Not so smooth with SSA

[pacergal]

Well that sounds frustrating.

[Hermit]

The latest update:


This is the big day for my SSA phone appointment at 10:30. I was down in my motor home gathering all my data to have for the appointment. While down there I saw that I got a call with the local area code at 9:27. No message left, but I wondered if it could be from SSA. I called the number back and sure enough it was from Social Security. The answering machine said the number was not in service and I should call their local office 800 number. I called that number at about 10:00 and it said the office was closed. It had a voice menu, but the first part of the menu was over written with a long message about fraudulent SSA phone calls. There was no way to talk to anyone or leave a message. By this time I am pretty sure blood pressure was in the instant heart attack range. My assumption was I had missed my appointment and I would have to start this mulit-month process all over again. As a last resort I called the national SSA number to find out if I could possibly get back in the queue for my appointment. After about a 35 minute delay I got to talk to a representative. She told me they were on a delayed opening at my local office due to snow and that I should wait for another hour to see if I got my appointment call. Sure enough, the phone appointment came through at about 11:30. I think it was about 15 minutes long. The next step is a letter from SSA stating all the data we went over. If there are any errors I need to correct them and send it back. Otherwise I just wait for the larger check to hit my bank account in March. I think I am happy, but I need to wait for my blood pressure to come back down to know for sure.

[jazz4cash]

Was gonna signup in person at the local office but. I guess I’ll need to sign up online.
https://www.baltimoresun.com/marylan...ene-story.html

[H2ODude]

We did ours, file and suspend, on line. Easy peasy. Hopefully when we turn 70 it will be same when we switch to mine as primary and she takes half.

[levindb]

I believe the switch from SUSPEND to getting benefits will start automatically at age 70.

The switch from SPOUSAL to OWN benefit, however will take another online session....but should still be easy peasy (sp?) and you could submit it a few months early with a start date equal to age 70 birthdate.

[Hermit]

I am very happy to report that the larger SS check hit my account today! I got notice that it would be showing up this month and that the smaller check from the late DW's account would cease a couple of weeks ago. I can log in to my SS account and see the breakdown. I'll have to run the tax software for next year's numbers and adjust the Federal withholding as needed.

[Perryinva]

Congrats. That is one of those, “well, if I have to be 70, then at least this is one thing good about it”, kind of thing. It will be a bigger deal for us in 8 years, me going from no SS to max.