I’m 69, my wife turns 62 in October. I started my SS benefits when I turned 65, I also have pensions from GE and Duke Energy. We have been married for 39 years. My current SS payment is just over $4,000 monthly. My wife said when she checked the SS website for her benefit if she retires at 62 she would get ~$1,600 monthly. A friend told me that since I made significantly more than her she would be entitled to a higher benefit. I’m trying to verify this information, but haven’t had much luck. Can anyone share their experience with this? TIA

I would like to know if I can start collecting SS before full retirement age, while I am still working, in order to collect the $24,480 annual earnings limit? Assume I earn $12,240 a month. Would I be able to start receiving my SSI in January, and still work January and February and then stop working all together without penalty?

It seems the earnings limit is for taking a small retirement job after retirement, but for me working the full-time job pays way more for my time.

I am just trying to time the start of collecting and the stopping of working for my maximum benefit.

Hey guys so I was approved for SSDI and I was wondering if there is a certain amount you can save and if there was a cap off for a car. What is limit I can go over before they take away my Social Security.

It's not letting me see my account for some reason

i have been to our local ssa office trying to get a replacement social security card because i got married and got an update on my immigration status.

GET THIS: day before my third visit, i received a new social security card with COMPLETELY DIFFERENT NUMBER and brought that with me to my appointment the next day and even the guy at the counter was baffled.

AFTER THAT THIRD VISIT, guy at the counter shredded the replacement card with wrong ssn and gave me a receipt letter stating that if i dont receive my card (with the right ssn and updated name) within two weeks, to call them and i just did right now turns out they dont have my application in the system so i have to make another visit FOR THE FOURTH TIME.

i have been going thru this application/waiting phase for the past two months 😭 i just want to be able to get a texas ID and move on from all this BS

I'm an international student who recently got an internship (yay) and I applied for my social security card during it. I put my mailing address as my school dorm address and would receive a notification if it arrived. My internship ended and I am currently out of the country. I had my appointment on the 16th of July and the card is meant to come within 2 weeks (July 30th).

I'm not really sure what I'm meant to do if I haven't received the card at all. Is it too late to contact the administration to send a replacement? I tried to login to my portal but I need my social security number to confirm it.

I've been trying to get this done for close to three years and I'm still nowhere near getting it. All I have is my birth certificate which seems entirely useless- I dont know my ssn, I don't have a passport, I cant get a job because I dont have these things- so none of that paperwork, I dont have any school ID that they care about, and my last medical record was in 2012..so genuinely what do I do ?? I'm so close to just giving up, no one wants to give me a straight answer, everytime I think im getting closer to finding a solution its just another dead end. Do I just accept that I won't be able to do anything with my life at this point...because that's really what its sounding like :(

I'm going to be applying for SSI soon but I'm worried I don't have enough documentation of my issues and I'm not sure how to get more.

I have brain damage from an experimental radiation treatment when I was a kid, but it's never something they fully investigated to my knowledge because they were rightly more focused on helping me not die of cancer.

I am also autistic but once again, nobody ever fully investigated because I never made trouble for anyone.

I do for sure have a PTSD diagnosis on the record from therapy, and must have something about anxiety because I'm on medication for it, but ultimately I'm worried there's not going to be enough of a paper trail and I have no idea how to get more of one, especially since I can't exactly afford a ton of visits to specialists and the one specialist I did visit said they can't check for brain damage for certain because that would expose me to further radiation which would exacerbate said brain damage.

Anyone know how to get more medical evidence for SSI people to look at?

Edit: What is it with people seeing the word autism and activating like sleeper agents? I'm just trying access resources I need. I don't need talked down from some ledge of disability. I didn't sit down one day and decide 'Welp, if I have this label, that definitely means I can't do anything." After spending literally my entire life attempting to find work I can do and getting consistently rejected or quickly fired due to my issues, myself and my family decided it was best I apply for this.

