📋 Social Security Eases 3-Day Hold on Phone Claims (AARP Article)

[SpringIsHereVA]

FROM THE ARTICLE:

Social Security Drops 3-Day Hold on Benefit Claims by Phone.

Application backlog grew as SSA added ID procedures, cut staff.

By Andy Markowitz, AARP. Published May 23, 2025.

A month after introducing new protocols intended to flag fraud risks on benefit applications made by phone, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has dropped a key element of the program that required a three-day hold on such claims before processing could begin.

An SSA official said the updated policy took effect May 17.

USE THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE.

https://www.aarp.org/social-security/ssa-changes-phone-checks/

[SpringIsHereVA]

[Saturday 5/24/25]

Gosh, I hope this helps with the backlog and still prevents fraud.

I guess TIME WILL TELL.

Lol, probably another CHANGE in all this will be announced soon.

Good Luck to all the Retirees still waiting on their 1st Benefit Payment. Per the post on THIS SITE, 4 to 5 months for approval.  😱

SO GRATEFUL I "retired" in 2020 before the MESS arrived.  🙄

Take care,

Nicole  👵  (Social Security Forum)

[PaulK256374]

Wow so is that 4-5 months starting now?  Because I applied back in February and have been stuck in stage 2 of the approval.  And I'm already retired.  Just waiting for that first check...

[GailL1]

@PaulK256374 

A beneficiary has always been able to file for Retirement benefits up to (4) months before they want their benefits to begin.  For a person that is full retirement age or over, their claim could be process pretty fast if they want them to begin faster - they get to pick the month to begin.  If that date is missed - they get their benefits back to the date they wanted them to start.

This does not apply to those who are LESS than full retirement age - they do not get any back payments because frankly, there aren’t any to get.  There is also more checks that the SSA has to do on these filing for early benefits claims so processing takes longer.  

Sometimes a person files for early benefits and makes a substantial income and are continuing to work - this does not work out too well because of the earnings cap that applies - it could be that much of their benefit is gonna be clawed back as a result of the earnings test.  

So if a person is filing for early retirement between the ages of 62 and 66 (and whatever months) to 67, then yes, their claim is slower to process but it usually meets the months they have elected for their benefits to begin. 

Also some people don’t realize that Social Security benefits are paid one month in arrears - so if they file in Feb. and want their benefits to begin in June - they will not get their 1st benefit until July because that would be their June benefit.

There is also the rule that if retiring at 62 - you have to be 62 for the entire month for it to count.    

[SpringIsHereVA]

[Saturday 5/24/25]

Paul @PaulK256374 , someone had posted that stopping by their LOCAL office to "check" on their ONLINE application resulted in it being APPROVED. I hope you get your 1st check soon. Take care, Nicole  👵  (Social Security Forum)

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➡️[*** Paul wrote on Saturday 5/24/25:

Wow so is that 4-5 months starting now?  Because I applied back in February and have been stuck in stage 2 of the approval.  And I'm already retired.  Just waiting for that first check... ***]

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[SpringIsHereVA]

[Saturday 5/24/25]

Paul @PaulK256374 .

AARP Online Community and Discussion Forums - Huge delays in Social Security processing new reti... - AARP Online Community.

USE LINK BELOW TO JOIN THIS DISCUSSION.

https://community.aarp.org/t5/Social-Security/Huge-delays-in-Social-Security-processing-new-retireme...

Take care,

Nicole  👵  (Social Security Forum)