Social Security phone line - still on hold after hours! Will they answer?

hang up! they gone home trust me. i waited 3+ hrs last month and nothing. gotta call right when they open at 8am

Seriously?? After making me wait THIS long? That should be illegal! I've already called 6 mornings in a row and never get through. This is absolutely ridiculous.

I had something similar happen to me a few months back. Waited 3 hours, then it got to be after closing time. Decided to hang up. When I called back the next day, the rep told me they NEVER answer after hours - the system just keeps you on hold indefinitely somehow. Such a waste of time!!

That makes my blood boil! Why would they design a system that tortures people like this? All I need is 5 minutes of someone's time to fix my SSDI payment issue.

Unfortunately, the standard SSA phone lines do not operate after their posted hours (usually 8am-5:30pm local time, but 4pm on Wednesdays). The automated system sometimes fails to disconnect callers after hours, creating this exact problem. Your time on hold won't improve your position for tomorrow either - you'll need to call again.For disability backpay issues specifically, I recommend trying these approaches:1. Call your local office directly first thing in the morning (find the direct number on the SSA office locator)2. Use the MySSA online portal to send a secure message3. Visit your local office in person if possible (with an appointment)The national 800 number has the longest wait times and often isn't the best option for resolving payment issues.

Thank you for the detailed advice. I've tried the MySSA messages but got no response for 2 weeks now. The local office doesn't answer their direct line either. I'm starting to feel completely helpless about getting my backpay resolved.

You poor thing!! I went through something SIMILAR with my husband's survivor benefits last year!! It's COMPLETELY UNFAIR how they treat us when WE paid into the system our whole lives!!! The government has NO PROBLEM taking our money but then makes it IMPOSSIBLE to get help when we need it!!!

preach sister! my dad waited 6 months for his retirement to process and nobody would talk to him!!

I had this EXACT SAME ISSUE trying to fix an overpayment notice. After wasting days trying to get through, I tried this service called Claimyr that got me connected to an SSA agent in about 15 minutes instead of hours. I was super skeptical at first but it actually worked. You can see how it works in their video: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puUTheir website is claimyr.com if you want to try it. Saved me from losing my mind with the hold music. Way better than wasting another entire day waiting.

Does that actually work? Seems sketchy giving some random company your info just to talk to the SSA...

It's just a call connection service - they don't need any of your personal SSA info. They just connect you through to an agent so you don't have to wait 5 hours. Worked for me when I was desperate after trying for weeks.

As a former SSA employee, I can tell you definitively that the national 800 number representatives stop answering calls at the official closing time (normally 5:30pm local time Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and 4:00pm on Wednesday). The system does have a flaw where it sometimes keeps people in the queue after hours.For SSDI backpay issues specifically:1. Your payment claim is likely assigned to a specific payment center based on your region2. Backpay often requires manual processing that can take 60-90 days in some cases3. If your backpay is over $6,000, it's typically released in installments 6 months apartI'd recommend hanging up and trying again tomorrow morning right at 8:00am. Ask specifically for a 'critical payment' assessment if you're experiencing financial hardship due to the delay.

Thank you so much for this insider perspective! I didn't know about the 'critical payment' option. I am definitely experiencing hardship - that backpay would cover my overdue medical bills. I'll try again at 8am sharp and specifically ask about that.

My wife had the exact same thing happen but she got through to someone at 5:45pm once! It's super rare but I think some agents stay late sometimes. But honestly probably better to hang up and try again tomorrow...

But did they ACTUALLY help your wife?? Or just TELL HER to call back during regular hours?? They're all SO USELESS!!!

One more thing - for disability backpay specifically, if it's been more than 60 days since your approval, you can contact your Congressperson's office. Every Congressional office has staff dedicated to handling Social Security issues for constituents. They have direct lines to SSA offices that bypass the normal channels.I've seen Congressional inquiries resolve backpay issues in days that were otherwise stuck for months. It's one of the most effective tools available that most people don't know about.

