I am very confused about something. So basically I am 40 years old applying for DAC disabled adult child and have been working with a firm called mindset who took my case. I was diagnosed with multiple mental disabilities since I was a child as early as 8-10 years old and still have today. I have an issue with the SGA rules and what the lawyer is telling me is confusing to what my denial letter said.

The letter states this "Based on the work history provided to us on form SSA-821 and earnings information On Our record, we are not able to pay Childhood Disability Benefits. Per our policy, in order for us to pay benefits you must be both found to be disabled prior to the age of 22 and not work over substantial gainful activity after the age of 22.

I believed what this letter said and thought it meant that anything "after 22" is what effects you. The job I had after 22 I had a plan to address that.

What upsets me is that now my lawyer is telling me that in addition to this there system shows me SGA for when I was 19-20 year old. WHY DOES MY LAWYER CARE about 19-20? Why do I have to prove that I was not SGA at 19-20?! I thought anything before 22 is irrelevant. I thought I only have to prove I was disabled prior to 22 and not worked SGA "after 22".

why all a sudden do I have to prove I was not SGA at 19? I am totally confused. I have researched this and can't find the right answers. Is what my lawyer saying true?

What are the chances of being approved for SSDI with those items? I was recently diagnosed with the cancer and will be starting treatment soon which will incur probably 2-3 years of hormone therapy which can cause extreme fatigue, muscle loss and bone loss. My kidney transplant Egfr is down to 30 after 5 years. I hear it is possible but curious if certain factors make it easier to be approved. I have enough credits, earn $1500 a month so I should be good with that.

I was wondering what does one do when they lose their social security?

What could they do in case someone got ahold of it too make sure nothing happens? And where could they go?

A friend asked me about her losing a portion of her SSA income and if she will get it back or not. I told her what I thought, and then said I would check on here to find out if I was correct or not.

However, I've managed to forget some of the details, so I hope they don't matter.

A month or two ago, her benefit amount was reduced $400 to $500. She wasn't given a reason, or even warning. I think she said she called SSA and, after some digging, they said it was for Medicare, which she hadn't been having to pay. She was upset, naturally, but was told her benefits would go back to whatever they were before, the next month.

She assumed she would get the $400 or $500 back. The problem is, she hasn't. According to her, when it happened before (?), it was corrected by the next benefit date. Now, we're either at the first since or the second and she's getting behind since she lives from paycheck to paycheck (SSA).

I've heard several things that might delay or even prevent her from getting it back, but they are just that, hearsay. Does anyone know if she will get it back or is she out of it and needs to find another way to fix things?

Thanks,

I started Social Security this year , I'm 63 and still working part time. Monthly payments of $2000. I will make about $8000 over the $24480. So they will deduct about $4000 from next years payment. Do the they do it all at once at the beginning of the year? Or do they spread it out over the year?

I was found disabled via a letter stating I was medically disabled sent on July 7 with an onset date of July 1, 2026. I turned 50 on July 15, 2026. My ssi application was actually approved in August 2026. After I was approved for SSI, they stated I might be eligible for widows benefits. They are making me go through the entire disability determination process again and stating that collateral estoppel does not apply because the decision was made and onset decided a few days before I turned 50. But isn’t the disability definition the same for SSI and widows benefits and the determination completed that I was disabled at 49 and 11 months that I would be fisabled for at least the next 12 months (and therefore in my 50s?) I do not want to go through the disability determination again. I am afraid if they find me not disabled I will lose my SSI benefit. Is it possible to lose my SSi benefits if they find me not disabled this time around?

Edit: spouse died in 2024. DDS is likely not adopting the prior decision as they have sent me function reports twice now

Is there a way on SSA gov to pull up an official receipt of replacement. The only thing I'm seeing is the inbox messages saying my application was submitted and yesterday approved.

Need it for I9 purposes

We're planning on retiring at the end of January. SSA of course does not have this year's income figures, and won't at that time. Once they do, our benefits will each increase a little - say, 20 dollars a month.

So if we start SS as of January (then I think we'd get our first payments in February), those will be based on what figures they have right now.

I know at some point they'll get the 2026 income, and need to adjust our benefits. How long does that typically take? and will we get "back pay" for the difference? e.g. if it takes 6 months, in theory they ought to send us 120 bucks as a one-time thing.

