Social Security retirement application stuck in step 2 for 3 months - no payment received

My application took 7 weeks to process back in October, which I thought was long, but 3 months is ridiculous!!! Have you tried going IN PERSON to your local SSA office?? Sometimes they can see more details than they tell you over the phone. The system is BROKEN right now with all the baby boomers retiring. I heard they're SEVERELY understaffed in the processing centers.

OMG I'm in almost the exact same situation! Applied in late October for a December start date. My application has also been stuck in step 2 for months, and I haven't received a penny either. I've called multiple times but keep getting the runaround. One rep told me there's a huge backlog due to staffing shortages. Another said something about my earnings record needing verification. It's so frustrating not knowing what's happening!

My brother had his application stuck for 2 months then suddenly it went thru and he got backpay for all the months he missed. Maybe thats what will happen to u. Did u have any complications like worked for federal govt or railroad? Those take longer I heard

The delay you're experiencing is longer than normal, but unfortunately not unheard of lately. A few things to check: 1. Verify your earnings record is complete on your my Social Security account 2. Check if you received any notices by mail (sometimes they send letters requesting additional information without updating the online status) 3. If you worked for any non-covered employers (some government positions), this can add verification time If your application is truly stuck, you might need to request a critical case designation. SSA can expedite processing if you're experiencing financial hardship due to the delay. You'd need to explicitly request this when you call.

have u tried checking ur bank account? sometimes they dont update the website but the money goes thru anyway. my status never changed from processing but i got paid anyway lol

I had a similar frustrating experience trying to reach SSA about my delayed retirement application a few months ago. After dozens of failed calls and hours on hold, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a real person. They basically hold your place in line so you don't have to wait on hold. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU When I finally got through, I found out my application had been flagged for additional review because I had worked overseas for a few years. They needed additional verification that never showed up in my online portal. Once I provided what they needed, my benefits started within 2 weeks.

Check if you set up direct deposit correctly. I had a similar situation where my status was stuck, but the issue was actually that they had my routing number wrong. I only found out when I finally got someone on the phone who actually looked into my case details. Also make sure they have your correct mailing address in case they're trying to send you physical letters with requests for information.

Has anyone else noticed that applications submitted right before the COLA announcement seem to take longer?? I wonder if they're delaying yours because of the 2026 COLA adjustment! My friend applied in December instead of November and hers went through in just 3 weeks!

Update on my situation: I FINALLY got through to someone helpful! Turns out my application was sitting in the queue because they were trying to verify my last employer's information, but they never told me they needed this verification! Once I provided it, my application moved to step 3 within 48 hours. Maybe something similar is happening with yours?

Since you've already waited three months, I'd recommend taking these steps: 1. Request to speak with a supervisor when you call the 800 number - they have more authority to investigate 2. Ask specifically about whether your claim has been assigned to a claims specialist. If it has, request their direct number 3. If going to your local office, bring ID, your Social Security card, bank information, and any correspondence you've received about your application 4. Request written documentation of your application status to have a record By law, your benefits must be paid retroactively from your entitlement date once approved, including any delayed months.

I'm dealing with a similar situation - applied in December 2025 for February 2026 benefits and still stuck in step 2. What's really frustrating is that when I call, they can't even tell me WHO is reviewing my case or give me any timeline beyond "it's processing." I've been documenting every call I make with dates and rep names just to keep track. One thing that helped me was asking the rep to read back exactly what they see on their screen about my case status. Sometimes they'll mention details that aren't in the standard script. Also, if you have a local congressman's office, they can sometimes do a congressional inquiry which might get more attention than regular calls. I'm considering that route if mine doesn't move soon. Keep us posted on what you find out - this thread is really helpful for all of us dealing with these delays!

I'm going through something very similar right now! Filed in early December 2025 for a February 2026 start date and I'm also stuck in step 2. What's really concerning me is that I keep seeing people say "it's processing" but no one can give a clear timeline or explanation of what's actually happening during this review. I've been following some of the advice in this thread - I'm planning to visit my local office next week since the phone calls aren't getting me anywhere. Has anyone had success with the in-person approach? I'm also curious about the congressional inquiry option that was mentioned - seems like that might be worth trying if the local office visit doesn't help. It's both frustrating and somewhat reassuring to see I'm not the only one dealing with these extended delays. The lack of transparency from SSA about what's causing the holdup is the worst part!

