Not to be negative but people need to be realistic about how long this whole process takes! My mom applied for divorced spouse benefits and it took SEVEN MONTHS to get approved, then another 2 months for payments to start. And they DIDNT give her all the backpay they owed her!!! She's still fighting to get the missing 3 months they owe her. The SSA is overwhelmed and understaffed so tell your sister to be prepared for a long wait.

I'm going through something similar right now! I'm 58, on SSDI, and just found out my ex-husband is now 63. We were married for 12 years before divorcing 8 years ago. I called SSA last month to ask about this and the representative told me I could apply immediately since he's over 62 and we've been divorced more than 2 years. She explained that even though I'm on disability, I can still get divorced spouse benefits if they're higher than my current SSDI amount. The good news is there's no reduction for my age like there would be for regular retirement benefits - the disability protects against that early filing penalty. I submitted my application 3 weeks ago and I'm still waiting to hear back, but at least I know the process has started. Your sister should definitely apply as soon as possible - even if it takes months to process, any increase would be retroactive to when she first became eligible. Make sure she has certified copies of both the marriage certificate and divorce decree ready!

I'm going through the exact same situation right now! My first SS retirement check was supposed to arrive on the 3rd (my birthday is on the 2nd), and it's now been 8 days. I've been checking my mailbox obsessively every day. Reading through all these comments is really reassuring - it sounds like delays of 7-12 days are pretty common for first payments via paper check. I'm planning to call SSA tomorrow if it doesn't show up, but at least now I know what questions to ask and that I should verify the payment was actually processed in my online account first. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know I'm not alone in this!

I went through this exact same worry last fall! My first SS retirement check was scheduled for the 12th but didn't arrive until day 11. What helped me was understanding that SSA actually prints and mails the checks ON the payment date, not before it - so you're really waiting for print processing time plus mail delivery time. The anxiety is totally understandable though, especially when it's your first payment and you're not sure what's normal. One tip that helped me: if you have a local SSA office, you might be able to visit in person after 10 business days to check on payment status. Sometimes that's faster than calling. But honestly, based on all the experiences shared here, 6 days is still well within the normal range for paper checks. Hang in there!

Tell her to get a benefit verification letter from her online my Social Security account first. She'll need that when applying for the spousal portion. Also, if she does qualify for a spousal top-up, they might owe her back pay from when her husband filed, but only if she applies within 6 months of his filing date.

Just wanted to add one more thing that might help your sister-in-law - when she does get through to SSA, she should ask them to run what's called a "dual entitlement" calculation. This will show her exactly what she's eligible for under both her own SSDI record and as a spouse on her husband's record. Also, if the first agent she speaks with seems unsure about the rules for disabled spouses, don't be afraid to politely ask to speak with someone else or call back. The rules around SSDI + spousal benefits are more complex and not all front-line agents are familiar with them. I've found that being specific about what you're asking for ("dual entitlement calculation for a disabled spouse") helps get you connected to someone who knows the process. Good luck to her - hope she's able to get some additional benefits!

Update: I finally got through to SSA this morning! I took the advice about calling right when they open (7 AM in my time zone) and only waited about 20 minutes. The representative confirmed I'm not too late for January benefits and helped me submit my application. She did transfer me to a specialist for my WEP/GPO questions, and I learned my survivor benefit will be reduced by about $570 due to my husband's government pension. Not great news, but at least I know what to expect now. Thank you all for your help and suggestions! What a relief to have this submitted finally.

Congratulations on getting through, Laura! That's such a relief after all the frustration you've been dealing with. The early morning call strategy really does work - I've had success with that approach too. Just wanted to add for anyone else reading this thread: if you're dealing with WEP/GPO calculations, it's worth double-checking the math when you get your award letter. The government pension offset can be complex, especially when there are multiple pension sources or if the pension amount changes over time. Also, keep copies of everything related to your husband's pension records - SSA sometimes requests additional documentation months later to verify the offset calculations. Having it ready can save you from delays in your payments. Great job persisting through this process! January will be here before you know it.

I'm so sorry this happened to you! I went through something very similar last year when applying for my own retirement benefits. Had a scheduled appointment, got all the confirmations, and then... nothing. Complete radio silence from SSA. What I learned from that frustrating experience is that you absolutely cannot wait for them to reach out to you. The system is so backlogged and understaffed that missed appointments just get lost in the shuffle unless YOU follow up aggressively. Here's what worked for me: - Called the 1-800 number at exactly 8:00 AM (set an alarm!) - Had all my confirmation numbers ready to read off - Specifically said "SSA failed to conduct my scheduled appointment" rather than just asking to reschedule - Asked for a supervisor when the first rep tried to put me at the back of the regular queue The whole process took about 6 weeks longer than it should have, but I did eventually get everything sorted out. The key is being persistent and not letting them treat this like it was your fault for "missing" the appointment. Your spousal benefits definitely won't process without that appointment - they need to do the calculations and paperwork even though they already know you're married from Medicare. Don't let anyone tell you it might happen automatically, because it won't. Good luck tomorrow morning! Let us know how it goes.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Had a scheduled phone appointment for my retirement benefits application last Friday - got the text confirmation, email, AND a mailed letter. They even called Thursday night with an automated reminder. Friday comes and... nothing. No call, no explanation, no follow-up. It's been 5 days now and I've tried calling back twice but keep getting the "all circuits are busy" message. This thread is really helpful because I was starting to wonder if I somehow missed the call or if my phone was acting up. Clearly this is a widespread problem with their system. From reading everyone's experiences here, it sounds like I need to stop waiting around and be much more aggressive about following up. I'm going to try calling first thing Monday morning at 8 AM sharp with all my confirmation numbers ready. It's really frustrating that we have to chase them down when THEY missed the appointment they scheduled. Thanks everyone for sharing your stories - at least now I know this isn't just happening to me!