I had no idea this was an option. I was approved over 90 days ago and was told the backpay would arrive

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this nightmare! I went through something similar last year with my mom's Medicare Part B issue. After reading all these responses, I'd definitely hang up now - you're just torturing yourself at this point. The Congressional office route that Brady mentioned is absolutely the way to go for backpay issues over 90 days. I helped my neighbor contact our representative's office about her delayed SSDI payments and they had it resolved in 10 days after she'd been waiting 4 months! Don't give up - there ARE people who can help, you just have to know where to look.

I feel your pain - I've been in almost the exact same situation! After reading through all these responses, I'd definitely hang up now. You've already invested way too much time and they're clearly not answering after hours. The advice about calling your Congressional representative is spot on - I wish I had known about that option when I was dealing with my own SSA nightmare. Also, try calling the national line at exactly 8:00 AM tomorrow and immediately ask to speak with someone about a "critical payment" issue like Brady suggested. Don't let them transfer you around - be firm that you need backpay assistance. You've got this, and don't let them wear you down!

Wow, reading through everyone's experiences here is both heartbreaking and eye-opening! As someone new to dealing with SSA issues, I had no idea the system was this broken. PrinceJoe, I really hope you get your backpay situation resolved soon - 90+ days is absolutely unacceptable. The Congressional representative option that Brady and others mentioned sounds like a game-changer that more people need to know about. It's ridiculous that we have to go through our elected officials just to get basic customer service from a federal agency we've all paid into our entire working lives. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and solutions - this thread is going to help so many people who are stuck in similar situations!

This whole situation is infuriating but unfortunately all too common! I went through something similar with my father's retirement benefits last year. After reading everyone's advice here, I'd definitely recommend hanging up now - you're just wasting more time at this point since they don't answer after hours. The Congressional representative route that Brady mentioned is absolutely your best bet for backpay issues over 90 days. I helped my dad contact our representative's office and they had his payment processed within 2 weeks after he'd been waiting 5 months! Don't lose hope - there are solutions, you just have to know where to look. Try that 8 AM call tomorrow with the "critical payment" approach, but definitely have your Congressional representative as backup. You shouldn't have to fight this hard for money you're legally entitled to!

As someone who's dealt with SSA issues for my elderly mother, I can absolutely confirm everything Brady and others have said about the after-hours hold problem - it's a cruel system flaw that wastes people's time when they're already desperate. PrinceJoe, definitely hang up now and save your sanity! The Congressional representative route is 100% legitimate and effective - I've personally seen it work wonders for payment issues that were stuck for months. Also want to add that when you call tomorrow at 8 AM sharp, have all your case numbers and documentation ready because those first-thing-in-the-morning agents tend to be the most helpful and thorough. Don't let this broken system defeat you - you WILL get your backpay resolved with the right approach!

I'm so sorry you're going through this frustrating ordeal! As a newcomer to this community, I'm shocked to learn how broken the SSA phone system really is. Reading everyone's experiences here has been both heartbreaking and incredibly educational. PrinceJoe, after 5+ hours on hold, you definitely deserve better than this runaround! Based on all the excellent advice from Brady, Daniel, and others, I'd strongly recommend hanging up now and trying that 8 AM sharp approach tomorrow with the "critical payment" request. The Congressional representative option sounds like your ace in the hole for a 90+ day delay - that's completely unacceptable for money you're legally owed. Thank you to everyone sharing their real experiences and solutions here. This community is providing better guidance than the actual government agency! Hang in there PrinceJoe - you've got a solid plan now and people rooting for you!

As someone new to this community and dealing with my own SSA challenges, I'm absolutely appalled by what you've been put through! Five hours on hold only to find out they don't even answer after closing time is beyond cruel - it's systematic torture of people who are already struggling. Reading through all the incredible advice here from Brady, Daniel, Zainab, and others has been more helpful than anything I've gotten from SSA directly. PrinceJoe, please tell me you finally hung up! The consensus seems clear: try that 8 AM sharp call tomorrow with the "critical payment" approach, and definitely pursue the Congressional representative option since you're way past 90 days. It's outrageous that we need to involve our elected officials just to get basic customer service from an agency we've paid into our entire working lives, but if it works, it works. Thank you to everyone sharing real solutions - this thread is going to help so many people navigate this broken system!

