Social Security retirement filing mistake - switched from survivor benefits but now stuck in limbo for 2 months

Ugh that's so frustrating! I had something similar happen last year when I switched from SSDI to retirement benefits. It took them 11 weeks to figure it out! The payment center is notoriously slow. Did they give you a confirmation number or anything for your withdrawal request?

Based on what you've described, you're dealing with three separate issues: 1. The withdrawal of your retirement claim (SSA-521) 2. The reinstatement of your survivor benefits 3. The Medicare premium collection issue Unfortunately, the Payment Processing Center is currently running 6-10 weeks behind on special transactions like yours. The good news is you should be approaching the end of that window. When your case is completed, they should automatically reinstate your survivor benefits AND issue any back payments you were entitled to during this gap period. For the Medicare premiums, once your benefits restart, you'll need to specifically request reimbursement for the out-of-pocket premiums you paid. This won't happen automatically. Keep all receipts and bring them to your local office. You'll need to complete form SSA-795 (Statement of Claimant) detailing the amounts and dates. One thing to verify - make sure they processed your withdrawal request within 12 months of your original filing date, otherwise it might not be valid.

I went through almost the exact same situation when helping my mother last year. The Payment Processing Center took forever, and calling the regular SSA number just led to frustration because the reps couldn't see what was happening at the processing center. After weeks of getting nowhere, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually reach an agent without the endless waiting. You can see how it works in their video: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The service connected me to an SSA agent who was able to send an urgent message to the payment center. That seemed to speed things up, and my mom's case was resolved within a week after that. Might be worth trying if you're getting desperate.

THE PAYMENT CENTER IS THE WORST!!!! They've had my husbands disability reconsideration for FIVE MONTHS with no updates. Every time we call they say the same thing - "still processing" and "we can't give you any timeline" I HATE THEM SO MUCH! The local office is useless too because they just blame everything on the payment center. I'm so sorry you're dealing with this nightmare. The whole system is BROKEN!!!!!

Im in similar situation but with disability. tried changing my payment date and its been 3 months with nothing happening. every time i call they just say its "processing" whatever that means. the payment center is backed up like crazy from what i hear. also for ur medicare - they WILL reimburse u but u gotta specifically ask for it when things get fixed. dont expect them to automatically do it. my dad had to pay 3 months of medicare and got all the money back but only cause he kept bugging them about it

Have you tried contacting your Congressional representative? That's what finally worked for me. Their office has special liaisons at SSA who can often get info and move things along when we regular people get stonewalled. Google your rep and look for "constituent services" on their website.

One important thing to verify - when you submitted your SSA-521 withdrawal request, did you specifically check the box indicating you wanted your survivor benefits to resume? Sometimes this isn't communicated clearly, and they might have just processed a withdrawal without the resumption of survivor benefits. Also, since it's been 8 weeks, you might want to submit a request through SSA's online Critical Case system. Any case with suspended benefits for 7+ weeks qualifies as critical. Your local office should be able to submit this for you, which flags your case for expedited handling. Regarding the Medicare premiums, when your benefits resume, you may see an "adjustment" for the premiums that should have been deducted. Make sure this doesn't create an overpayment situation where they think you owe them for missed premiums while also not reimbursing what you paid out of pocket.

just wondering if u ever got this resolved? im in a similar boat and scared about how long it might take

After reading through this thread, I think contacting your Congressional representative was a smart move. Their constituent services can often push things forward much faster than we can as individuals. Just to confirm a few technical points: 1. The form you filed (SSA-521) requests withdrawal of a claim, which is different from simply changing your month of entitlement. If you only wanted to delay by 3 months, a withdrawal might have been more complicated than necessary. 2. For Social Security retirement benefits, changing your month of entitlement can affect your benefit amount due to the monthly delayed retirement credits you earn after Full Retirement Age until age 70. 3. When transitioning from survivor to retirement benefits, there's often confusion about the Medicare premium transfers, which is why you're experiencing the issues with having to pay out of pocket. Keep detailed records of all your out-of-pocket Medicare payments. When your case is resolved, you'll need to submit Form SSA-795 (Statement of Claimant) with copies of your receipts to request reimbursement. This won't happen automatically.