I'm facing this exact same issue right now! My retirement application expired back in December and I've been dreading dealing with it. This entire thread has been such a lifesaver - I had no idea there were so many different approaches to getting this resolved. The consensus seems to be that calling the local SSA office directly is the most efficient route, which I never would have thought of on my own. I was planning to just keep trying the national number and getting frustrated with the wait times. Based on everyone's advice here, I'm going to call my local office first thing Monday morning with my SSN and the date I started the original application ready. It's so reassuring to see that multiple people got this resolved in just a few minutes once they reached the right person. One question - for those who successfully got their applications deleted and restarted, did you find the new online application process any different or improved from when you first tried? I'm wondering if they've made any updates to the system that might prevent this expiration issue from happening again. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences! This community support has turned what felt like an impossible bureaucratic maze into a manageable Monday morning phone call.

I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago with my disability application that expired after sitting incomplete for months. The advice in this thread is spot-on - calling your local SSA office directly is absolutely the way to go! I tried the national line first and waited over an hour just to get disconnected. Called my local office the next morning at 8:30am and got through to someone immediately who deleted my expired application in about 2 minutes. The local staff really do seem more familiar with these system glitches and know exactly how to handle them. One thing I'd add - when you restart your application, the system now has much clearer progress indicators and timeout warnings than it used to. They've definitely improved the user experience, but I still recommend gathering ALL your documents first (bank info, work history, medical records if applicable, etc.) before starting so you can complete everything in one session. Also, don't stress if you see any weird error messages when you first try to start a new application right after they delete the old one. Sometimes it takes 10-15 minutes for their system to fully clear the deletion, so if you get an error saying you already have an application in progress, just wait a bit and try again. Good luck to everyone dealing with this - it's really not as complicated as it seems once you get the right person on the phone!

Thank you all so much for the helpful responses! After reading everything, I feel much more confident that we can accept this pension distribution without affecting my husband's Social Security benefits under the earnings limit rules. I'll still keep an eye on his part-time job wages ($18,000) to make sure that stays under the $22,600 limit for 2025. And we'll talk to our tax advisor about the potential tax implications of the distribution - especially how it might affect the taxation of his SS benefits. Really appreciate everyone taking time to help clarify this confusing topic!

You've gotten excellent advice here! Just wanted to add one small clarification that might be helpful - when you mention the $22,600 earnings limit for 2025, that's correct for most people under full retirement age. But if your husband reaches his full retirement age during 2025, there's actually a higher limit ($59,520 for 2025) that applies only to earnings in the months before he reaches FRA, and then no limit at all after that month. Since he turned 62 in January, he's probably got a few more years before FRA, but it's worth keeping in mind for future planning. The pension distribution is definitely safe to take - enjoy those home repairs!

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I'll plan to apply in June, 3 months before my September birthday. I'll also start gathering my documentation now - birth certificate, tax records for those missing earnings years, etc. I'm going to check my Medicare enrollment status too since a couple of you mentioned that could be related. If I have trouble reaching SSA by phone, I'll try that Claimyr service someone mentioned. It's frustrating how complicated they make this process, but I feel much better prepared now.

Just want to add - if you're planning to work past 70, make sure you understand how your continued earnings might affect your Social Security taxes. Even though you'll be receiving benefits, you'll still pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your wages. The good news is that these additional earnings can potentially increase your future benefit amounts if they're higher than one of your previous 35 highest-earning years. SSA recalculates your benefits automatically each year if your new earnings boost your average. Also, don't forget that your Social Security benefits will be subject to federal income tax if your combined income (AGI + nontaxable interest + half of SS benefits) exceeds certain thresholds - something to factor into your tax planning since you'll have both wages and SS income.

I'm glad you were able to get through and figure out what was causing the delay! It's so typical of SSA to have missing documents that you already submitted - I've had similar experiences with other government agencies. The fact that your benefits will still start in January even with processing delays is really reassuring. That's one less thing to worry about during what's already a stressful time. Thanks for updating us on your progress - it's helpful to see how these situations get resolved. Hopefully the resubmission goes smoothly and you see movement in your application soon!

I'm so glad you got through and found out what was holding up your application! The missing direct deposit form issue is unfortunately very common - I went through something similar when I applied for my widow's benefits earlier this year. They had my bank information from years ago but needed the updated form anyway. It's frustrating that their system doesn't flag these missing documents earlier in the process. Since you're planning to start benefits in January, you should be in good shape now that you know what they need. Just make sure to keep copies of everything you resubmit and maybe send it certified mail so you have proof of delivery. The 7-10 business day timeframe they gave you sounds reasonable, and it's great news that your benefits will still start on time even if there are processing delays. Thanks for sharing the update - it really helps others who might be dealing with similar delays to know what to look for!

This thread has been absolutely fascinating to read through! I'm 62 and just starting to think seriously about my Social Security strategy, and I had absolutely no idea about this January-only DRC processing issue until stumbling across this discussion. What really strikes me is how this completely changes the risk/reward calculation for delaying benefits. The standard advice of "wait longer for higher payments" assumes you'll see those increases right away, but knowing there's potentially an 11-month delay between earning credits and actually receiving them in your payments makes the math much more complicated. @Connor Gallagher, I think you made an excellent decision going with option 1. Given all the bureaucratic complexity and processing delays that everyone has described here, getting your full benefit at FRA seems like the most sensible approach. There's real value in having certainty and immediate cash flow rather than trying to navigate SSA's opaque timing policies. This discussion should honestly be turned into a resource guide or FAQ - it contains more practical, actionable information about the realities of Social Security claiming than anything I've found on official government websites. The collective wisdom from people who have actually been through this process is invaluable. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and helping newcomers like me understand what we're really dealing with when making these crucial retirement decisions!

This thread has been incredibly enlightening! I'm 66 and was completely unaware of the January-only DRC processing until reading everyone's experiences. Like many others here, I assumed that delaying past FRA would result in immediate monthly benefit increases - the way SSA presents the information really makes it sound like you earn and receive those credits simultaneously. What's particularly frustrating is how this policy essentially penalizes informed decision-making. People who do their research and try to optimize their claiming strategy end up discovering these hidden bureaucratic delays that completely change the financial equation. It almost feels like the system is designed to discourage people from delaying, despite the official messaging about earning higher benefits. @Connor Gallagher, your decision to start at FRA was absolutely the right call. The peace of mind and immediate cash flow of receiving your full benefit right away clearly outweighs the uncertainty and complexity of trying to navigate SSA's opaque processing timelines. Sometimes the straightforward path really is the best one, especially when dealing with government systems that have these kinds of undisclosed quirks. This entire discussion should be required reading for anyone approaching their Social Security decision. The real-world insights shared here are far more valuable than anything in the official materials - thank you everyone for taking the time to share your experiences and help others avoid these costly timing mistakes!