MySocialSecurity portal updates are notoriously slow even when work is happening behind the scenes. Regarding your retirement plans, you can proceed with your retirement date. Once approved (which WILL happen), your benefits will be paid from your entitlement month regardless of when the approval occurs. If you elected benefits to begin in March 2025, that's when they'll start even if approval happens later. For expediting, try faxing a letter to your local office referencing your pending application and explaining the employer deadline situation. Include your SSN, application date, and contact information. Faxes often get faster attention than calls.

my mom had this happen and turns out they sent her a letter requesting more info but it got lost in the mail!! check if maybe they sent you something that you didnt get??

lol welcome to dealing with social security. get used to it. this is just how they operate... slow as molasses. my wife and i both dealt with this. hers took 3 months in step 2 and mine took almost 4!! no explanation ever given. good luck with your retirement thats all i can say!!

To answer your question about retroactive benefits - they'll be paid from your chosen start date (March 2025), not from when you applied. However, if you're already 67 (past Full Retirement Age), you could potentially request up to 6 months of retroactive benefits if that would be advantageous for your situation. That's something to discuss with the SSA representative when you reach one. Regarding the secure messaging, be very specific in your message. Include your application date, confirmation number if you have it, and mention your employer's February 1st deadline as a hardship reason for needing expedited processing. This creates a "critical case" flag in their system.

anyone else notice how the ssa website is sooooo slow lately?? like it literally times out half the time i try to log in. government technology at its finest lol

UPDATE: Success! I finally got through this morning (took 3 attempts) and spoke with a very helpful agent. Turns out there was an earnings discrepancy from 2022 they needed to verify, but the letter requesting information was sent to my old address despite me updating it online. The agent processed the verification while I was on the phone and moved my application to step 3! She said I should receive my award letter within 7-10 days and my first payment will arrive as scheduled in March. Such a relief to finally know what's happening. For anyone else stuck in this situation, keep trying to call right when they open at 8am. That's when I finally got through with only a 15-minute wait.

Congratulations on getting through and resolving your issue! Your experience really highlights the importance of persistence with SSA. The fact that they sent the verification letter to your old address despite updating it online is unfortunately a common problem that affects many people. It's great that you shared your successful strategy of calling right at 8am - that timing tip could really help others who are struggling with similar delays. Thanks for taking the time to update the thread with your resolution!

Wow, what a relief that you finally got through and resolved this! Your experience is a perfect example of why so many people get frustrated with the SSA system - a simple address sync issue caused months of delays that could have been avoided. The fact that you had to make multiple attempts just to speak with someone about your own application is pretty ridiculous, but I'm glad persistence paid off. Your tip about calling right at 8am is gold - I'm going to remember that if I ever need to contact them. Thanks for sharing the resolution and giving hope to others who might be dealing with similar situations!

This is such a valuable thread for anyone dealing with SSA delays! Your persistence really paid off, and I'm so glad you got it resolved before your retirement deadline. The address issue is unfortunately more common than people realize - I've seen this happen with several family members where the online portal update doesn't sync properly with their mailing systems. Your strategy of calling right at 8am is spot-on advice. I've found that early morning calls generally have much shorter wait times across most government agencies. Thanks for taking the time to update everyone with your resolution - it gives hope to others who might be stuck in similar situations!

This entire thread is such a perfect example of why dealing with SSA can be so stressful! I'm going through my own application process right now (applied in December) and I'm still in step 1, so seeing everyone's experiences here is both reassuring and nerve-wracking. The fact that @Liam Fitzgerald got it resolved by calling at 8am gives me hope - I've been trying to call during lunch breaks with no luck. The address issue is really eye-opening too... I updated mine online when I moved last year but never thought to verify it was actually synced everywhere in their system. Definitely going to double-check that! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and tips - this kind of real-world advice is so much more helpful than the vague info on their website.

As someone who just started navigating the Social Security system myself, this entire conversation has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm still early in my research phase (planning to apply later this year), but reading through all these real experiences gives me a much better understanding of what to actually expect versus what the official website suggests. The address synchronization issue that @Liam Fitzgerald encountered is particularly concerning - I had no idea that updating your address online might not propagate through all their systems. That's definitely something I'll need to keep in mind. The 8am calling strategy seems to be the consistent winner here, and I'm making note of all these practical tips. It's honestly both reassuring and frustrating to see that persistence pays off, but that it requires so much effort just to get basic information about your own application. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this kind of real-world insight is invaluable for those of us just starting this journey!

I'm just starting my own Social Security research and this thread has been absolutely invaluable! Reading through everyone's experiences really drives home how important it is to be prepared for potential delays and system quirks. The address synchronization issue that @Liam Fitzgerald dealt with is something I never would have thought to worry about - I always assumed updating information online would automatically update everywhere in their system. That's definitely going on my checklist to verify when I apply. The consistent advice about calling at 8am seems like the golden rule here, and I'm grateful everyone shared their real-world strategies. It's reassuring to see that persistence does pay off, even though it's frustrating that it requires so much effort just to get updates on your own application. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this kind of practical insight is so much more helpful than the generic information on official websites!

As someone completely new to the Social Security system, this thread has been incredibly enlightening! I'm just beginning to research the application process and had no idea about the potential pitfalls like address synchronization issues or the importance of calling at specific times. Reading @Liam Fitzgerald's journey from months of frustration to finally getting resolution really highlights how broken some aspects of the system can be, but also shows that persistence does work. The fact that a simple address update not syncing properly caused such a massive delay is honestly shocking - that seems like such a basic function that should work seamlessly. I'm definitely going to remember the 8am calling strategy and will be extra careful to verify my address is updated across all their systems when I apply. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences here - this practical advice is so much more valuable than anything I've found on official websites!

As someone who's also new to navigating the Social Security system, this entire thread has been incredibly educational! I'm still in the early research phase myself, but reading through everyone's real-world experiences gives such valuable insight into what to actually expect. @Liam Fitzgerald, congratulations on finally getting your issue resolved! Your persistence really paid off, and I'm so glad you updated us with the solution. The address synchronization problem you encountered is eye-opening - I never would have thought that updating your address online wouldn't automatically sync across all their systems. That seems like such a fundamental issue that should have been fixed years ago! I'm definitely adding "verify address updates in all SSA systems" to my pre-application checklist. The consistent advice about calling at 8am seems to be the golden strategy here, and I really appreciate everyone sharing these practical tips. It's both encouraging and frustrating to see that persistence works, but that it requires so much effort just to get basic information about your own application. Thanks to everyone who contributed their experiences and advice - this kind of real-world insight is infinitely more helpful than the generic information on official websites!