As someone who recently went through a similar WEP situation, I wanted to share another resource that might help while you're trying to get through to SSA. The AARP website has a pretty detailed WEP calculator that can give you a rough estimate of your reduction based on your pension amount and years of substantial Social Security earnings. It's not as accurate as talking to an SSA rep directly, but it can help you get a ballpark figure while you're waiting to connect with someone. I used it before my appointment and it was within about $50 of what the SSA specialist calculated for me. Also, if you're comfortable with it, some fee-only financial planners who specialize in retirement planning are really knowledgeable about WEP calculations and can walk you through the process. Obviously you'll still want to verify everything with SSA directly, but it might help you understand the basics and prepare better questions for when you do get through. The 9am strategy definitely works - I got through in 12 minutes last Tuesday using that approach!

As someone who just went through this exact same process, I completely feel your pain! I had the same WEP questions about my state pension and spent WEEKS trying to get through to SSA. What finally worked for me was calling my local office at exactly 9:00 AM when they opened - got through in under 20 minutes! The rep was able to calculate my WEP reduction on the spot and it was actually $400 less per month than I had estimated using online calculators. Also, make sure to specifically ask for a written benefit estimate when you get through - having those numbers in writing is incredibly helpful for retirement planning. The phone system is absolutely terrible, but don't give up! The early morning strategy really does work, and once you get the right person on the line, they're usually very knowledgeable about WEP calculations. Hang in there!

I'm a former SSA field office manager who handled hundreds of survivor benefit cases, and I want to share some critical insider knowledge that could help you navigate this situation more effectively. First, regarding the "benefit preservation scheme" concern raised earlier - while SSA does scrutinize some arrangements, legitimate guardianships established for valid reasons are still fully recognized. The key is demonstrating that the guardianship serves the child's best interests beyond just financial considerations. Here's what SSA considers legitimate reasons for guardianship over adoption: - Preserving inheritance rights from biological father's family - Maintaining access to father's veteran/union/employer benefits - Continuing established medical/therapeutic relationships tied to father's insurance - Preserving the child's legal connection to father's family for emotional/cultural reasons When calling SSA, use this exact phrasing: "I'm researching how adoption affects survivor benefits for educational purposes. What is SSA's policy when a stepparent adopts a child receiving survivor benefits?" This frames it as general research rather than a personal situation. Most importantly - SSA has a 60-day grace period for reporting family changes. If you do proceed with any legal arrangements, you have 60 days to report them without penalty. Use this time wisely to ensure all paperwork is filed correctly. One final tip: Request written confirmation of any verbal information SSA provides. Ask them to send a letter confirming their policy explanation to your address. This creates an official record that protects you if there are any future disputes about what you were told.

As someone who went through a similar situation, I want to emphasize how important it is to get multiple professional opinions before making this decision. I consulted with three different attorneys - one specializing in family law, one in Social Security benefits, and one in estate planning - and each brought up different considerations I hadn't thought of. One thing that really helped me was creating a detailed financial comparison spreadsheet. I calculated not just the immediate loss of survivor benefits, but also factored in things like the tax advantages of those benefits (they're not taxable income), potential college funding impacts, and what my new husband's financial contribution would need to be to replace that income after taxes. Also consider your daughter's emotional connection to her father's legacy. At 10, she's old enough to have feelings about maintaining that legal connection through benefits versus having a new legal father relationship. Some families find middle-ground solutions like hyphenated names or other ways to honor both relationships. The guardianship route worked well for us, but make sure you understand the differences in your state - some states have limited guardianship options that give specific rights without full parental authority. Document your reasoning carefully and focus on your daughter's best interests in all aspects, not just financial. SSA wants to see that you're making decisions for legitimate family reasons, not just to preserve benefits. Take your time with this decision - there's no rush, and the consequences are permanent.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this incredibly frustrating situation! I went through almost the exact same thing with my elderly father last year when he moved to memory care. The SSA's refusal to recognize standard POA documents is absolutely maddening when you're just trying to help your parents with basic administrative needs. Based on all the excellent advice in this thread, here's what I'd recommend as your best path forward: 1. **Start with USPS mail forwarding immediately** - This gives you a safety net while you work through the SSA paperwork. You can set it up online and it lasts up to 12 months. 2. **Get medical documentation** - Ask your parents' doctor for a letter stating they have "limited mobility and cognitive impairment that prevents them from managing complex administrative tasks." This specific phrasing seems to carry weight with SSA staff. 3. **File SSA-1696 forms for both parents** - Have them sign multiple copies while your dad is having good cognitive days. Get them notarized at a UPS store or similar facility. 4. **Call SSA and specifically ask for a "disability specialist"** - Don't waste time with general representatives. Call right when they open (8 AM) for shorter wait times and less rushed specialists. 5. **Consider Representative Payee status for your dad** - Given his dementia, this might be more appropriate than the SSA-1696 and is designed specifically for beneficiaries with cognitive impairment. Also check with your parents' assisted living facility - they likely have social workers who deal with these SSA issues regularly and may have established relationships with local office staff. You're doing an amazing job advocating for your parents through this bureaucratic nightmare. The system shouldn't be this complicated, but persistence really does pay off. Hang in there! 💪

