First Social Security Check!!

C

CindyBlue

Full time employment: Posting here.
Joined
Feb 28, 2017
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807
It got here one day late. When it didn't show up in my account yesterday, I waited until this morning, and then called Social Security to see where it was. The number they had for the account where it was supposed to be deposited had two digits that were transposed - grrr! But she fixed it on her end, and told me to call my bank. I did, and they fixed it, and the money was in my account within an hour.

I know I've earned it, but it still feels as if I'm being paid for not working!:dance:

My (older) sister says I am now officially old - and welcomed me to the club :)

Edited to add: Once I got past the standard and very irritating pre-talk ("if you need this, press one..if you need that, press 2" etc.) the Social Security gal I was eventually connected with was great. She was sympathetic and very nice, and seemed eager to find the solution to my problem. She went through the steps methodically and had it solved within about ten minutes. The next 15 minutes or so, she carefully walked me thought the process I needed to follow when I called or visited my bank. The whole process was much easer than I'd thought it would be!
 
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One day late, not what one wants but, something one can live with.

Now, if it was also one dollar short? That would be aggravating!

Congratulations on joining the SS ranks on the receiving end instead of the paying end.
 
Congratulations Cindy. Glad everything was resolved quickly and to your liking. I'll be getting my first check in August. Hopefully it does not become wayward. :)
 
Congrats, Cindy! How long did it take from application to deposit? My DW applied online a couple of days ago, thus our curiosity.
 
CindyBlue, I'm curious what you had to have your bank do. I would have thought that it was purely on the side of the Social Security Administration to properly do a direct deposit into your account.
 
Congratulations.
 
Congratulations!!
Rocking chair money I call it, Wednesday is payed day. Lol
 
racy said:
Congrats, Cindy! How long did it take from application to deposit? My DW applied online a couple of days ago, thus our curiosity.
Click to expand...

According to my Social Security Online record, I applied in mid December for a March FRA, which means I applied three months ahead, and they approved it in early March. I got my first check in April because, apparently, they send the first check - and every check - a month after you are supposed to get it (grrr!)

According to the Social Security website, you should "Apply four months before you want your Social Security retirement benefits to start." By that schedule, I was a month late in applying for a March first check, because it just slipped my mind while we were dealing with my dad's care (Alzheimer's and covid and the nursing home...sigh...he passed away in mid January.) So I actually received my first check four months later...maybe they were thinking of that month after when they said to apply four months early...I'm not sure.

But they came through - yay!
 
PaunchyPirate said:
CindyBlue, I'm curious what you had to have your bank do. I would have thought that it was purely on the side of the Social Security Administration to properly do a direct deposit into your account.
Click to expand...

The Social Security gal (who was very nice and very efficient!) said that she checked the records, and that my bank "...still has the money - they have not returned it to the Treasury yet." How she knew that, I don't know. She said that the money would be just sitting there, because there was no account matching that name and checking account number.

She said to call my bank, specifically ask for the bank manager, tell them what the situation was and that Social Security has already fixed the switched-digit problem, and that they (the bank) need to transfer the money they were holding into my account. She gave me a very long "trace number" to give to the bank manager, which number would send them to the folder at Social Security where the information about my phone call and her correction was.

I explained all this to the fellow in customer service that I reached when I called my bank. He researched the issue on his end, and said he could fix it for me, but if I needed to speak to the bank manager, I could. I told him to go ahead and fix it, and he clicked away on his computer, and then said he had done his part and would send the information to the computer department (he didn't call it that, but I can't remember what term he used) and they would put it into the system and I'd have the money in my account by late that day. I told him that I had a "trace number" from Social Security for him, but he said he didn't need it. As it turned out, the money was in my account within the hour.

Both phone calls took less than an hour...amazing, considering I was dealing with Social Security and their long phone wait times. But I dialed their number at exactly 8:00 AM, when they open, so I was only caller number 2 (someone has faster fingers than I do (smile!))
 
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Congrats! Still over 3 years away for me, over 5 for DW, but I am sure it’ll be surreal when we start.
 
My wife's FRA is 66 and 2 months. Her birthday is in the latter part of May. So does she apply for benefits to begin in July or in August in order to get full benefit?
 
