Social Security retirement application filed 3 months ago - no approval yet. Normal wait time?

totally normal these days. took almost 4 months for my approval last year. they're backed up like crazy

I wouldn't worry too much yet, but it's never a bad idea to be proactive. The 30-45 day timeframe was accurate pre-pandemic, but SSA is dealing with staffing shortages and an increased workload now. A few things to check: 1. Make sure your MySocialSecurity account shows the application as "processing" and not "incomplete" 2. Verify that you received the application confirmation number when you applied 3. Check that all supporting documents were properly uploaded or received If all those look good, you're probably fine, but I'd still suggest calling around the 4-month mark if you haven't heard anything. Retirement applications are generally straightforward and less prone to long delays than disability claims.

Has anyone else noticed the SSA is getting WORSE every year?? My sister applied for her retirement 2 years ago and got approval in 3 weeks. I applied 6 months ago and waited over 3 months just to get approved! And don't even get me started on trying to actually TALK to someone there... impossible!!!

I just went through this exact situation last winter. Applied in October for January benefits and didn't hear ANYTHING until mid-December. I panicked thinking something was wrong, but everything was fine - the first payment came right on schedule in February (they pay a month behind). The frustrating part was trying to confirm everything was on track. I called for WEEKS and could never get through. Busy signals, disconnects after waiting 2+ hours, or being told to call back another day. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent within 30 minutes. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The agent confirmed everything was processing normally and I didn't need to worry. Saved me weeks of stress! Totally worth it since I couldn't get through on my own after multiple attempts.

I work with seniors applying for benefits, and the timeline you're experiencing is completely normal for 2025. The Social Security Administration has been dealing with a perfect storm: staff shortages, outdated technology systems, post-pandemic backlog, and the surge of Baby Boomers retiring. For retirement benefits with a future start date (like yours for March 1st), your application is likely sitting in a queue and will be processed closer to your benefit start date. Here's what you should know: 1. As long as your MySocialSecurity account shows "processing" rather than "action required," you're in good shape 2. The SSA prioritizes applications by start date, so applications with imminent start dates get processed first 3. Your benefit start date is determined by when you applied, not when the application is approved 4. First payments typically arrive the month after your benefit month (so your March benefits would arrive in April) I would suggest checking your online account weekly. If you're approaching 30 days before your benefit start date with no update, then it would be appropriate to contact them. Otherwise, this timeline is unfortunately normal for non-urgent claims.

just make sure u did the application right, my cousin thought he applied but he just created the account and never finished the actual application part lol

Does your online account show the application as received? That's the important part. And have you checked if they need any additional documentation? Sometimes they need marriage certificates or birth certificates and won't tell you until you call them.

I'd call them NOW if I were you. My neighbor had a similar situation and it turned out they had his birthdate wrong and the whole application was stuck in limbo for MONTHS because no one bothered to contact him!!!

my mom just went through this! applied in july for november start and didn't get approval until late october. everything ended up fine!

I'm going through something similar right now! Filed my retirement application in September for a January start date and still showing "processing" status. Reading through everyone's experiences here is really reassuring - it sounds like 3-4 months is the new normal unfortunately. I've been checking my MySocialSecurity account obsessively but I think I need to just be patient. The advice about waiting until you're within 30 days of your benefit start date before calling makes a lot of sense. Hang in there!

I'm a newcomer here but dealing with the exact same situation! Applied for retirement benefits in late August for a March start date and have been anxiously watching that "processing" status for months now. Reading everyone's experiences is both reassuring and frustrating - reassuring that this seems to be the new normal, but frustrating that the SSA can't give us better communication about timing. I've been tempted to call multiple times but after reading about the phone system nightmares here, I think I'll wait until after the holidays to try contacting them. It's wild that what used to take a month now takes 3-4 months routinely. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in this waiting game!

I'm new to this community but experiencing the exact same frustrating situation! Filed my retirement application in early September for a February start date and it's been showing "processing" status for over 2 months now. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - it's both reassuring to know this is normal now and infuriating that the SSA has gotten this slow. I was starting to panic thinking something was wrong with my application, but it sounds like 3-4 months is just the new reality. The stories about the phone system being impossible to get through are discouraging, but I'm glad to hear from folks like Andre about services like Claimyr if I really need to speak to someone. For now I think I'll follow the advice about waiting until I'm within 30 days of my benefit start date before trying to contact them. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this community is a lifesaver for navigating the SSA maze!

Hi everyone! I'm new to this community and currently dealing with almost the exact same situation as the original poster. I applied for my Social Security retirement benefits in late August for a March 1st start date, and like many of you, I've been stuck in "processing" status for months now with no communication from SSA. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly eye-opening and honestly quite reassuring - I was starting to worry that something was specifically wrong with my application, but it sounds like these 3-4 month wait times are unfortunately the new normal. It's frustrating that what used to be a 30-45 day process now takes so much longer, but I'm grateful to this community for helping me understand that I'm not alone in this waiting game. The advice about not panicking until you're within 30 days of your benefit start date makes a lot of sense, and the horror stories about trying to get through on the phone have definitely convinced me to wait before attempting to call. I'll keep monitoring my MySocialSecurity account and try to be patient for a few more weeks. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it really helps to know we're all navigating this together!

