Social Security benefit withdrawal limbo - Can't start survivor benefits until my SSA-521 processes?

Unfortunately, what you were told is accurate. The Processing Centers (PCs) are notoriously backlogged, and there is indeed no direct phone line for the public. They process complex cases like benefit withdrawals, and the 5-7 month timeframe is sadly realistic right now. Your case is particularly complicated because you're trying to switch from retirement to survivors, which involves multiple components: withdrawing the retirement claim, calculating repayment, and then initiating the survivors benefit.

omg this is my worst nightmare! I'm about to do basically the same thing next month. did they at least tell you if your survivor benefits will be backdated to when you applied? or are you just LOSING all those months of higher benefits??

This is a perfect example of why the withdrawal process is so complicated. Here's what's happening: Your SSA-521 has to be fully processed before any new benefit can be initiated. The processing centers handle these complex cases, and they're severely backlogged. What's critical to understand is that once approved, your survivor benefits should be payable from your filing date (or protective filing date if you called before the actual application). One strategy that sometimes works is requesting your Congressional Representative's office to do a welfare check/status inquiry. Congressional inquiries often receive priority responses from SSA processing centers.

This happened to my sister in law!!! took like 6 months start to finish. the whole system is broken if u ask me

I was in almost the exact same situation last year! It took 8 MONTHS for my withdrawal to process. I called the main SSA number every 2 weeks for updates but they couldn't tell me anything useful. The local office was no help either. One thing I wish I had known - you can request an "urgent critical case" designation if you're experiencing financial hardship because of the delay. I only learned this after the fact, but apparently it can sometimes move things along faster.

I work with a lot of folks in similar situations. One tool that's been incredibly helpful for my clients is Claimyr (claimyr.com). It helps you get through to an actual SSA representative quickly instead of waiting on hold for hours. You might be able to get more info about your case status that way. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Also, send a letter (certified mail) to your local office requesting a status update on your SSA-521 processing. Include your contact information, SSN, and a clear request for timeline information. While there's no direct line to the processing center, this paper trail can help document your attempts to resolve the situation.

I don't understand why they suspended your benefits in August but won't let you file for survivors? That makes no sense. If your retirement benefits are already suspended, why can't they just start the survivor benefits? The SSA is so inconsistent! My mom got widow's benefits without any of this runaround.

did you check your mySSA account online? sometimes there's updates there that the phone people don't tell you

Something important to understand about your situation: You're dealing with two separate processes, and they must happen in sequence: 1) First, your SSA-521 withdrawal must be processed completely. This includes calculating exactly how much you need to repay from your retirement benefits. 2) Only after that's finalized can they move forward with your survivor benefit application. Once your withdrawal is approved, you should receive a formal notice with repayment instructions. After repayment is confirmed, the survivor benefits processing can begin. The good news is that survivor benefits will typically be backdated to your application date (or protective filing date), so you won't lose benefits due to administrative delays.

WAIT im confused - if you already suspended your benefits why do you have to withdraw them too? aren't those the same thing??