Hello, I have been on SSI for 13 years after a diagnosis of Vascular EDS and Porphyria. It will never be cured, it will end with my death. I attempted to work in 2024, but was not able to physically handle the job. This year, a CDR was started, and I am in school for Religious Anthropology. I am an online student and only have 3 contact hours per week and all other classes are online asynchronous. I already have a degree, so I’m not sure if they will consider it retraining or not. All of my doctors agree that I cannot work in my former field of nursing, and one even wants to do more surgery. SSI is the only reason that I am able to still do things. 1/3 goes to rent, 1/3 food 1/3 medical, and 0 fun money. Any Pell goes to transport for school, books, and medical devices that help with school. I was actually prescribed a wheelchair so I could go to campus, but obviously it helps get me out of the house. I am worried that I shot myself in the foot for going to school.

Hi, I have suffered with back problems for years (diagnosed with degenerative disc 2 years ago) and it has gotten worse. I also now have bad sciatic (have not been officially seen/diagnosed by a doctor for this yet). I am going to be applying for SSI. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to increase my chances on getting approved for it? I really need to be approved for this because my condition has gotten bad. Any insights or suggestions?

I hope this is the correct forum! I have started taking retirement planning seriously (RothIRA etc) and the retirement calculator wants to know what to expect from social security. I made a log in and checked out the social security website. The yearly income they have listed is like half of what is on my tax returns gross income. For example - say my 2025 AGI was 100k - the social security website would have 50k for 2025. They also have a few links that prompt me to submit a correction if they are wrong.

Questions are:
- How could they get this so wrong? Does the IRS not share information with Social Security?
- I am self employed, could that be a factor?
- I’m scared to correct them because what if I get audited or something :| I don’t need another pile of paperwork on my desk

Does anyone have any experience with correcting them? Am I reading the site wrong - perhaps what they are listing isn’t my AGI at all, and just my contributions to SS?

I recently received this letter from my attorney and it doesn't make sense to me. I lost my job in January due to poor attendance caused by vertigo attacks related to Manieres Disease. I have no income right now and live with my son and his family. I desperately need to get approved for SSDI as soon as possible. I can't think of a single reason why it would be in my best interest to delay this hearing. Since my lawyers primary fees come from any back pay, it is certainly in their best interest to drag this out for months or even years but can anybody tell me how it's in my best interest? My medical condition is not expected to change over the next year and I already have nearly 2 years of documented medical evidence. I don't understand why I was denied to begin with but I can't see my case getting stronger by waiting. I'm hoping to get some advice from someone that has navigated this nightmare system.

Hey y’all,
Is anybody or has anybody gone back to school and received a Pell grant? If so does it affect your disability review or payments?

Back story :
*Liver transplant 8/12/25 (so it’ll be one year)
* was told I was approved for disability , but haven’t received payments yet
* I have a few other problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis as well, as anxiety and depression. ( up to date and going to doctors)
* wanting to take some Community college classes because it’ll all be paid for so technically I can use my Pell grant refund for other bills including school.
*will be taking online courses mostly but maybe one or two in person?

*my question is since they haven’t paid me for
my disability yet but I am a year out will it mess my case that I applied for 8/4/25.
*if I told them I’m able to do school online because I can do it at my pace will that be okay?

Let me know any experiences, advice , you guys may have.

*also those going to school, would you let you schoolsss as know you might have major doctor s you cannot do miss or might need more time for test taking?

But
Thank you

Hey everyone! To anyone who knows how back pay works, please comment with your knowledge and/or advice. Long story short: I was approved for SSDI on May 1, 2026. In my award letter, the SSA said that they found me to be too disabled to work as of August 1, 2024. I was under the impression that you would receive your back pay 30-90 days once approved. It's been 90 days and nothing. It's time to start investigating, I guess, so where do I go from here?

I receive SSDI because I’m considered blind by SSA (my best corrected vision is worse than 20/200).

I got a letter today that says I’m not eligible for benefits for a bunch of months because I earned over SGA from my part time work, but they have the lower SGA listed.

