Survivor benefits appointment chaos after SS Fairness Act discussion - Did my appointment even get scheduled?
I'm at my wit's end trying to apply for Social Security survivor benefits after my husband passed away last month. I finally got through to someone at my local SSA office yesterday after being on hold for 45 minutes! The agent took my information and scheduled me for a phone appointment in mid-February. Everything seemed fine until I mentioned the Social Security Fairness Act that was just signed. The conversation completely derailed! The agent got really defensive and insisted it wasn't actually law yet. When I tried to politely acknowledge her comment and confirm my appointment time, she kept interrupting me. She eventually just HUNG UP on me mid-sentence! Now I have no idea if my appointment is still scheduled or if she canceled it out of spite! Does anyone know if there's a way to check if my appointment is still in their system? Should I call back and potentially wait another hour just to verify? Is the 800-325-0778 number better than calling my local office again? I'm desperate and don't want to miss this appointment if it's still scheduled.
16 comments
Giovanni Greco
Ugh, that's terrible! The same thing happened to me last year when I called about my widow benefits. Some of these SSA reps can be so rude and unhelpful. I'd definitely call the national number instead of your local office. The number you have (800-325-0778) is actually for Medicare. For Social Security, use 800-772-1213. But be prepared to wait forever again! So frustrating!
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Amara Eze
•Thanks for the correct number! Did you ever figure out if your appointment was still in the system after they hung up on you?
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Fatima Al-Farsi
I work with SS beneficiaries regularly, and I can tell you that your appointment is probably still in the system even after that unfortunate interaction. The Social Security Fairness Act has been a hot-button issue for many SSA employees, especially those affected by WEP/GPO provisions, so it's unfortunate your conversation went that direction. To verify your appointment, you have three options: 1) Call the main SSA number (800-772-1213) and ask them to confirm your scheduled appointment 2) Check your MySocialSecurity online account if you have one - some appointments show up there 3) Visit your local office in person (though this often involves long wait times) And yes, definitely use the correct number. The one you listed (800-325-0778) is for Medicare, not general Social Security inquiries.
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Amara Eze
•Thank you for these options! I didn't realize the appointment might show in my online account - I'll check there first before calling again. And I had no idea the Fairness Act was so controversial with SSA employees... makes sense why she got so upset now.
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Dylan Wright
Check your mail too!!! When i got my survivor benefits appointment they sent a letter confirming it like 3 days later. might save u a phone call.
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Sofia Torres
The SS Fairness Act is still creating confusion because while it was signed, the implementation details are still being worked out. That doesn't excuse the representative's behavior though. For your appointment issue, have you tried using Claimyr? I was in a similar situation with my disability benefits application and couldn't get through to anyone. Someone here recommended Claimyr (claimyr.com) and it literally saved me hours of waiting. They get you connected to a real SSA agent usually within 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU It worked perfectly for confirming my appointment status and I didn't have to spend half a day on hold.
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GalacticGuardian
•does that claimyr thing actually work? seems sketchy to me
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Sofia Torres
•Yes, it does work. I was skeptical too but was desperate after trying to get through to SSA for three days. It's basically a service that navigates the phone tree for you and waits on hold, then calls you when they reach a representative. Saved me hours of frustration.
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Dmitry Smirnov
OMG THE EXACT SAME THING just happened to me last week!!!! I mentioned the Fairness Act when applying for my teacher retirement and SS benefits and the lady got SO SNIPPY with me! What is wrong with these people?? They act like we're attacking them personally when we just want what we're entitled to!!! I ended up having to call back THREE TIMES to finally get my appointment confirmed. This whole system is BROKEN!
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Ava Rodriguez
•Actually, the Social Security Fairness Act specifically addresses the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) that affects teachers and other public servants. Many SSA employees have strong opinions about it because it represents a major policy change after decades of these provisions being in place. It doesn't excuse poor customer service, but it helps to understand why it might be a sensitive topic. When calling about benefits, it's usually best to stick to your specific situation rather than bringing up pending legislation or policy changes.
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GalacticGuardian
this happens all the time with ssa. my mom tried to get survivors benefits last year and they kept giving her the runaround for months. finally she just went to the office in person and made them help her. might be worth a try if you can get there
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Ava Rodriguez
I'd recommend taking these steps to verify your survivor benefits appointment: 1. First, check your MySocialSecurity account online. Recent appointment scheduling improvements have made it so most appointments now appear in your account within 24 hours. 2. If you don't see it there, call the national number (800-772-1213) during off-peak hours (Wednesday-Friday, after 4pm ET tends to have shorter wait times). 3. When speaking with a representative, simply ask to verify your existing appointment. Don't mention the previous call or the Fairness Act to avoid any potential complications. 4. Request that they send you a confirmation email or text for the appointment. Regarding the Fairness Act, while it has been signed, there's still confusion about implementation timelines which has created some tension within the agency as they await formal guidance. However, this shouldn't affect your survivor benefits application process at all. When applying for survivor benefits, make sure you have your spouse's death certificate, your marriage certificate, both Social Security numbers, and your direct deposit information ready for your appointment.
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Amara Eze
•Thank you for these detailed steps! I'll definitely try calling during those off-peak hours. And thanks for the tip about not mentioning the previous call - I hadn't thought about how that might complicate things. I'll stick strictly to confirming my appointment.
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Dylan Wright
when my husband died two years ago i had so much trouble with survivor benefits.... just keep calling til you get someone nice. theres good people and mean people at every office
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Fatima Al-Farsi
Just to give you some peace of mind about your survivor benefits application - even if there was somehow an issue with your appointment (which is unlikely), you won't lose any benefits. Survivor benefits can be paid retroactively for up to six months from your application date. So even if you have to reschedule, you'll still receive all the benefits you're entitled to from your initial contact date. The SSA considers your first contact about applying as your protective filing date, which preserves your benefits while you complete the actual application. But definitely verify your appointment using the methods others have suggested. The national number (800-772-1213) is your best bet if you don't see anything in your online account.
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Amara Eze
•Oh that's such a relief! I was worried I'd lose money if my application got delayed. Knowing about the protective filing date helps a lot. Thank you!
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