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DH will be FRA the end of this month. We have specifically planned for him to start his benefit in December so that he doesn't get his first check until January. For several reasons we need to keep our income down for this year, plus it would be convenient for Medicare payments (I have already paid the quarterly amount). We couldn't get an appointment until the very end of November which would be too late for his checks to start in January.
I put in his application earlier this month and where it said "Do you want to start your benefit October, 2017" I said NO, then for the question "When do you want to start" I picked December, 2017. In another area where it asks why you want to wait, I picked "I don't retire until this date"...or something to that effect. This is all stated on the application I printed out when I did it. So what happens?? Today he gets a letter from SS saying that his application was approved and his benefits would start October, 2017 with his first check arriving November 22, 2017 along with Medicare being deducted from the check. What the F%^* ???
So he decided to call and managed to get through, but be put on hold. Said it would be about 1 hr 15min. Ok, plugged in the phone and sat there listening to how sorry they were for the wait and our call was important and we could apply online (yeah, tried that, didn't work). 1 hr. and 12 minutes later we heard the phone being picked up...........then silence. 30 sec. later we get hung up on. I looked at the clock........yep, 5:01. They kept us on hold until the end of the day and then hung up!!! He did leave a voicemail message for someone he spoke to before about the appt. Hopefully she calls back on Monday. He has to be out of town for the next 2 weeks, so hopefully she doesn't call back when he is driving!!
Next time your husband applies for SS do it online. Seemless and no misunderstanding as you are the one imputing the information, not some caseworker working off the forms you mailed in.
The statement about your husband was tongue in cheek, but my post is a cautionary tale. In this modern age everything is set to be done online. And it works just fine!
I recently applied for social security online and was surprised at how easy it was. The application was pretty straightforward and simple. I truly expected something different, but seven days or so after applying, I could go online to see my approved status and a some many days after that received my Notice of Award letter in the mail.
Just as another poster stated, let's see (hope) the first deposit on or about January 18th will happen just as flawlessly.
Oh yeah, and shortly after that I received a letter from IRS, saying "Hello Jill! Remember me? Been look for ya! Can we talk? (We did, and the resolution was easy).
I had problems with my application. I had a few questions and needed to tie some of the decisions to my spouse. So I read up on the answers and then we both went to the SS office. First off they said my spouse and I could not talk to the person at the same time. We both went in. I explained the problems and the SS person agreed and said he understood. I though he did. I had filled out the online forms but he could not retrieve so we went through the whole process again. Then he gave us the documents to sign. I pointed out that he had my spouses benefits starting before the spouse was eligible. He said I was wrong and go ahead and sign. Then we get a letter that the spouses benefits were wrong, I start getting checks (I was suspended) etc. Lots of problems and took about 6 months to straighten out. Even the year end tax forms were wrong.
Then I moved and went to the local SS office for another problem. Very efficient and helpful. No problems.
My position is you have to know the correct answer before you go and online and phone will probably work for most problems.
Sorry, I guess I didn't make that clear...........we DID apply online and that's where they screwed it up. Clicked all the correct boxes, submitted and apparently they didn't even bother to actually read our answers. I even printed out the online application so I have a record of how it was filled out, so I have proof that it was done correctly. They still screwed it up.
I get so frustrated because everything we do seems to have a hassle to it. And I'm always the one that has to fix it all. I spend more of my time on the phone getting things fixed than actually doing something in the first place. And apparently people just don't seem to care to help you out anymore.....hey, it's not their situation that's getting screwed up.
Well, the woman that DH left a message for called him back today (amazing!). Bottom line is that she fully admitted that someone in Baltimore screwed up his online application. Unfortunately she claims that she couldn't do anything about it. The only way it could be fixed was for him to withdraw his application (on paper) and then reapply.....BUT....it couldn't be done online again and would require him to go to the SS office and wait for hours to have it done on paper.
We have decided to just leave it as it is as it wouldn't be worth all the hassle for an extra 2 months. And I can absolutely see the government screwing it all up again by withdrawing it and then reapplying so quickly, and frankly I'm just tired of hassling to fix things that someone else screws up. Plus should Medicare go up more than the 2% he would qualify for the hold harmless clause. He is working with his boss to delay some income. So apparently even if you do everything correctly and do it online they can still get it wrong. But I guess we will adapt.
Sorry, I guess I didn't make that clear...........we DID apply online and that's where they screwed it up. Clicked all the correct boxes, submitted and apparently they didn't even bother to actually read our answers. I even printed out the online application so I have a record of how it was filled out, so I have proof that it was done correctly. They still screwed it up.
I get so frustrated because everything we do seems to have a hassle to it. And I'm always the one that has to fix it all. I spend more of my time on the phone getting things fixed than actually doing something in the first place. And apparently people just don't seem to care to help you out anymore.....hey, it's not their situation that's getting screwed up.
That is what I always say too "Everything is a damn hassle" Arghhhhhhhhhhh
I feel your pain!!
That is what I always say too "Everything is a damn hassle" Arghhhhhhhhhhh
I feel your pain!!
Unfortunately I have already paid this quarter's Medicare premiums, so now we have to wait and see if we get 2 months refunded. I don't know how long that is going to take, but if we don't get it by February I guess I will be on the phone again. Or maybe I'll just contact my senator and let him deal with it.[CENTER]Save[/CENTER]
I have nothing good to say about Medicare. I wish I had never applied for it. I pray I can go thru private individual insurance once again. Imo, everything the government sticks it's nose into costs much more money & time and the results are mediocre at best. And what we are subjected to never applies to Congress. Getting really fed up with that.
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