As someone new to both this community and the SSA system, I'm absolutely stunned by what you've endured - over 5 hours on hold just to be abandoned after closing time is unconscionable! Reading through all the responses here has been incredibly eye-opening. The insider knowledge from Brady about the system flaws and the success stories with Congressional intervention have given me hope that there are actually ways to fight back against this broken bureaucracy. PrinceJoe, I sincerely hope you finally hung up and got some rest! Your situation at 90+ days for backpay is exactly what the Congressional representative option was designed for. The strategy that's emerged from everyone's input seems bulletproof: try that 8 AM "critical payment" call with all your documentation ready, but don't hesitate to contact your representative's office in parallel since you're so far past normal timeframes. It's maddening that we have to become guerrilla experts just to access benefits we've earned, but this community has armed you with real tactics from people who've actually succeeded. Thank you everyone for turning this nightmare into actionable solutions - this thread is going to help countless others trapped in the same SSA purgatory!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely horrified by what you've been put through - over 5 hours on hold only to discover they don't even answer after closing time is just cruel! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly enlightening though. The insider advice from Brady about the "critical payment" designation and the multiple success stories with Congressional intervention have given me real hope that there are effective ways to fight this broken system. PrinceJoe, please tell me you finally hung up and saved yourself from more torture! Based on everything shared here, your game plan should definitely be: call at exactly 8 AM tomorrow and immediately request "critical payment" assistance for your 90+ day backpay delay, but also contact your Congressional representative's office in parallel since you're so far past normal timeframes. It's absolutely maddening that we have to become strategic experts just to access benefits we've paid into our whole lives, but this community has armed you with proven tactics from people who've actually succeeded. Thank you to everyone for sharing real solutions - this thread is going to be a lifesaver for others trapped in SSA phone hell!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely shocked by what you've been through - 5+ hours on hold is completely unacceptable! Reading through all the incredible advice here has been more educational than anything I've ever gotten from SSA directly. The insider knowledge from Brady about the "critical payment" option and all the success stories with Congressional intervention give me real hope that there are actually effective ways to navigate this broken system. PrinceJoe, I really hope you finally hung up and got some rest after that marathon torture session! Your situation at 90+ days is exactly what Congressional representatives are there to help with. The strategy that's emerged seems solid: try that 8 AM sharp call tomorrow with the "critical payment" approach, but definitely contact your representative's office too since you're way past normal timeframes. It's infuriating that we have to become experts in government bureaucracy just to access our own earned benefits, but this community has armed you with proven tactics from people who've actually won these battles. Thank you everyone for sharing real solutions - this thread is going to help so many others trapped in SSA phone purgatory!

As someone completely new to dealing with SSA issues, I'm absolutely appalled by what you've gone through - being kept on hold for over 5 hours only to find out they don't even answer after closing time is beyond unacceptable! This thread has been incredibly eye-opening though. The insider advice from Brady about requesting "critical payment" assistance and all the success stories with Congressional intervention have shown me that there are actually effective ways to fight this broken system. PrinceJoe, I really hope you finally hung up and got some rest after that torturous hold session! Your situation being 90+ days past due is exactly what Congressional representatives are equipped to handle. The strategy everyone has laid out seems perfect: call at exactly 8 AM tomorrow and immediately ask for "critical payment" help, but also reach out to your Congressional representative's office since you're so far beyond normal timeframes. It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to become bureaucratic warfare experts just to access benefits we've earned through decades of paying into the system, but this community has given you a proven battle plan from people who've actually succeeded. Thank you to everyone for turning this nightmare into actionable hope - this thread should be bookmarked by anyone facing SSA phone hell!