I'm a retired firefighter dealing with the same GPO nightmare! Been married 31 years and my wife has been collecting Social Security since 2019. My pension is about $3,100/month so I won't see any spousal benefits until probably 2028 based on these calculations. What really gets me is that I paid into Social Security for 12 years before joining the fire department, but because my pension doesn't have SS taxes, I get penalized twice - once with GPO on spousal benefits and again with WEP on my own benefits from those early working years. The system is broken! At least this thread helped me understand the timeline better than any government website I've found. Going to start gathering my documents now so I'm ready when the time comes.

I'm a newer member here but have been following all these GPO discussions with great interest. My situation is a bit different - I'm 68 and worked as a county clerk for 25 years with a pension that didn't pay into Social Security. My husband passed away last year and I've been trying to figure out if I can get survivor benefits under the new law changes. From what I'm reading here, it sounds like the same GPO phase-out applies to survivor benefits too, not just spousal benefits? My pension is $1,800/month and my husband's Social Security was $2,200/month. Does anyone know if the calculations work the same way for widow benefits? I've been living on just my pension since he passed and could really use some clarity on this. Thanks to everyone sharing their knowledge - this community has been more helpful than months of trying to get answers from SSA directly!

I'm new to this community but not to SSA frustrations unfortunately! I went through something almost identical when I applied for my retirement benefits. What I discovered is that their computer system literally has "telephone" as the default setting, and even when staff manually change it to "in-person," sometimes the system reverts back overnight or during their daily processing updates. It's maddening! The secure messaging route that others mentioned really is your best bet - I had success with that approach when I explained that I had complicated work history documentation that required original document review. Make sure to save screenshots of your secure message and their response for your records. Also, if you know anyone who works in a Congressional office or even a state legislator's office, they often have "back door" contact methods for SSA that can bypass the normal phone tree nightmare. Don't give up - you deserve the in-person service you specifically requested!

I'm a newcomer here but unfortunately not new to SSA appointment issues! I just went through something very similar last month when applying for my retirement benefits. What I found most helpful was being extremely specific in my secure message about WHY I needed in-person service. Since you mentioned WEP calculations, that's actually a perfect reason - those pension offset calculations are genuinely complex and SSA staff know they require careful document review that can't be done properly over the phone. In my secure message, I wrote something like "I specifically requested in-person service on [date] because my WEP pension documentation requires original document verification that cannot be adequately reviewed during a telephone appointment." I also mentioned the exact window number and approximate time of my visit. They responded within 2 days and switched me back to in-person. The key is making it clear this wasn't just a preference but a legitimate need based on the complexity of your case. Don't let their system error derail your retirement application!

I'm in a similar situation planning for retirement abroad! Just wanted to add another option that hasn't been mentioned yet - some people use a combination approach where they keep a larger emergency fund in a high-yield US savings account and do smaller, more frequent transfers to Portugal. This way you're not tying up too much money overseas but still have regular access to funds. Also, for anyone considering this path, I'd strongly recommend doing a "test run" for a few months before making any permanent moves. Try living off just what you can access through your planned Portuguese banking setup while keeping your US accounts as backup. This will help you identify any gaps or issues in your system before you're fully committed to living abroad. One more tip - if you're planning to spend significant time in Portugal, consider getting a Portuguese credit card once you establish residency and banking there. Having local credit can be helpful for things like car rentals, hotel bookings, and building a credit history in Portugal if you ever want to finance anything there later.

I've been living between the US and Europe for the past few years and can confirm what others have said - keeping your US bank account is definitely the way to go. One thing I'd add is that you might want to consider notifying Chase about your travel plans in advance. Some banks will freeze accounts if they see unusual overseas activity without warning, even for legitimate transactions. Also, regarding the Medicare situation that Ava brought up - this is HUGE and often overlooked. I learned the hard way that Medicare Part B has a "travel limitation" - you're paying those monthly premiums but getting zero coverage outside the US. Some people do suspend Part B while living abroad long-term, but as mentioned, there can be penalties when you re-enroll unless you have "creditable coverage." Portugal does have excellent healthcare that's much more affordable than the US, but it's worth getting proper international health insurance to bridge any gaps. One last tip: if you're planning to use ATMs frequently in Portugal, try to find ones that are part of your US bank's partner network to minimize fees. Chase has partnerships with some international banks that can reduce or eliminate ATM charges.

I have been getting retirement for a long time and I was born on the 4th of January ; I aways got my check on the 3rd of the ninth --has that changed

I'm so glad I found this thread! I just started receiving Social Security benefits last month and have been completely puzzled by the payment timing. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly reassuring - it sounds like this confusion is totally normal for new beneficiaries. I was born on the 16th, so based on what everyone is saying, I should expect my payments on the third Wednesday of each month. My first payment seemed to come at a random time, which explains why I've been checking my account obsessively! I'm definitely going to download that SSA payment calendar and set up those bank notifications that people mentioned. It's amazing how much stress this uncertainty was causing me - I was starting to worry there was something wrong with my application. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences!

Hi everyone! As a newcomer to this community, I just experienced this exact same ID.me verification situation about 2 days ago and wanted to share my experience. Like so many others here, I was initially very concerned when ID.me suddenly requested my driver's license photo and selfie after using the same login process for about 8 months without any issues. This thread has been absolutely invaluable in helping me understand what was happening! I followed the thorough verification steps that multiple community members have recommended: I went directly to SSA.gov by typing the URL myself, found their official security page explaining the ID.me partnership, and called the SSA customer service line at 1-800-772-1213. The representative confirmed that this enhanced verification is indeed their official security upgrade and explained that the phased rollout is why existing users are suddenly encountering these requirements. I completed the verification process yesterday and it took about 7 minutes total. The lighting tips from Kevin and others were spot-on - I positioned myself near a window with good natural light, which really helped the selfie portion go smoothly. Everything has been working normally since then. What I find most reassuring about this discussion is seeing how many people independently verified this through official channels and had consistently positive experiences. It really helps distinguish legitimate security upgrades from potential scams. As someone who was initially quite skeptical, I'm grateful for this community resource that provided the confidence and practical guidance I needed to navigate this unexpected change safely. Thanks to everyone who shared their detailed verification steps and experiences!

Hi everyone! As a newcomer to this community, I just went through this exact same ID.me verification experience yesterday and wanted to add my voice to this incredibly helpful discussion. Like so many others here, I was initially very alarmed when ID.me suddenly prompted me for my driver's license photo and selfie after using the same login process for about 7 months without any changes. Reading through all these detailed experiences has been so reassuring! I followed the same careful verification approach that multiple community members have outlined: I navigated directly to SSA.gov by typing the URL myself, located their official security documentation about the ID.me partnership, and called the SSA customer service line at 1-800-772-1213 for direct confirmation. The representative was very patient and confirmed that this enhanced verification is their official security protocol being rolled out in phases. I completed the verification process this morning and it took about 8 minutes total. The lighting tips from Kevin and others were incredibly helpful - I made sure I had good natural light from a window, which made the selfie portion work seamlessly on the first try. Everything has been functioning normally since then. What strikes me most about this thread is how many people took the initiative to independently verify this through official government sources and consistently had positive experiences. It really demonstrates the value of community discussions for helping people navigate unexpected security changes while staying vigilant about potential fraud. As someone who was genuinely worried this might be a sophisticated phishing attempt, I'm so grateful for everyone who shared their verification steps and experiences - it gave me the confidence to proceed safely. Thanks to this amazing community for creating such a valuable resource!