Huge delays in Social Security processing new retirement applications, does anyone know why

[CatherineP879665]

The website for Social Security used to say that it would take up to 30 days to process new applications for retirement benefits.  In a week it will have been three months.  Now the website says 2-4 weeks, but that has got to still be wrong.

I gather from other forums, that a delay of 2-3 months is now normal.

What I would like to know is, why?

Every time I try to search for information, all of the results are about disability, not retirement.  And not a single results explains why it is taking so long when they already have my entire work history of 47 years, etc.  They have all the information they need.

What exactly is it that they do to process applications which turns 2-4 weeks into 2-3 months.

Does anyone know why?

I cannot work a job right now, my arthritis is too painful.  

I can't wait more months to begin getting retirement checks, I will be homeless.

[dejanata]

My husband applied in June of 2024. Crickets.

[CclH877323]

I applied online Nov 24 2024   Still in step 2. Jamaica NY office. I live in NJ. Are they all ‘working from home’ ??  

[LyndaN613419]

  I also applied in Nov. 2024 and as of now, Feb. 2025 still on "step 2" waiting for the Jamaica NY to process my claim. I too live in NJ.  There's no point in anyone trying to call these people to get an answer because they just don't have one other than they are short staffed, or so they say. Maybe if we all stop calling then they can spend more time processing our applications.

[g725529v]

I I applied Nov 20 2024 and I have been on step two for months.Do they even work???

[EliseB843729]

same here. applied nov 19th. the exact day i was allowed to apply. it's stuck at step 2. my ss office doesn't answer the phone. need to make an apptmt to see someone. no way to make apptmts online.

i'm betting all they would do is look online, tell me what I already know and say just wait.

[LindaS709179]

Sent in app on Nov 4th..still in step 2. What is going on????

[EdwardR42154]

My wife and I applied October 12. Got the standard reply. No action since then. First check should be today, February 1. Nothing. Anyone have experience with this amount of time? Presumably the first check if a month or more late will be retro?

[TeresaG918891]

I applied back in October as well. The end of October and I'm still waiting. Plus today is my birthday so I would officially have gotten my first check , as they have mentioned, the beginning of March. As far as retro pay or back pay I would assume that we would get it. But this is happened to a lot of people if you go here and read a lot of the comments we are all waiting. I pray that it comes through soon.

[garyst16]

Applied online November 25, 2024. Still in step two 2 months later. Website states "Typically it takes 30 days for a decision. This timeframe is an estimate for reference" For who's reference? Complete BS.

[CindyK426]

Did you do it online?

[FranM210968]

Any update?  Or is your app still in step 2?  Mine is hung up in Step 2 also. Wait time via phone for SS is 3 hours!  Asking around to see if anyone has any answers. Heard SS employees are working from home and that has been problematic with no accountability (e.g., doing laundry, walking dog, cooking dinner/lunch, etc while working from home!).

[StevenS868231]

I applied Nov 2, 2024.  I'm also stuck at phase 2.  *Shrug*

[bobandsherry]

My experience for my wife.... applied Nov 20th.  Email confirming application received and assigned to office on Nov 21st.  Email noting approval on Nov 26th.  Under a week from start to finish.  

[FranM210968]

What SS office was that out of?  My app is "sitting" in step 2 in the Chicago office.  

[YasminC909860]

I applied Oct.24. My is sitting in Step 2 in Baltimore, MD. When I called local office they told me I would have been better off coming into the local office than doing it online. Now they tell me. 😞

[TheresaM224402]

How did she apply? Did she apply online or in person?

[CarrollB59738]

I also filed my application right before Thanksgiving and I'm still in the Step 2 process.  When I applied, I also recall they said that I may get a call, possibly on a wkend, from SS with any questions they may have which I assume would be what % of taxes do I want withdrawn.  As I'm under 65, Medicare deductions would not apply.  I hope I don't have to wait much longer, I need to put my husband in daycare at least one day a week (Alz) and that SS is earmarked to pay for the costs.  I don't want to incur debt paying for via credit cards in the interim.

[ChrisS1302]

  I applied Nov.18, 2024, I was told 30 days to process. I was then told no more than 60 days.

It's Jan.28, 2025. They have all of my information, I was told that there was nothing else they needed from me, nothing more that I had to do to help, and that I was approved. Social Services have cut my food stamps from $291.00 to $136.00. I called to find out why and was told that Social Security sent them information that I was approved for S.S.I. old age benefits. I receive social security retirement. If I was approved for S.S.I. benefits then where is the money? No one wants to give me any answers. The agents online keeps telling me that they are requesting status reports, but nothing changes., all I get is " I can see some movement, they do seem to be working on it". Really? Why can't I see some movement. It's all B.S. If they had to work out of the office and not from home maybe they would do some actual work instead of signing in and then going on to run errands until it's time to sign off. B.S.

[PingL219766]

 I applied Nov 20, 2024 to receive benefit in Jan 2025, and still not get approved.   I visited the local ssa office after I applied, they said it will take up to 30 days,  30 days past in Dec, so I call SSA,  they changed story and said it will take up to 60 days.  Now almost 60 days and still nothing happened.  Got assigned to Jamaica in another state.  I checked SSA website, it said the on-time receipt of benefits for that office is 87%.  Sounds to me this is not true.

[dmvanryn]

I just got off phone with social security and was told my application of Nov 10, 2024 would begin in Feb 2024 as expected (FRA).  FYI, online my application has been stuck in Step 2 for over a month.  I called SSA at 866-226-2306.  This number was given to me by my local SS office - they said I needed to call a different number as it was an online application.  Since my application went through Jamaica Plain, I assume that is where the phone number is based.  I called at 8:15 am and was on hold only an hour (usually I wait at least two when calling SSA)!

[dmvanryn]

Oops - that is will start Feb. 2025.

[annemarie401]

Hi Catherine, was your SS application ever processed? My spouse is over the full retirement age. Her application was started in October 2024. It is now mid-January 2025 and Martin, the clerk working on the application, has not responded to her inquiries. Her health insurance ends this month. 

[YasminC909860]

Have you heard anything?

[c697281r]

Partisan Congressional budget cuts to SS staff have had a significant impact to processing, similar to IRS.  It will get worse with the new administration's cuts to "big government".

[StevenS868231]

Thank God for those cuts.

[SiobhanP970130]

I read that it takes 6 weeks. I'm not surprised either with all the boomers retiring daily. We can apply 4 months ahead of when we expect to get our first check. That's what I did.

[karblaze]

I just hit 61 days. The website says 30 days, but today is 61 days. I have an extremely simple work history straightforward. No complications.They started it on October 28th and nothing has changed 61 days later. It's not even from the day I filed. It's from the day they started working on it, it's 61 days. And again super simple straight forward, no complications just want my retirement money. 

[LindaS709179]

My husband is at 90 days at step 2

[fiero656]

As of today I'm at 120 days. Been on hold a total of 16 hours with never speaking to anyone! This is getting ridiculous!