Survivor benefits after FRA with WEP/GPO as retired teacher - trouble getting appointment
I'm finally trying to claim survivor benefits on my deceased ex-husband's record, but I'm hitting roadblocks with the appointment system. I'm over FRA (67) with a PERA disability pension from teaching in Colorado, so I know I'm affected by both WEP and GPO. I have some SS credits from other jobs, but I believe my ex's benefit would be higher (we were married 17 years before divorcing). I visited my local SSA office in January where they made copies of my marriage certificate and divorce decree. The rep gave me a protective filing date of January 17th and said another office would contact me for an appointment. It's been weeks with no call, so I started phoning them. Everyone's polite but no appointment yet - they just keep telling me to call back later this week. Two main concerns: 1) How can I speed up getting an appointment? I've heard people are waiting months! 2) How do I make sure I get the 6 months of retroactive payments if my protective filing date was January 17th? I've heard some people contact their representatives for help with SSA issues. Should I consider this route if I can't get an appointment soon? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! This WEP/GPO situation with survivor benefits is complicated enough without the appointment hassles.
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Tyler Lefleur
You definitely need to contact your Congressional rep's office! I waited 3 MONTHS trying to get an appointment for my disability review, calling every week, and nothing happened. Then I contacted my rep's office and miraculously got an appointment within 10 DAYS! They have special liaisons who can cut through the red tape. Don't wait - the SSA is COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED right now.
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Camila Jordan
•Thank you for the suggestion! Did you contact them by phone or email? I'm not sure what information I'll need to provide to my representative's office when I reach out.
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Madeline Blaze
Regarding your retroactive benefits question - if you were given a protective filing date of January 17th, that's the date they'll use to calculate your retroactive benefits, regardless of when your actual appointment happens. Since you're past FRA, you should be eligible for up to 6 months of retroactive benefits before your protective filing date. Make sure to specifically request this during your appointment. As for speeding up the appointment, have you tried the online appointment scheduler on ssa.gov? Some offices are now offering this option. If that's not available, yes, contacting your Congressional representative is a legitimate approach, especially if you're experiencing financial hardship due to the delay.
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Camila Jordan
•I haven't tried the online scheduler - I'll check that right away! So if I understand correctly, even though my protective filing date is January 17th, I could potentially get benefits going back to July 17th of last year? That would be a huge help financially.
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Max Knight
same thing happened to me last year. keep calling and calling. i finally got through to someone who actually helped. the key is to call right when they open in the morning. i had to redial like 30 times but eventually got through. dont give up!!
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Camila Jordan
•Thanks for the encouragement! I'll try calling right at opening time tomorrow. Did you have to wait long for your appointment once you finally got through?
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Emma Swift
If you're having trouble getting through to Social Security on the phone, you might want to check out Claimyr (claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation waiting weeks for an appointment about my widow's benefits and getting nowhere. They connect you with a Social Security agent usually within an hour instead of waiting on hold all day. Saved me weeks of frustration. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Worth it just to finally get answers about my situation.
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Isabella Tucker
•Is this legit? Sounds too good to be true honestly. Social Security's phone system is notoriously awful.
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Emma Swift
•Yes, it's legitimate. I was skeptical too but it worked for me. They don't handle your personal info - they just connect you to SSA's actual phone line but skip the hold time. Then you talk directly with a real SSA agent.
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Jayden Hill
I'm a retired federal employee who deals with this stuff regularly. Your situation is complicated by several factors: 1. Ex-spouse survivor benefits require manual processing 2. WEP/GPO calculations are complex and require specialist review 3. Being over FRA with retroactive benefits adds another layer My advice: - Call your local office early morning (8:00-8:30am) daily - Ask specifically for an appointment with a Technical Expert who understands WEP/GPO - If no appointment within 2 weeks, contact your Congressional rep - Prepare these documents: marriage certificate, divorce decree, death certificate, your recent PERA statements, and proof of age Regarding retroactive benefits: With a protective filing date of January 17th and being over FRA, you could potentially receive benefits back to July 17th of last year. Make sure this is specifically noted during your appointment.
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Camila Jordan
•Thank you so much for this detailed response! I didn't realize I needed a Technical Expert specifically. I'll definitely request that when I call tomorrow morning. I have all those documents except the death certificate - I wasn't sure if I needed that since we were divorced. Should I try to obtain it?
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Jayden Hill
•Yes, you'll need the death certificate even though you were divorced. SSA needs to verify his death date to establish when survivor benefits become payable. Your local vital records office in the county where he passed away can provide it, or you can try online services like VitalChek if he died in another state.
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LordCommander
be carful about the GPO thing... it can really reduce ur benefits. my mom was a teacher in texas and lost almost ALL of her widow benefits bcuz of GPO. they took like 2/3 of it away!!! did anyone calculate how much ur actually gonna get after GPO reduction? might not be worth all this trouble honestly
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Camila Jordan
•This is exactly what worries me. I haven't had anyone calculate the exact GPO reduction yet. I know my PERA disability pension is about $2,450/month, and I believe my ex's Social Security benefit was around $2,800. Does anyone know how to calculate how much I'd actually receive?
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Madeline Blaze
•The GPO reduction is typically 2/3 of your PERA pension amount. So if your pension is $2,450, approximately $1,633 would be deducted from any Social Security spousal or survivor benefit. If your ex's benefit was $2,800, you might receive around $1,167 monthly after the GPO reduction ($2,800 - $1,633). However, this is a rough estimate - the actual calculation can be more complex based on your specific situation.
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Tyler Lefleur
DONT WAIT!!!! Contact your rep NOW! The backlog is getting WORSE not better. My mom waited 5 months for her widow benefits appointment and lost out on money because of it!!!
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Camila Jordan
•That's concerning to hear. I'll look up my representative's contact info today. Did your mom eventually get her retroactive benefits, or did she lose those completely?
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Tyler Lefleur
•She got some retroactive pay but not all she was entitled to because of confusion about her filing date. That's why I'm saying DON'T WAIT - get your rep involved ASAP! They have staff who deal with SSA problems all day long.
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