I did everything online, except I went to the SS office to drop off my W-4V. The online application does not ask about voluntary withholding, supposedly the in person interview does FWIW - but I wasn't at all interested in applying in person. I was able to do the online application in my fuzzy slippers, and in the event I was missing a document I could just go find it, versus having a hitch in person due to a missing doc.
Yes, I’ll report back when things happen.
Thanks. We don’t plan to do withholding from SS.
That is also my situation, I've been paying for Medicare Part B directly for several months. Thank you!
I applied for SS to start Dec 2024 (age70 y/o). My wife (spouse) was notified by snail mail she needed to call SS. She called mid Dec, was scheduled for phone interview today (Jan 17, 2025). Received call, was asked birth date, marriage date, additional marriages, address, verify direct deposit info, etc. Also ask to compete and snail mail form SSA 3. SSA 3 is for "wage earner" (me) to confirm I am married to wife (spouse).
Interesting. I believe she gave them most if not all of that except for SSA3 when she signed up for SS. She’s been receiving benefits for almost 6 years. Another instance of why can’t they just do this all on line. Same as why not do the income tax with holding on line. SS is still doing things that could have been changed the last century. It definitely needs modernization. I ramble. Thanks for that info.
Wife as been getting SS based on her income for several years. SS already had all the information. When I applied on-line at 70y/o, I provide spousal information.
Thanks! Super helpful. There is an option to login without transitioning. I logged right in. Last login was 9 months ago. I was holding out for my benefit to hit a target and it has zoomed well past it. Now I have no reason to procrastinate but I am still reluctant for no good reason. I guess we’re doing ok without it.
That was decent of them! Who knew?
I love your sense of humor and am glad you made it across that highway!Wow, that is amazing. I'm so old that I did it all in person. Not a bad experience other than needing to find a parking place and get across Nimitz Hwy without getting run over.
I suppose your DW is correct. Until the money is in your bank account, nothing is totally confirmed. Good luck and enjoy your new source of income.
Heh, heh, my sense of humor is an acquired taste. Some folks here may not have acquired the taste yet but YMMV.
It is not a delay of your SS, it is a delay in the bar chart on the SS website going from 2 bars of 3, to 3 bars of 3. That is delayed until the month of your birthday. Then as always, you get your first check the month after it is due, it is paid in arrears. I signed up on Nov 12th, within a few days the bar was 2 out of 3. It didn't go to 3 out of 3 until less then a week before my birthday in March. Only 25 days left until my first check is deposited in my bank account. I hope!
I think the approval process and going to 3 depends on the location that does the review and approval. I applied in early January and was approved and showed as such on the bar graph and step 3 complete in less than two weeks. My start date is April.It is not a delay of your SS, it is a delay in the bar chart on the SS website going from 2 bars of 3, to 3 bars of 3. That is delayed until the month of your birthday. Then as always, you get your first check the month after it is due, it is paid in arrears. I signed up on Nov 12th, within a few days the bar was 2 out of 3. It didn't go to 3 out of 3 until less then a week before my birthday in March. Only 25 days left until my first check is deposited in my bank account. I hope!
Still working on it.
Were you already signed up for Medicare and paying for it?
I signed up for both at the same time. My letter shows Medicare to do two with holdings on my first check. Medicare premium for April and May and may to be with held from my first check which will be in May. Your explanation may be correct. I bet there would be a different explanation every time you contacted the SS office and who you talk to.
I was thinking you did and that is why you went to number 3 quickly and didn't have to wait until close to your birthday. As far as a "different explanation every time you contacted the SS office" I suspect 40, 50 or650 years ago, they ha d a bunch of double payments, one paid by the recipient and one taken from the SS check.
The SS Medicare payments are paying for the current month while the SS check is payment for the prior month, so it makes sense that you had two premiums withheld from the first check. Kind of gives you a break since you don’t have to pay ahead like we do.
I hope you are correct. My FRA is April 1. I applied for SS on Jan 12 and was sent to Seattle area SSA office for processing. Also have been self-paying for Medicare when I turned 65, 18 months ago. My SS application is still stuck on step 2 of 3. Hopefully, step 3 will get completed sometime in the next 2 weeks. All the recent bad news about how the SSA office is struggling with DOGE changes has been stressful.
DH signed up for SS in Jan to start benefits in May. We don’t expect to move to stage 3 until sometime early May and get the benefits details late May.
