Social Security retirement claim stuck at step 2 after 70th birthday - exceeding 30-day processing time

Don't worry too much yet. While the SSA website says 30 days, the reality is often different. My retirement application took about 45 days to process last year. The system shows step 2 until everything is basically done, then it jumps to approved. As for notification, you'll receive an official award letter in the mail, but if you check your MySocialSecurity account regularly, you'll likely see it update there first. I'd give it another 2 weeks before following up.

My husband's application took nearly 8 WEEKS to process when he applied last year!!! The 30 day thing is a JOKE. When we called after 5 weeks they just said "it's in process" and couldn't tell us anything else. The whole system is broken. You'll eventually get a letter in the mail, but don't hold your breath waiting for it to be quick or efficient.

The processing times can definitely vary based on the workload at your specific field office. For delayed applications, I'd recommend waiting until you're at least 2 weeks beyond the 30-day estimate before taking action. When you do follow up, be prepared with your confirmation number and application date. A few things that might be affecting your timeline: - April 2025 is still a couple months away, so there may be lower priority for your claim - If there were any earnings records that need verification, that can add time - The Phoenix office might be experiencing higher volume than normal You will receive formal notification by mail with your award letter, which will detail your payment amount and schedule. Your MySocialSecurity account will typically update before the letter arrives.

I just went through this! Try calling the SSA directly about your application status. I spent 3 hours trying to get through last month and kept getting disconnected. I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in under 10 minutes. Totally worth it for peace of mind. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU

Im in a similar situation applied in November 2024 for my benefits to start in January 2025 when I turned 66 and 8 months (my FRA) and just finally got approved last week! So about 75 days total for me. The system kept showing step 2 until suddenly one day it changed to approved. They backdated everything so I got all the payments I was supposed to get. One thing to check is if you set up direct deposit correctly that can delay things if theres any issues with that.

One additional note - although your benefits are set to start in April when you turn 70, you won't actually receive your first payment until May (they're paid one month in arrears). Just wanted to make sure you're accounting for that in your financial planning.

Quick update on my situation - they sent the approval letter about 5 days after the status changed online. So keep checking your online account thats probably how youll find out first.

whats FRA mean? keep seeing that mentioned

Thank you all for your responses! I'm feeling much better now knowing this delay isn't unusual. I'll give it another couple weeks before following up. It sounds like I should keep checking my online account daily and not just wait for a letter. Really appreciate all the insights!

I'm going through something similar right now! Filed my retirement application in December for benefits starting in March when I turn 67, and it's been stuck at step 2 for about 6 weeks now. The waiting is definitely nerve-wracking when you're trying to plan your finances. Reading everyone's experiences here is really helpful - sounds like 6-8 weeks is more realistic than the 30 days they advertise. I've been checking my MySocialSecurity account every few days hoping to see a change. Good luck with yours, Sofia! Hopefully we both get approvals soon.

I'm in a very similar boat! Applied in early February for benefits to start in May when I turn 70, and mine has been stuck at step 2 for about 5 weeks now. The waiting is so stressful when you've planned everything around those benefit payments starting on time. After reading all these responses, I feel much better knowing that 6-8 weeks seems to be the real timeframe, not the 30 days they advertise. It's reassuring to hear from Yara that even with the delay, everything got backdated properly. I'll keep checking my online account daily and try to be patient for another few weeks. Thanks for starting this thread - it's exactly what I needed to see!

I just wanted to share my recent experience to give you some hope! I applied for retirement benefits in October 2024 for a January 2025 start date (my 67th birthday), and my application was also stuck at step 2 for what felt like forever - about 9 weeks total. I was getting really anxious too, especially since I had already given notice at work. But then one morning in mid-December, I checked my MySocialSecurity account and it had suddenly changed to "approved"! The award letter arrived about a week later, and my first payment came right on schedule in February (remember they pay a month behind). The waiting is absolutely the worst part, but from what I've learned, once they approve it, everything falls into place quickly. Stay patient - you're almost there!