I'm new to this community and facing the exact same frustrating situation! I submitted my retirement application in early September for a February start date, and it's been showing "processing" status for over 3 months now with absolutely no updates or communication from SSA. Before finding this discussion, I was starting to panic thinking there was something wrong with my application or that I had missed some important step. Reading everyone's experiences here has been both reassuring and maddening - reassuring to know this 3-4 month wait is apparently the new normal, but maddening that the SSA has become this inefficient. It's wild that what used to take 30-45 days now routinely takes 4+ months with zero communication to applicants about the delays. The phone system horror stories shared here have definitely convinced me to avoid calling unless absolutely necessary. I think I'll follow the advice about waiting until I'm within 30 days of my benefit start date before trying to contact them. It's incredibly frustrating that such a major life milestone has become such a stressful waiting game, but I'm grateful to have found this community where we can all support each other through the SSA maze. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in this!

I'm new to this community and going through almost the identical situation! Filed my retirement application in mid-August for a March 1st start date and have been stuck in "processing" limbo for over 3 months now. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly validating - I was starting to think there was something wrong with my specific application, but it's clear that these 3-4 month delays have unfortunately become the standard rather than the exception. What's particularly frustrating is the complete lack of communication from SSA about these delays. They could easily send automated updates letting people know that processing times are longer than usual, but instead we're all left wondering if our applications got lost or if we made some mistake. The phone system horror stories shared here have definitely convinced me to avoid calling unless I'm really desperate - spending hours on hold just to get disconnected sounds like torture! I'm going to follow the advice shared here about waiting until I'm within 30 days of my benefit start date before getting worried. It's reassuring to hear from people like Andre and others that benefits typically start on time even when the approval comes late. This community has been such a lifesaver for understanding that we're all navigating this bureaucratic maze together. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and making this stressful waiting period a little more bearable!

I'm new to this community and experiencing the exact same frustrating situation! I filed my retirement application in early September for a March start date and have been stuck in "processing" status for over 3 months now with zero communication from SSA. Before finding this discussion, I was starting to panic that something was wrong with my application or that I had missed some crucial step in the process. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both incredibly reassuring and deeply frustrating - reassuring to know that these 3-4 month delays are apparently the new normal rather than something specific to my case, but frustrating that the SSA has become so inefficient with such poor communication. It's mind-boggling that what used to be a 30-45 day process now routinely takes 4+ months with absolutely no updates sent to applicants about the delays. The phone system horror stories shared here have definitely scared me away from attempting to call - the thought of spending 2+ hours on hold just to get disconnected sounds absolutely miserable! I think I'll follow the excellent advice about waiting until I'm within 30 days of my benefit start date before trying to contact them. It's unfortunate that such an important life milestone has become such a stress-inducing waiting game, but I'm so grateful to have found this supportive community where we can all help each other navigate the SSA bureaucracy. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it really helps to know we're all in this together!

I'm new to this community and dealing with almost the identical situation! Filed my retirement application in late August for a February start date and have been stuck in "processing" status for over 3 months now. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a relief - I was starting to think there was something specifically wrong with my application, but it's clear that these 3-4 month delays have unfortunately become the norm. What strikes me most is how many of us have almost identical timelines - August/September applications for February/March start dates, all stuck in processing limbo with zero communication from SSA. It's frustrating that they can't even send a simple automated update acknowledging the delays. The phone system horror stories here have definitely convinced me to avoid calling unless absolutely necessary! I'm going to follow the advice about waiting until I'm within 30 days of my benefit start date before getting worried. It's reassuring to hear from folks like Andre and Zoe that benefits typically start on time even when approval comes late. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this community has been a lifesaver for understanding we're all navigating this bureaucratic maze together!

I'm new to this community but experiencing the exact same frustrating situation! Applied for my Social Security retirement benefits in mid-August for a March start date, and I've been stuck in "processing" status for over 3 months now with absolutely no updates from SSA. Before finding this discussion, I was starting to panic thinking I had made some error in my application or that it had gotten lost in the system somewhere. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both incredibly reassuring and deeply annoying - reassuring to know these 3-4 month delays are apparently the new normal rather than something specific to my case, but annoying that the SSA has become so inefficient with such terrible communication. It's crazy that what used to take 30-45 days now routinely takes 4+ months with zero updates sent to applicants. The phone system horror stories shared here have definitely convinced me to avoid calling - spending hours on hold just to get disconnected sounds like absolute torture! I think I'll follow the advice about waiting until I'm within 30 days of my benefit start date before trying to contact them. It's unfortunate that such an important milestone has become such a stressful waiting game, but I'm so grateful to have found this supportive community. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it really helps to know we're all navigating this SSA maze together!