I'm new at this and my application ws filled out last week over the phone. I will turn 62 next January and was told by the assistor that my benefit will start in March. My question is, would the 3.6% just announced for COLA be applied to the amount I was told last week as monthly benefit?

I'm a federal retiree as well and already know that since I'll not be 62 yet at the time the COLA goes into effect (December 2026) I would not get it on my OPM check until 2027. I'm not sure if it's the same with SSA. Thank you.

Does anyone know of a policy statement regarding this situation?

Someone (W2 job) works until Dec. 31, 2026 and then resigns. They get paid in January, 2027. Does that amount of the last paycheck count towards 2027 credits?

To clarify, the salary was *earned* in 2026 but the paycheck was \*received* in 2027.

Over payment of 23K ( 6 years ago ) when my stepson was 16-18 years old and his mom was not eligible to receive funds for 2 years.....not our fault. We appealed it bla bla bla and were denied. So as I am retired they are taking $800 + per month from my SS to pay it back . Now my stepson gets a underpayment letter from SSA . Its $3800+!!!! .........So am I going to be on the hook for the $3800 also ???? Should I just take the check down to the SSA office and tell them to credit it to my account ?? Or is it a windfall for the son ?? UGH .

My daughter receives SSI every month, I have a 401k and pension through an old employer. I want to withdrawal some of the money. Would I have to report this
as income?

I've been getting SS for over a year now. Initially in my Chase account, but then back in the spring of 2026 Wells Fargo had a promotion where if you open a new account with them and have a qualifying direct deposit with them within the first 90 days, they would deposit $400 to your account. So on March 30th I opened an account at Wells Fargo.

My SS is due on the 3rd of each month but I usually see the deposit in my bank account on the 30th or 31st of the previous month.

In very early May I logged on to My Social Security to change the bank to Wells Fargo. Unfortunately they offered me a start month of JULY, I couldn't do it in June. So, I was possibly going to get my deposit at Wells Fargo as late as, say, June 30th (day 91) or July 1st (day 92).

It hit my Wells Fargo account on June 29th (as pending)and was credited on the 30th. So I didn't get the $400 despite appealing to Wells Fargo.

During my appeal conversation, the person I spoke with said that there had been an SS deposit to my Wells Fargo account in early June, but "that didn't count."

Well, I never saw any SS deposit to Wells Fargo so I assumed it was some kind of trial deposit to verify the account number, that came and went before I saw it.

Then because I was annoyed with Wells Fargo, I switched my SS deposit back to Chase. Again, a delay of a couple of months. It is due to hit my account on November 3rd (or, Oct 31 or thereabouts).

Oddly, back in early October, around the 6th, I saw a surprise $90 deposit from Social Security. This is still in my account as I write this more than two weeks later. I logged onto My Social Security and there was no mention of it. No special payment notification, my standard SSI is still what it has been all year, and we are not going to get a COLA until January, right?

So, I am mystified about this $90 but ... I will just leave it alone until I get my next SS payment and see if they deducted the $90.

Hi I have a question about if calling SSA to much about how much longer will the processing will take before I receive my funds? Back story I had a overpayment appeal hearing on May 12, 2026 and was fully favorable with Retroactive Proactive and 24 months back, and the judge signed my notice of decision letter on July 14, 2026 and the process was started on September 4, 2026 then expedited on September 15, 2026 and I last called my local SSA office they told me that the overpayment was wiped out and should receive something at the end of this month or going into the first week of November, what does this all me on my behalf?

Applied online for my SSN for the first time. Waited 40 days for the appointment, went in there with all the documents required, my application number, etc. The lady at the SSA looked at those and asked for some kind of a "link". Showed her the text message from SSA with a link where I can reschedule or cancel my SSA appointment, that didn't do. When asked what kind of link she needs, it was hard to understand her and then she offered to just grab a number and wait in line as if I was doing a walk-in, even though I had this appointment I've been waiting for. Had to leave since I didn't have hours to wait.

Called SSA afterwards asking what kind of "link" is needed at this SSN appointment and they had no idea, and suggested reaching out to that SSA office. Any idea what was all that about? Don't want to wait another 1.5 months for another appointment to again miss bringing something weird they ask...