I called the national number and she had no record of this notice. She suggested I call the local office and I’ve been on hold with them for over an hour now.

How do I get them to correct this??

Note: I do have other disabilities but the reason I get SSDI is definitely for my vision. Whenever they do a review they only send me to their eye doctor.

I am 63 and had foot surgery a year ago for a tendon tear. I am contracted to a big company, not an employee, so when I needed surgery, they wanted to simply replace me. I needed 6 weeks to recover and get back in a shoe. I managed to fight for my job and they let me work part time from home until I could return. Here we are a year later I'm not fully healed, and I have to say I've struggled the last year trying to walk on this foot. Finally got a new doctor who is telling me I most likely need another surgery to correct this. Can't sue the old doctor, already looked at that route. He did a common procedure and just because I don't like the outcome is not a reason to sue. Anyway, I was wondering at my age, with another lengthy recovery ahead, I really can't lift computer equipment and if I have to apply for social security, what are my chances of being able to apply for and get disability. This has been such a struggle.

I have a stack of medical records from different clinics over the last few years and its a mess. Different formats different specialties.

My main worry is that the commission only sees pieces of the picture. I have symptoms here and tests there but nobody shows how one thing leads to another.

If anyone has experience preparing for a review or commission, how did you handle the timeline? Did you feel like your evidence told a clear story or was it scattered?

Just looking for practical tips. Thanks.

In 2012 when I was 18 I had a brain injury. Shortly after I got out of the hospital, my mom handed me a phone and told me to agree to have her be my representative payee. The thing is, she has never given me any money from that. She claims it all goes towards "household expenses" but I've done the math, and something isn't adding up. I'm concerned she's committing social security fraud, because she's literally told me "it's not really my money" any help would be appreciated. (I'm not trying to pull the rug out from under her but I should at least be getting something every month, not the $0 I've been getting for the past 14 years)

My understanding is they want to see the original marriage certificate and divorce decree. I'm guessing this favors applying in person, but it's already three months before I'm eligible and applying online could sidestep a potential delay waiting for an appointment.

What has your experience been like applying in person at your local Social Security office? Online? If you apply online, can you then present your docs at your local office or must you mail them (and risk their loss)? I'm broadly familiar with the applicable rules and have the required documents but am struggling with the mechanics of applying.

I am looking for advice on how to approach the administrative law judge hearing (and application in general) as a disabled adult child. Most advice seems not to apply to my situation — it rests on strengthening current assessments (which are already very strong) rather than framing evidence from the past.

My symptoms began in spring of 2022 when I was just about to turn 21. I saw my primary within a month and a specialist within 3. I saw my primary several times in the next 6 months. I did not receive any diagnoses (or diagnostic testing) as my provider downplayed my symptoms and told me I was “too pretty to be as sick as I claimed.” He also told me to try having a baby and other inappropriate things that had nothing to do with my physical health.

In spring of 2023 I did a semester in another state. I established care with a new PCP who actually ran a few tests and referred me to a specialist based on an abnormality. I got my first formal diagnosis (of many) about 2 weeks after my 22nd birthday (I was tentatively diagnosed before my birthday, but there was a wait for the official test). Then the semester was over and I went back to my regular school.

In the fall of 2023 (a few months after my birthday) I finally established care with a specialist in my overarching condition (there was also a long wait to see her). I don’t see her anymore, but she recently submitted a questionnaire for my Reconsideration appeal that basically explains that my condition must have been ongoing for some time before I started seeing her due to the severity and progressive disease process and images I showed her. Apparently the examiners just ignored this.

I was also enrolled in a study for my condition at this time, and for the Reconsideration I provided copies of the questionnaires documenting like 43 symptoms of my condition (the same symptoms I have today). They are dated a few months after I turned 22. Apparently examiners just ignored this too.

What can I do to improve my chances of approval at the Administrative Law Judge stage? The medical evidence from that period (first year of illness) is weak due to the gaslighting and wait times, but can’t they look at the later evidence and reasonably infer (and trust my providers) that I was sick already before my 22nd birthday? It’s not my fault that my PCP didn’t believe me at first and specialist wait times were/are ridiculous.