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this exhausting situation! I just went through something incredibly similar with my grandmother earlier this year, and the SSA bureaucracy is absolutely maddening when you're trying to help elderly family members who can't handle these complex processes themselves. Reading through all the fantastic advice here, I wanted to add one more tip that really helped me: when you visit the SSA office (after getting all your paperwork in order), bring a small folder with dividers containing: 1. Original signed SSA-1696 and SSA-1 forms plus 3-4 copies of each 2. Your legal POA documents (original + copies) 3. Medical letter from their doctors (original + copies) 4. Your government-issued ID 5. Their Social Security cards and/or benefit letters 6. Proof of new address (assisted living admission paperwork) 7. A simple one-page summary sheet with both parents' basic info (names, SSNs, DOBs, old address, new address) Having everything organized and readily available made such a difference with the SSA staff. They could see I was prepared and legitimate, which seemed to make them more willing to help work through the accommodation process. Also, if you run into resistance about the in-person appearance requirement, calmly ask to speak with the office manager and reference the SSA-1696 instructions that specifically mention accommodations for physical and mental limitations. Sometimes the front desk staff aren't fully familiar with all the accommodation procedures. Your persistence and advocacy for your parents is truly admirable. This process is unnecessarily complicated, but you're doing everything right! 💪

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for sharing such detailed and helpful experiences! I'm currently facing what sounds like a very similar situation - I believe I applied for Social Security retirement benefits a few months ago but can't locate any confirmation or status information anywhere. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly enlightening. The distinction between incomplete applications (sitting in the "Continue Application" section) versus properly submitted applications that just don't show up online for months is really important to understand. I had no idea that the SSA website saves partial applications or that it's so common for people to think they've submitted when they've only saved a draft. The tip about checking the "Continue Application" section is something I never would have thought to look for - it sounds like this has helped so many people in this thread! I'm also grateful for the clarification about Medicare Part A eligibility for those applying for early retirement. Like several others here, I had assumed it would be automatic, but now I understand why I wasn't seeing any Medicare-related confirmations. I'm planning to check my MySocialSecurity account first thing tomorrow morning during off-peak hours and look carefully for that "Continue Application" section. If that doesn't pan out, I'll try calling right at 8 AM as several people have recommended. This community is such a valuable resource for navigating these government processes - thank you all for being so generous with your time and experiences!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful to have found this thread! I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation - I'm convinced I applied for Social Security retirement benefits several months ago but can't find any trace of it in my MySocialSecurity account. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly reassuring. It's both comforting and alarming to see how many people have encountered this same issue with the SSA website! The tip about checking the "Continue Application" section is something I never would have thought to look for, and it sounds like it's helped so many people here successfully complete their applications. I had no idea that the website saves partial applications or that it's so easy to think you've submitted when you've only saved a draft. The distinction between having a confirmation number/email (properly submitted) versus having neither (likely incomplete) really helps clarify what might have happened. I'm planning to log into my account early tomorrow morning and carefully search for that "Continue Application" section. If I can't find anything there, I'll try calling right at 8 AM as several people have recommended. Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences and practical advice - from taking screenshots of every page to calling during off-peak hours. This community is such a valuable resource for navigating these confusing government processes!

I wanted to share my experience since I went through this exact conversion about 18 months ago. The good news is that everyone here is right - your SSDI conversion to retirement benefits at FRA won't penalize your future spousal benefits at all. One thing I wish I had known beforehand: make sure to keep a copy of your original SSDI award letter and any annual COLA notices you've received. When I applied for spousal benefits after my husband filed, the SSA representative initially had trouble accessing my full disability history in their system. Having those documents made the process much smoother. Also, don't be surprised if your monthly payment date changes slightly when the conversion happens. Mine shifted by a few days because retirement benefits follow a different payment schedule than SSDI (based on birth date rather than when you first became entitled to disability). It's a minor thing but good to know for budgeting purposes. The automatic conversion really is seamless - you'll get a notice in the mail explaining the change, but your benefit amount stays exactly the same. Then when your husband files and you apply for spousal benefits, you should get that nice boost everyone mentioned. Best of luck with your planning!

I'm going through a similar situation and this thread has been incredibly informative! Just wanted to add one more piece of advice based on my research - when you do apply for spousal benefits in 3 years, make sure to specifically ask the SSA representative to confirm that your SSDI conversion date is being used as your retirement filing date, not any earlier date. I've read about cases where the system initially flagged people as having "early filed" because of their SSDI start date, even though that's incorrect. Most of the time it gets sorted out quickly, but asking them to verify this upfront could save you from any temporary payment issues. Also, since you mentioned budget planning - remember that when you start receiving the spousal benefit top-up, it will also be subject to annual COLAs just like your current benefit. So that extra amount should grow over time too. Your situation sounds very similar to mine and it's reassuring to see so many knowledgeable responses here. The community really came through with solid advice!