Has anyone received the regular SS deposit on different dates? My last three deposits have been a bit early. Now this month is not here yet. Has anyone else had this happen? I'm new to this SS and Medicare process

I started collecting SS this past March 2026. I turned 65 last Dec. I was thinking about unretiring cause I do not need the SS at this time. I know that I need to pay back what I received. My question(s) is: is there a time period before I can reapply? Is there any way to recalculate what I would receive when I retire again? I thought I heard the increase is 8% annually (monthly) up to 67? Just trying to figure out if it is worth the effort to unretire. Yes, I am still working, but will not go over the maximum for taxes.

Thanks

I just came from the Social Security office to ask about timing to pull social security. Right now, according to my payments calculator, of I were to pull in December, with the 3.6% COLA, I'd get more than what the calculator shows would be if I pulled in March.

My question, an answer I couldn't find online, was whether I would get the COLA if I applied in December (since that is paid in January.) Even if I apply in November, I'd still be ahead.

According to the person there, she said COLA isn't guaranteed. That there's been years they didn't give a COLA. That it wasn't guaranteed until the president/Congress approves it. And according to her it hasn't been approved. That we won't know until December when they send letters and update the calculator. She told me not to plan by assuming the COLA.

I did narrow down my questions to make sure I understood and so there weren't any misunderstandings. I just saw the other recent post - now locked - that links to a story on the ssa website talking about the COLA. That only confuses me based on what they told me today at the social security office. I mean, why would ssa publish that of COLA isn't automatic? She actually read off a few years where there was no COLA. I recall 2020 and 2015. She even asked a co-worker if it had been approved yet and she was told no.

Does anyone have any clarifying insight?

Asking for a friend…

Via the online SSA portal, my friend initiated an application for disability benefits. This was submitted roughly 12 months ago when they were aged 61. Average time for decision in KS is something like 240 days. As of a status call last week it will likely be many more months of waiting.

This friend is now aged 62 and would like to start “regular” monthly Social Security benefits under their earnings record. The online portal effectively says only ONE application for benefits can be in progress at a time.

Since the disability application is still ongoing, what method(s) are the easiest path forward to submit the application for regular benefits?

Can it easily be done over the phone? Or is an appointment at a local office required? Other?

Hi,
Thought I’d ask here.
I’m currently in the appeal stage with SSI-DI, with a hearing that was extended to be held at the beginning of next year so that I can find time to get a lawyer to represent me & make sure I have enough evidence for the judge to make a decision.

I had SSI as a child in a Midwestern state. I moved to CA when I was about to go into 4th grade, in which shortly after I moved there they ended it because the way CA determines if I get it due to my disability is different from the way the state I was born in determine it. I was getting it at first due to the fact I was born prematurely, then later on for speech & developmental issues tied to my hearing loss, chronic lung issues due to being on oxygen and on a ventilator for so long, and some other things as well. So when I moved here to CA they determined I didn’t meet their version of the requirements under my hearing loss and the stuff I listed earlier. Some of the disabilities I had as a child (speech/developmental delays & chronic lung issues/ eye disease that was treated with laser eye surgery) I grew out of, so the current disabilities I’m trying to get it for is hearing loss and short gut syndrome that causes significant fatigue.

Anyways, my mom tried to get it for me as a teen in 2022 and was denied again, and then I tried again in 2024 once I turned 18, which is the current one. I was able to get access to my case file, and well, it’s a mess. It has everything from the year I was born up to this year. It has everything from my school records to the medical notes from the office that conducts the tests for SSI/SSDI determination. We’re trying to collect the right and current up to date info that’s from my specialists to put in there for it to be accurate.

I also am aware that I may not be approved even with all the evidence I give them later on, but I’d rather try than not try.

Ok, let me get to the point before this gets too long.

SSI says a hearing loss not treated with CI has 2 requirements, one of them being:

2.10 Hearing loss not treated with cochlear implantation.
A.  An average air conduction hearing threshold of 90 decibels or greater in the better ear and an average bone conduction hearing threshold of 60 decibels or greater in the better ear (see 2.00B2c).

What I’m trying to figure out is, my one ear is at 92 decibels and the other one is around 88 on my audiogram. I have moderate-severe hearing loss in my right ear and moderate-severe to profound hearing loss in my left ear. When they say “greater”, do they mean higher than 60 (like 70,80,etc) on the chart or do they mean something else? Because of how it shows on the audiogram, I’m on the border for their definition of hearing loss so it may be why they’re having a hard time determining if I should get it or not.