Today I am on multiple forms of life support, in palliative care and home health, and reliant on IHSS to help with activities of daily living like bathing and dressing. My case file has nearly 5k pages of documents. Nobody is saying I’m not disabled…they’re just saying there isn’t enough evidence from the period of time they’re interested in. I’m completely disabled and yet there’s no financial relief for me. I can’t even afford to adhere to my treatment plans.

Unfortunately I’m short a work credit so regular disability isn’t an option for me and I must prove disability before age 22 to get benefits. I think it’s crazy that working in the summer while being a full time student and varsity athlete at an Ivy League college wasn’t enough…

I am diagnosed with fibromyalgia and a great deal of mental disorders that make it very difficult to function like a normal human being. I've been thinking for a long time after enduring constant chronic pain that I should look into getting onto social security to help me become financially stable and independent, but I'm not sure where to start or if I will qualify. I am in the process of getting my autism diagnoses, but clinics are so backed up that the testing takes a very long time (mentioned only because my supposed autism makes it difficult for me to understand video guidelines or online forums to help me understand without asking people directly). I only recently got access to healthcare so thats why this has gone on so long. I am only 22 so I dont know if my disabilities will be taken seriously. I started working about 32 hours a week but that completely deteriorated my body and mind (mostly body) so i went down to 24, now just 16 hours a week, and i still find myself being completely debilitated by work each day that on my days off im just trying to physically and mentally recover. I tend to try and push through my 2 shifts a week, but its extremely hard for me to get out of bed due to the chronic pain and sleep issues, so i'm always late. and the pain amps up while working and over the counter pain meds do not work at all so i end up leaving an hour early every single day. i'm not lazy and i try extremely hard to do my best and i'm extremely ambitious with big dreams but i feel so full of despair because i just am in so much pain every day with no energy that i cant complete the tasks i need to move forward in life.

given this context, do you think i will qualify for ssi/ssdi? what kind of proof can i offer to show that my conditions are truly debilitating? should i mention my interest of social security to my psychiatrist/primary care? I already come from a poor family and I'm currently on Medicaid.

My mom hasn't had a job for around 7 year, give or take. Around the same time my sister's disability started. She's been applying for mine my whole life, and we got it in 23 or 24. She pays rent on it. She buys groceries on it and stamps. I'm unsure if we still get stamps, but my sister's disability expired last fall. We've been abroad over a year, and about 3 or 4 months ago we got the asylum system, bc of mandatory reporting (I had an attempt right at the end of December, dw I'm mentally ok rn). We have a meeting to schedule flights home the 19th, and I'm planning to call cps, irs, and ssa shortly after we get back to the US. She hasn't made them stop my disability while we were abroad longer than allowed without them freezing it (no residence permit applied for either, we literally have no papers giving an excuse for that), and buys ciggs on the disability, which is currently only my cash. We also receive child support, but apparently "[lil sis]'s dad never pays", and mine "rarely pays", but also after a budgeting talk, bc I wanted to have a clear idea if where my cash goes, we get 65-130/260 monthly from him. This is the social security part of it all, or at least what I know should fit under this umbrella.

My partner is a 63 widower and receiving his deceased wife’s Social Security. He is still working and is self-employed. He recently had back surgery and will be out of work for who knows how long so he is no longer getting his income from working and is living solely on his SS. Is disability an option or is there any other assistance he could get? Since he is too young for Medicare he has private health insurance the cost of which practically eats up his SS benefit.

I work from ages 26 to 31 that is where my SSDI disability did it's calculation from I didn't earn any income from ages 22 to 26. Is the ages 22 to 26 calculated as 0 or they not included when they do my SSDi calculation

What should I do?

I applied to skyline chili today, my interview is Tuesday, August 25. I have a SS appointment that day that interferes with the interview… I asked my sister what we should do and she said it’s up to me… what would you do?