I'm experiencing the exact same issue! Filed my retirement application in October 2025 for a December start date, and I've been stuck in step 2 for over 4 months now. Like many of you, I keep getting the same "it's still processing" response with no additional details. What's really helped me is reading through all the advice in this thread. I'm planning to visit my local SSA office next week armed with all my documentation, and I'm going to specifically ask about the critical case designation that Miranda mentioned - I had no idea that was even an option for financial hardship situations. I'm also going to try the approach of asking the rep to read back exactly what they see on their screen about my case status. It sounds like sometimes there are details that don't make it into the standard responses they give over the phone. Has anyone who went the in-person route had any success yet? I'm hoping the local office staff will have more insight than the phone representatives. This whole situation is so stressful when you're counting on these benefits to start!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation! Applied for retirement benefits in late November 2025 with a January 2026 start date, and my application has been stuck in step 2 since mid-December. It's now been over 3 months with no movement whatsoever. What's particularly frustrating is that every time I call, I get a different representative who gives me slightly different information. One told me it's a "routine review," another mentioned potential earnings verification issues, and the most recent one said there's just a backlog. The inconsistency in responses makes it impossible to know what's actually happening. I've been reading through all the great advice in this thread and I'm planning to take action on multiple fronts: scheduling an in-person appointment at my local SSA office, asking specifically about the critical case designation for financial hardship, and potentially reaching out to my congressman's office if needed. The retroactive payment aspect gives me some comfort, but it doesn't help with the immediate financial planning challenges. Has anyone had success with any of these approaches yet? I'm hoping we can all share updates as we try different strategies to get our cases moving!

I'm in almost the identical situation! Filed my retirement application in mid-November 2025 for January 2026 benefits and have been stuck in step 2 since late November. It's now April and I still haven't received a single payment despite my benefits being due months ago. What's really getting to me is the complete lack of transparency. Every phone call results in the same useless "it's still processing" response with zero specifics about what's actually causing the delay or any realistic timeline for resolution. I've tried calling at different times of day, speaking to supervisors, but everyone gives me the exact same scripted response. Reading through all the experiences shared here has been both helpful and disheartening - it's clear this is a widespread systemic issue affecting many of us who applied around the same timeframe. The suggestions about visiting the local office in person, asking for the critical case designation, and potentially involving congressional representatives are all things I'm going to pursue. I'm particularly interested in trying that Claimyr service that Madison mentioned to actually get through to someone who might have access to more detailed case information. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get some real answers and movement on my application. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it helps to know I'm not alone in this frustrating bureaucratic nightmare!

I'm experiencing the exact same frustrating situation! Filed my retirement application in December 2025 for February 2026 benefits and have been stuck in step 2 for over 2 months now. Like everyone else here, I keep getting the same "it's still processing" response with absolutely no useful details about what's causing the delay or when it might resolve. What's really concerning me is how many people in this thread have similar timelines - it definitely seems like there's a major systemic issue with applications submitted in the November/December 2025 timeframe. The lack of transparency from SSA is incredibly frustrating when we're all depending on these benefits. I'm going to try several of the strategies mentioned here: visiting my local SSA office in person next week, asking specifically about the critical case designation for financial hardship, and potentially using that Claimyr service to actually get through to someone with real information. I'm also going to start documenting every interaction more carefully in case I need to escalate further. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - it's both reassuring and maddening to know I'm not alone in this bureaucratic nightmare. I'll definitely update this thread with any progress I make. Hopefully we can all get some movement on our cases soon!

I'm dealing with the exact same nightmare! Filed my retirement application in late November 2025 for a January 2026 start date and I've been stuck in step 2 for over 3 months now. Like everyone else here, I keep getting the same robotic "it's still processing" response with zero helpful details. What's really eye-opening is reading through all these comments and seeing how many of us filed around the same November/December 2025 timeframe and are all experiencing identical delays. This is clearly a systemic processing issue, not individual application problems. I've tried calling multiple times, but the phone reps either can't or won't provide any specific information about what's causing the delay. One rep mentioned something vague about "additional verification" but couldn't tell me what kind or what I could do to help move it along. Based on all the great advice shared here, I'm planning to visit my local SSA office next week with all my documentation. I'm also going to ask specifically about the critical case designation for financial hardship - I had no idea that was even an option until reading this thread. Has anyone who's tried the in-person approach had any success yet? I'm really hoping the local office staff will have access to more detailed case information than what we're getting over the phone. This whole situation is so stressful when you're counting on these benefits to start! I'll definitely update everyone on what I find out. This thread has become such a valuable resource for all of us dealing with these ridiculous delays.

