Is there a monthly Social Security "benefits statement"?

[fffred]

I am awaiting confirmation of my application for SS Old Age (retirement) benefits. 

I'm wondering, is there some sort of monthly "statement", either paper or where I log in somewhere like I do for Medicare and the IRS? Will this monthly "statement" show the month for which the payment is made? I understand that the old age benefit is made one month in arrears.

My concern is that it will not be clear to me as to when SS decides to "begin" my benefit; they have not instilled me with confidence in their capabilities so far during this process.

thanks!

[AnaL923573]

When I applied for disability after being injured in a car accident, I was sure that they had some reporting on payments. So it turned out and I am very glad that they can normally comply with these formalities. If you're just filing an  appeal for compensation, then it's important enough to make sure you keep your records up to date, and a lawyer can help make sure you stay on the right track. I hope that every dollar you are entitled to will be paid to you! Good luck and health!

[roachme]

I applied for SS in Sept 2021 to start benefits in January 2022.  The progress steps on the MySocialSecurity page went quickly through steps 1 & 2 but paused on the step 3 approval until January 7, 2022.  They don't seem to issue the approval until the first week of the month your benefits start.  My sister applied to start benefits Dec. 2021 and the same approval process happened for her.  Her approval arrived on Dec. 7 and she lives halfway across the country from me.  I don't think the same timeline in different parts of the country are coincidence.  I had called SSA about mine in mid-December and they told me verbally it had been approved but the website didn't up date to that info until January.

[fffred]

@roachme 

Thanks for the data points. I applied on February 8, so I am now in the middle of my 18th week of waiting.

[GailL1 · Accepted solution]

There is no monthly notification but your (personal) Social Security account will show your benefit, when it starts, amount and any deductions like Part B or taxes if you elect them, long before you get notice via mail.

SSA.gov - What is an Account? | my Social Security | SSA

It will also show you where the direct deposit is going. 

The calendar of benefits based on your birthday (day)  [for SS Retirement benefits/SSDI] indicates the date that it should show on your bank account.

SSA Social Security Schedule of Benefit Calendar 2022

Once started, the amount is the same until any adjustment is make like a COLA or increase in deductions - for most folks this is once a year - at the beginning of the next year. These notices also show up in your account long before you get it buy mail.

Your email is listed so that new notices to your account can be communicated to you.

[fffred]

@GailL1 

Thank you Gail for describing how My Social Security will report the characteristics of my benefit (I do hope they make this clear to me). Since I have not yet passed that pale I don't know what's on the other side even though I believe I have a fairly good handle on what my benefit should be, etc. Currently my My Social Security gives only general information (information on my anticipated benefit was removed from the site once my application was made).

[GailL1]

You may have to be patient - 

cbpp.org 05/26/2022 - Policymakers Must Act to Address Social Security Service Crisis 

from the link~

 Some 1,400 staff departed in 2021 alone, at a time when budget shortfalls forced SSA to freeze hiring, and SSA expects to lose another 4,500 front-line employees this year. SSA staffing is already at its lowest level in 25 years. At the same time, SSA’s workloads have expanded dramatically, with the number of Social Security beneficiaries increasing by 11 million or 21 percent since 2010.

[fffred]

@GailL1 

Thanks for the article link. Very interesting.

I am a generally patient person. I filed my application for retirement benefits in February, with the benefit to commence with my 70th birthday (coming up at the end of May). "My Social Security" still says ""A representative in BALTIMORE MARYLAND started reviewing your application on February 8, 2022. For most people, this review takes 2 to 4 weeks." I will soon become a bit less patient.

What annoys me the most is they have mangled my change of address. At one point in time it was correct on the sample "benefits letter" that can be downloaded on that site, but they showed an old address under my profile. Below that is a caption indicating "scheduled update..." with a date long since passed. I called the Admin and... well, long story short they have mangled my address, which is/was correct on my on-line application but I have no idea what they are planning to do now. Granted, I have moved from the US to Canada (but I remain a US citizen by birth and my entire working career was in the US) but surely they must realize that they simply cannot omit the Province. "Provinces" are like "States". The application online process clearly provided an input for the Province, Country, etc (very polished) but most of the representatives I have spoken with on the phone recently were clearly out of their depth,

Speaking of this, I get regular emails now from Laurence Kotlikoff (an economist and SS expert I have mentioned on this forum). Today's was really something, I thought he had blown a fuse...and perhaps he has. He really laid into the SSA as well as their representatives. Reading to the end I eventually understood the issue that had him so exercised: a form that is required for a widow/widower to postpone their own retirement benefits whilst accepting survivor's benefits; apparently some representatives are not properly disclosing the existence or import of this form, or even disregard the applicant's instructions regarding the form(!). I thought his discussion was over the top. But then I have knowledge of that form and what its consequences are, whereas many others may not be. They may end up losing out on benefits.