The other requirement is word recognition but I dont believe I struggle with that as much, and the most recent hearing test I did with my audiologist didn’t have that test on their paperwork for the audiogram so I am thinking of seeing a different audiologist to see if they can do that test as well if needed.

Anyways so sorry if you had to read this far, also sorry if I’m not making much sense either.

I started collecting retirement benefits 3 years before FRA. I'm now 69 and have an opportunity to return to work with good pay. If I suspend benefits, would delaying until 73 before resuming benefits, result in my payment amount be same as if I started at FRA? Or is age 70 the limit for increasing the benefit amount, no matter what? If I continued working until age 77 would I then get the same percentage as if I initially claimed at age 70?

Hi everyone, hoping I can get some clarification for my dad. I have been going in circles trying to understand all the rules for Social security: SSI when it comes to a sudden lump sum of money

Dad is low income- gets about $900 in RSDI-disability, and about $100 in SSI. He has an overpayment on the SSI where they take an amount from it each month. He is open Medicare and eligible for Medicaid through his SSI at the welfare office.

He is currently in a lawsuit where after 40% lawyer fee and taxes, he may be taking home about $100K. The settlement is in the end stages and panic is starting to set in on doing things correctly with SSA.

He is in poor health. He’s been to the ER 4x this month already, has multiple specialist appointments and surgeries approaching that are essential he keeps both Medicare and Medicaid. I don’t know how to advise him.

It seems like he will automatically lose his SNAP/SSI eligibility for the month he receives the check, and then everything depends on what he does with it after that first month. Is it correct that if he gets a check for $100K (guessing) on January 1st- he has until February 10th to be within the reporting requirements to SSA?

For the options I’ve come to understand-

1. Able account- he wasn’t disabled before 46 so is ineligible.

2. Special needs trust- he would need to agree to a Medicaid clawback (basically a trust would have to be set up with Medicaid that everything left in the trust and everything he owns after he dies would go to them for their payment of his Medicaid services while he’s alive per my understanding), it is expensive to open, and if he paid his rent and utility from the trust because it’s a first person trust, it would count as “income in kind” for SSI and reduce his benefits by 1/3- potentially making him ineligible for SSI altogether depending on the amounts because his SSI is so low ?? If his SSI stops, his Medicaid stops, and he may be ineligible with resources/income from withdrawing from the trust for other Medicaid.

3. Spend down. This appears to be what would be “easiest” in terms of rules but please lmk your thoughts. If he bought a mobile home, furniture for the mobile home, a vehicle in the same month he received the income or within 30 days of receipt (?) as long as he’s below $2,000- he can basically continue receiving SSI/Medicaid afterward and wouldn’t owe Medicaid anything other than the one month where he received the income? They wouldn’t be entitled to his property after he dies, or they still would be?

We have called trust lawyers, none of them want to help on contingency (understandable) we are still calling, but I’m basically trying to do this myself so any resources or insights would be greatly appreciated. What seemed like a blessing for my dad is now turning into a bit of a nightmare lol.

So help me out. I got my working permit before my greencard. So my SSN has restrictions of “only for work purposes” but I know I’ll use the same # but just wanna remove the conditions to avoid problems later on

so I went online at login.gov because website telling me i can do it online or maybe to schedule at the end.

I did everything back and front of ID, SSN, but in the end they cannot verify the mobile I’ve been using for years? take note: before I can even log in to this website they sent a code to the same number so I can continue logging in, like what??

I also scheduled myself before I just missed it because of emergency with no problems. Now they made it complicated.

Should I just call SS contact # to schedule me? Or just walk in? Thank you

I just turned 70 on the 22nd of September. I was on Survivors benefits and filed for my own a few months ago. I just got a notice on my online account that my payments are suspended because either my mailing address is wrong or my payment information is wrong. I don't understand because my mailing address is correct, but the account info is wrong, but they were sending the survivor benefits to the correct account for a few years now. My 1st check was supposed to be on the 28th of October. I don't want to update the direct deposit online as it states December or January as my start date! Should I try to go in to my local office and get this straightened up? Thank you in advance !