I'm in the exact same boat! Filed my retirement application in November 2025 for January 2026 benefits and have been stuck in step 2 since late November. It's incredibly frustrating to see so many of us with applications from that same timeframe experiencing identical delays. What really bothers me is the complete lack of useful information from SSA phone support. Every rep just says "it's processing" but can't give any specifics about what's actually being reviewed or processed. I've started keeping a log of every call I make with dates and rep names because the information is so inconsistent. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both helpful and validating - it's clear this isn't just individual cases but a systematic processing issue. I'm planning to visit my local office next week and will definitely ask about the critical case designation that Miranda mentioned. I had no idea that was even an option for situations like this. The retroactive payment aspect gives me some peace of mind, but it doesn't help with the immediate financial stress of budgeting around benefits that should have started months ago. I'll definitely update this thread after my office visit - hopefully some of us can start getting real answers and movement on our cases soon!

I'm so relieved to find this thread! I'm dealing with the exact same situation - filed my retirement application in early December 2025 for February 2026 benefits and have been stuck in step 2 since mid-December. It's now been over 3 months with absolutely no movement. What's really striking is how many people here filed during that November/December 2025 timeframe and are all experiencing identical processing delays. This clearly points to a systematic issue rather than individual application problems. The complete lack of transparency from phone support is maddening - just the same "it's processing" script with zero useful details. I've been following all the great advice shared here and I'm planning to visit my local SSA office next week armed with all my documentation. I'm definitely going to ask about the critical case designation for financial hardship that Miranda mentioned - I had no idea that was even an option. I'm also going to try asking the rep to read back exactly what they see on their screen about my case status. The congressional inquiry option sounds promising too if the in-person visit doesn't yield results. It's so helpful to have concrete action steps to try when the normal phone channels are completely useless. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a valuable resource! I'll definitely update everyone on any progress I make. Hopefully we can all start seeing some movement on our cases soon and get those retroactive payments we're owed.

I'm going through the exact same frustrating experience! Filed my retirement application in mid-November 2025 for a January 2026 start date and I've been stuck in step 2 since December. It's now been over 4 months with zero progress and I should have been receiving payments since February. Reading through all these comments has been both eye-opening and validating - it's clear there's a massive systemic processing issue affecting applications from the November/December 2025 timeframe. The pattern is too consistent to be coincidental. What's most frustrating is the complete lack of transparency from phone support - just the same robotic "it's still processing" response with absolutely no useful details about what's actually happening or any realistic timeline. I've tried calling multiple times, speaking to supervisors, calling at different times of day, but everyone gives me the exact same scripted response. It's like they're reading from the same useless playbook. Based on all the excellent advice shared here, I'm planning to take a multi-pronged approach: visiting my local SSA office in person next week with all my documentation, asking specifically about the critical case designation for financial hardship, and potentially trying that Claimyr service Madison mentioned to actually reach someone with real case information. I'm also going to start documenting every interaction more carefully - dates, rep names, exactly what they tell me - in case I need to escalate to a congressional inquiry. The financial stress of budgeting around benefits that should have started months ago is real, even knowing we'll eventually get retroactive payments. Thank you all for creating such a valuable resource here! This thread has given me hope that there are still options to try when the normal channels completely fail us. I'll definitely update everyone on any progress I make. Hopefully we can all start seeing some movement on our cases soon!

I'm experiencing the exact same frustrating situation! Filed my retirement application in December 2025 for March 2026 benefits and have been stuck in step 2 for over 3 months now. Like everyone else here, I keep getting the same useless "it's still processing" response when I call, with absolutely no specifics about what's causing the delay or any realistic timeline. What's really striking is reading through all these comments and seeing how many of us filed during that same November/December 2025 timeframe and are experiencing identical delays. This is clearly a widespread systemic issue, not individual application problems. The complete lack of transparency from SSA phone support is maddening - it's like they're all reading from the same unhelpful script. I'm planning to follow the excellent advice shared in this thread: visiting my local SSA office in person next week with all my documentation, asking specifically about the critical case designation for financial hardship that Miranda mentioned, and potentially trying that Claimyr service to actually reach someone with detailed case information. I'm also going to start documenting every interaction more carefully in case I need to escalate to a congressional inquiry. The financial stress of budgeting around benefits that should be starting soon is real, even knowing we'll eventually get retroactive payments. Thank you all for creating such a valuable resource here - it's both reassuring and helpful to know I'm not alone in this bureaucratic nightmare! I'll definitely update this thread with any progress I make. Hopefully we can all start seeing some movement on our cases soon and get the benefits we've earned.