I'm currently experiencing the exact same situation! Filed my retirement application in late January for benefits starting in May when I turn 70, and it's been stuck at step 2 for about 4 weeks now. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. It sounds like the 30-day processing time is more of a guideline than reality, and 6-9 weeks seems to be the actual timeframe. I've been checking my MySocialSecurity account daily (sometimes multiple times a day!) hoping to see it change to approved. The financial planning stress is real when you're counting on these benefits to start on time. Thank you Sofia for starting this conversation - it's exactly what I needed to see to know I'm not alone in this waiting game!

I'm dealing with the exact same issue! Applied in mid-January for my retirement benefits to start in April when I turn 70, and I've been stuck at step 2 for over a month now. The 30-day processing time they advertise is clearly not realistic - it seems like 6-8 weeks is more typical based on everyone's experiences here. I've been obsessively checking MySocialSecurity multiple times a day hoping to see it change to approved. The financial stress is real when you've planned everything around those benefit payments starting on schedule. It's so reassuring to read all these stories and know that even with delays, people are eventually getting their approvals and payments work out correctly. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread has really helped calm my nerves about the wait!

I just wanted to add my experience to help others who might be going through this same stressful waiting period. I applied for my Social Security retirement benefits in December 2024 for a March 2025 start date (turning 66), and my application was stuck at step 2 for almost 10 weeks! I was getting really anxious because I had already made major financial decisions based on receiving those benefits. Like many others here, I was checking MySocialSecurity obsessively - probably 3-4 times per day. Then one morning in early February, it suddenly changed to "approved" without any warning. My award letter arrived about a week later, and my first payment came exactly on schedule in April (remember the one-month delay). The key thing I learned is that step 2 seems to cover almost the entire processing period - it doesn't move to the next step until they're basically done with everything. So don't panic if you're stuck there for weeks! The 30-day timeframe is definitely optimistic. Based on what I'm reading here, 6-10 weeks seems much more realistic, especially during busy periods. Hang in there everyone - the waiting is absolutely the hardest part, but it does eventually work out!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Applied in early February for my retirement benefits to start in May when I turn 70, and my application has been stuck at step 2 for about 5 weeks. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly reassuring - I was starting to panic that something was wrong with my application, but it's clear that 6-10 weeks is much more realistic than the advertised 30 days. Like everyone else here, I've been obsessively checking MySocialSecurity multiple times a day hoping to see it change to approved. The financial planning stress is so real when you've carefully mapped out your retirement based on these benefits starting on time. What's been most helpful from reading these stories is learning that step 2 seems to cover almost the entire processing period, and that even with significant delays, everyone's payments eventually came through correctly with proper backdating. I'm going to try to be more patient and maybe limit myself to checking the portal just once a day (we'll see how that goes!). Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines - this thread has been a lifesaver for managing my anxiety about the wait!

I'm new to this community but found this thread because I'm dealing with the exact same situation! I filed my retirement application in early February for benefits to start in June when I turn 66 and 4 months (my FRA), and it's been stuck at step 2 for about 4 weeks now. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly helpful and reassuring - I was starting to worry that something was wrong with my application or that I had made some mistake in the process. Like so many others here, I've been obsessively checking MySocialSecurity multiple times a day hoping to see it change to approved. The 30-day processing time they advertise is clearly very optimistic! Based on all the stories shared here, it sounds like 6-10 weeks is much more realistic, which actually makes me feel better about where I am in the timeline. The financial planning aspect is definitely stressful - I've already made some major decisions about my work schedule and budget based on these benefits starting on time. But hearing from people like Yara and Savannah that even with longer delays, everything got backdated properly and payments came on schedule is really reassuring. Thank you Sofia for starting this conversation, and thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and experiences. This community support is exactly what I needed to help manage my anxiety about the waiting process!