CindyBlue said:
According to my Social Security Online record, I applied in mid December for a March FRA, which means I applied three months ahead, and they approved it in early March. I got my first check in April because, apparently, they send the first check - and every check - a month after you are supposed to get it (grrr!)

According to the Social Security website, you should "Apply four months before you want your Social Security retirement benefits to start." By that schedule, I was a month late in applying for a March first check, because it just slipped my mind while we were dealing with my dad's care (Alzheimer's and covid and the nursing home...sigh...he passed away in mid January.) So I actually received my first check four months later...maybe they were thinking of that month after when they said to apply four months early...I'm not sure.

But they came through - yay!
Click to expand...

IIRC, if you file for early benefits (collecting before your FRA) you are delayed by one month. If you file for benefits starting or after your FRA, you get it on the month chosen. At least I think that was it. DW and I both filed starting on our FRA. Her on her benefits and me filing spousal. I seem to recall that we received benefits on the month we of our FRA. This was a couple of years ago and I may be mis-remembering the details.
 
It's always a nice feeling to know that check will show up every month!
Glad your issue was resolved so easily and quickly.
 
CindyBlue said:
The Social Security gal (who was very nice and very efficient!) said that she checked the records, and that my bank "...still has the money - they have not returned it to the Treasury yet." How she knew that, I don't know. She said that the money would be just sitting there, because there was no account matching that name and checking account number.

She said to call my bank, specifically ask for the bank manager, tell them what the situation was and that Social Security has already fixed the switched-digit problem, and that they (the bank) need to transfer the money they were holding into my account. She gave me a very long "trace number" to give to the bank manager, which number would send them to the folder at Social Security where the information about my phone call and her correction was.

I explained all this to the fellow in customer service that I reached when I called my bank. He researched the issue on his end, and said he could fix it for me, but if I needed to speak to the bank manager, I could. I told him to go ahead and fix it, and he clicked away on his computer, and then said he had done his part and would send the information to the computer department (he didn't call it that, but I can't remember what term he used) and they would put it into the system and I'd have the money in my account by late that day. I told him that I had a "trace number" from Social Security for him, but he said he didn't need it. As it turned out, the money was in my account within the hour.

Both phone calls took less than an hour...amazing, considering I was dealing with Social Security and their long phone wait times. But I dialed their number at exactly 8:00 AM, when they open, so I was only caller number 2 (someone has faster fingers than I do (smile!))
Click to expand...

That makes perfect sense. However, I'm still surprised it got fixed that simply. Hahaha. But I'm glad it worked out. Enjoy the income!
 
CRLLS said:
IIRC, if you file for early benefits (collecting before your FRA) you are delayed by one month. If you file for benefits starting or after your FRA, you get it on the month chosen. At least I think that was it. DW and I both filed starting on our FRA. Her on her benefits and me filing spousal. I seem to recall that we received benefits on the month we of our FRA. This was a couple of years ago and I may be mis-remembering the details.
Click to expand...

Interesting, because I filed for getting my benefits at my FRA of 66 and two months, which was March. The check arrived the month after.
 
SS is always paid one month later. Your March benefit is paid in April. April benefit is paid in May, etc.
 
Social Security only pays for full months of eligibility, so they need to know that you made it to the end of the month. Hence, they pay in arrears. The exact day the next month depends on your birthday, but it is always the next month.
 
timbervest said:
My wife's FRA is 66 and 2 months. Her birthday is in the latter part of May. So does she apply for benefits to begin in July or in August in order to get full benefit?
Click to expand...

I understood the application process as that I should apply four months before the month it was to actually start, which was March, two months after my birth month (66 and 2 months.)

So because my Social Security was supposed to start in March, by my thinking I should have applied in November (but due to family circumstances, I applied what I consider to be one month late, in December) for my March Social Security start.
 
Congratulations!

I believe DW receiving her first SS check influenced her decision to retire from even part time work. She had a bit of delay as birth certificate abbreviation of her country and continent of birth matched a state abbreviation, and we were getting "there's no city in that state with that name". But fortunately they realized it was there problem so it did not take too long to straighten out.

She had the same feeling of "wow, I get this money and do not have to work for it!"

The other nice thing are the "raises" from COL and her part-time earnings adjustments. It is her money to "Blow That Dough!" but for now she just wants me to invest it.
 
I filed at 60 on my deceased wife's account, so already registered. I'll collect her dough and let my own benefit rise.
 
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