Suspending Social Security benefits at FRA - can I really mail in the request instead of calling?
I just reached my full retirement age last month and I'm thinking about suspending my Social Security retirement benefits while I continue working for a couple more years to maximize my benefit amount later. I've heard horror stories about waiting on the phone for hours to reach someone at SSA, and a friend mentioned I could just mail in a suspension request instead. Is this actually true? If so, what specific information do I need to include in my letter? Has anyone successfully suspended their benefits by mail? I'd really appreciate any advice or personal experiences with this process.
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Connor Murphy
Yes, you absolutely can request a benefit suspension by mail! I did this last year. In your letter, include your full name, Social Security number, date of birth, current address, phone number, and a clear statement that you want to voluntarily suspend your retirement benefits. Make sure to sign and date it. Send it to your local SSA office (find the address on SSA.gov) with 'BENEFIT SUSPENSION REQUEST' written at the top. I sent mine via certified mail so I'd have proof it was delivered. They processed mine in about 3 weeks with no issues.
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QuantumQuest
•Thank you so much for this detailed information! Did they send you any confirmation that they'd received your request or processed it? I'm worried about sending it and then not knowing if they actually did it.
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Yara Haddad
i tried the mail thing and they never got back to me had to call anyway waste of time
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QuantumQuest
•Oh no, that's exactly what I'm worried about. How long did you wait before calling?
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Yara Haddad
•like a month then gave up and called took 3 hrs on hold tho
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Keisha Robinson
Just wondering - why would you want to suspend benefits you're already getting? Don't they increase automatically every year with COLA? I'm confused why this would be a good idea. I'd keep taking the money!
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Connor Murphy
•It's actually a smart strategy if you've reached FRA but don't need the income right now. When you suspend benefits, your eventual payment increases by 8% per year (up until age 70). That's way more than COLA increases, which are usually 2-3%. So if the original poster suspends for 2-3 years, they'll get a significantly higher monthly amount for the rest of their life when they restart benefits.
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Paolo Conti
BE CAREFUL with this!!! I suspended my benefits by mail last year and it TOOK FOREVER to process!!!! They kept sending me checks for 2 MORE MONTHS after my request! Then I had to PAY BACK all that money they sent me after they FINALLY processed my suspension!!! The letter wasn't enough - you should DEFINITELY call them too to confirm it was processed properly. The SSA is TOTALLY INCOMPETENT these days!!!!
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QuantumQuest
•That sounds like a nightmare! I definitely don't want to deal with having to pay back benefits. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and call them...
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Amina Sow
I've helped several clients with benefit suspensions. While mail is technically an option, I always recommend following up with a phone call about 5-7 business days after sending your letter. Here's what your suspension request should include: - Full legal name - Social Security number - Date of birth - Return address and contact phone - Clear statement: "I request voluntary suspension of my retirement benefits effective [date]" - Your signature (must be ink, not digital) - Date of signing Send it certified mail with return receipt. Keep copies of everything. And remember: the suspension can only take effect the month after your request is processed, not retroactively.
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QuantumQuest
•Thank you for this detailed list. The specific wording is very helpful. Is there any downside to requesting an effective date that's a month or two in the future to make sure they have time to process it? Or should I just let them set the effective date based on when they process it?
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Amina Sow
•Great question. You can specify a future month for the suspension to begin, and that's actually a good strategy. I usually recommend requesting a date that's 4-6 weeks out from when you send the letter. That gives SSA time to process it without risking overpayments you'd need to return. Just be very clear in your letter: "I request voluntary suspension of my retirement benefits effective [specific month, year]."
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GalaxyGazer
I've been trying to reach SSA for WEEKS about adjusting my benefits!!! Spent HOURS on hold and either get disconnected or they close before answering! Is suspending benefits the same as withdrawing? I'm so confused about all these terms. If I suspend now at 67 and restart at 70, will I get back payments for those 3 years?
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Connor Murphy
•No, suspending and withdrawing are totally different. Withdrawing means canceling your application entirely and paying back ALL benefits received - you can only do this within 12 months of first receiving benefits. Suspending means temporarily stopping your benefits at or after FRA. You don't get payments during suspension, but you earn delayed retirement credits of 8% per year until age 70. When you restart benefits, you DON'T get back payments for the suspension period - that's the trade-off for getting the higher permanent amount later.
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Oliver Wagner
I recently discovered a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to SSA in under 2 hours after I'd been trying for days. Check out their video at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - basically they hold your place in line and call you when an agent is ready. I was skeptical but it worked great when I needed to handle my wife's survivor benefits. Might be worth considering if you decide the mail route is too uncertain for your benefit suspension. Their website is claimyr.com
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Yara Haddad
•does it actually work? sounds too good to be true tbh
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Oliver Wagner
•It definitely worked for me. I was getting nowhere trying to call on my own - constant busy signals or disconnects after waiting forever. With their service I got through to a rep in about 90 minutes. For something important like suspending benefits, I wouldn't take chances with mail after hearing these stories.
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Paolo Conti
The WHOLE SYSTEM is broken!!!! I mailed in my benefit suspension request, then had to call a DOZEN TIMES because they LOST IT, then they told me I had to come to the office IN PERSON!!! Two months WASTED!!!
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Keisha Robinson
•That's terrible! Did you ever get it resolved? I'm approaching FRA soon and stories like this make me nervous about the whole process.
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QuantumQuest
Thanks everyone for the advice! I think I'm going to try a combined approach. I'll send in the detailed letter via certified mail with all the information suggested, but also try to follow up by phone about a week later to confirm they received it and are processing it. If the phone wait is too frustrating, I might try that Claimyr service someone mentioned. I definitely want to avoid any overpayments or delays. I'll update here once I get it all figured out in case it helps anyone else.
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