I'm so sorry you're dealing with this incredibly frustrating situation! As a newcomer to this community, I've been reading through everyone's experiences and it's clear the SSA website is having major widespread issues right now. You're definitely not alone - so many people are reporting the exact same problem where the site works fine for account access but crashes when trying to submit retirement applications. Based on all the success stories shared here, I'd highly recommend trying the 8 AM calling strategy. Most people are getting through in 45-60 minutes when calling right at opening time, and the representatives seem understanding about the website issues. Make sure to have all your husband's documents organized beforehand so you can complete everything in one call. Also, don't stress too much about the exact timing - several knowledgeable members here have explained that benefits are paid based on the month you apply, not the specific day. Since your husband just reached his FRA, you have the whole month to file without losing any benefits. It's absolutely ridiculous that we need workarounds just to access benefits we've been paying into for decades, but at least there are proven solutions. You'll get through this - hang in there!

I'm having the exact same problem! Just joined this community after spending the last two days trying to help my mom apply for her retirement benefits. She turned 67 last week and we've been so careful about timing everything perfectly, but the SSA website keeps crashing every single time we try to submit her application. Like everyone else here, we can log into her MySocialSecurity account just fine and access all her information, but the moment we click to actually submit the retirement application, it either freezes completely or gives us some unhelpful error message. We've tried Chrome, Firefox, Safari, cleared all our cache, tried different devices, even went to my office to use their internet connection - same crashes every time! Reading through all these posts has been such a relief to know we're not doing anything wrong and this is clearly a widespread system issue. Based on everyone's success stories, I'm definitely going to try calling at exactly 8:00 AM tomorrow morning. After days of website frustration, waiting an hour on hold actually sounds pretty good! Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - it's so helpful to know there's a proven workaround even though we shouldn't need one just to access benefits we've been paying into for decades. The SSA really needs to fix their technology, but at least we can get through this!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been lurking in government service communities trying to figure out how to navigate SSA's phone system for my own situation. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both validating (I'm not crazy - the system really is broken!) and incredibly informative. The range of solutions you've all discovered is amazing - from the online appointment scheduler to early morning calls to advocacy organizations I never knew existed. What really stands out to me is how much problem-solving power exists in communities like this compared to official government resources. I'm bookmarking this entire conversation as my SSA survival guide. For anyone else who finds this thread in the future: you're not alone in this frustration, and there ARE ways through the maze. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their hard-won knowledge instead of just keeping it to themselves!

As a retired federal employee who dealt with similar bureaucratic phone systems, I can add one more strategy that might help - try calling on federal holidays when the offices are technically closed. I know this sounds counterintuitive, but many government phone systems have skeleton crews or automated systems that route differently on these days, sometimes connecting you to regional offices instead of the main call center. Also, if you're dealing with a time-sensitive issue like an appeal deadline, make sure to document every call attempt (date, time, how long you waited, who you spoke with) - this creates a paper trail that can be crucial if you need to prove you made good faith efforts to contact them within required timeframes. The system is definitely broken, but persistence combined with strategic timing often pays off. Good luck with your appointment scheduling approach - that really does seem to be the most reliable method based on everyone's experiences here!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you'll want to keep detailed records of all your survivor benefit payments leading up to January 2025. When SSA calculates your retroactive payment, they'll need to verify exactly what you received each month to determine the correct difference. I'd recommend downloading your Social Security statements and keeping copies of your benefit deposit records. Also, if you have any questions during the application process, don't hesitate to ask the SSA representative to walk through the calculation with you step by step - they should be able to show you exactly how they're determining your retroactive amount. Having everything documented will help ensure you get the full amount you're entitled to and can help resolve any discrepancies quickly.

Just wanted to add one more consideration that might be helpful - when you apply in January, make sure to ask the SSA representative about any potential Medicare Part B premium adjustments. Since your monthly Social Security benefit will increase by $1,400, this could affect your Medicare premiums if you're already enrolled or planning to enroll soon. The income increase might push you into a higher IRMAA bracket, but since you're switching from survivor benefits to your own earned benefits (rather than getting a windfall), there may be ways to address this. It's worth asking about during your application appointment so you're not surprised by any premium changes later.

Wow, this thread has been incredibly educational! I'm 61 and was considering claiming early next year, but I had no idea about the complexity around the earnings test. The Box 3 vs Box 1 distinction is huge - like the original poster mentioned, that could be thousands of dollars difference depending on your pre-tax deductions. I'm especially interested in what @Savannah Glover mentioned about the timing strategy. If I understand correctly, you could potentially work full-time for the first half of the year, then claim benefits in July and only work part-time for the remainder? That seems like it could be a great way to maximize income during the transition to retirement. Has anyone here actually used that mid-year claiming strategy? I'd love to hear about real experiences with how SSA calculated the earnings for a partial year. Also wondering if there are any gotchas or complications with that approach that aren't obvious.

This has been such an informative discussion! I'm 63 and have been collecting SS for about 8 months now while working part-time. I can confirm everything said here about Box 3 being what they use - learned this the hard way when I got nervous about going over and called SSA multiple times to verify. One thing I'd add for anyone considering the earnings limit strategy: keep very detailed records of your paystubs and any 1099s throughout the year. I created a simple Excel sheet with columns for pay period, gross pay, and Box 3 SS wages, plus a running total. This has been invaluable for making decisions about whether to pick up extra shifts or decline overtime. Also, if you're married and your spouse is also working, make sure you understand that the earnings test applies individually - your spouse's income doesn't count toward YOUR earnings limit (though it may affect other aspects of your benefits). I was initially worried about our combined household income but learned it's calculated separately for each person claiming benefits. The peace of mind from tracking this carefully has been worth the extra effort. Better to be overly cautious than deal with an overpayment situation later!

I'm dealing with this same frustrating situation right now! I've been trying to get through to SSA for my Medicare enrollment for over a week. The wait times are absolutely insane - I've been disconnected twice after waiting over 2 hours each time. One thing that's helped me stay somewhat organized while going through this process is keeping a call log with dates, times, and how long I waited before giving up or getting disconnected. It's maddening but at least I can track patterns. I'm definitely going to try that 8 AM sharp strategy everyone keeps mentioning. Has anyone had success with the local SSA office phone number instead of the national 800 number? I'm wondering if calling my local office directly might have shorter wait times, though I know they probably route everything through the same system anyway. Also, for anyone else in this boat - make sure you're calling from a phone that won't automatically hang up after a certain time on hold. I learned that the hard way when my cell phone cut me off after 2 hours!

I just went through this exact same struggle three weeks ago! After multiple failed attempts with the phone system, I found a combination approach that finally worked. First, I started the Medicare application online at ssa.gov (under "Apply for Benefits" > "Medicare Only") which at least got something in their system. Then I called the 800 number at exactly 8:00 AM on a Wednesday morning with my confirmation number from the online application. Having that reference number seemed to help - the agent could pull up my case immediately and we finished everything in about 20 minutes over the phone. The key documents I needed were: birth certificate, Social Security card, photo ID, and details about my current insurance coverage (including when it ends). Since you mentioned you have a marketplace plan ending when you turn 65, make sure to have those policy details handy - they'll want to coordinate the timing so there's no coverage gap. Don't stress too much about the deadline - you have until June since you're turning 65 in March. But definitely try that early morning call strategy with your online application reference number if you can get one started. Good luck!