Hello,
On November 23 I turned 62 years old. I needed to apply for Social Security.
The rules are that you must apply two month before your birthday which I did.
First you call Social Security to apply and speak to many robotic voices answering questions
which the voice on the other end states it cannot unserstand your answer. Eventually you reach the point where you can leave a message to make an appointmet for a living person to call you back.
With the appointment made a call back was made to me and after going over any earnings I was making the Social Security mamanger on the other end told me I was earning too much money per month over the limit of what Social Security allows.
Apparently if you are working , what you earn in a month must be LESS than what your monthly social security benefit is going to be. I was informed I was over the limit and the way that is handled they hold back a certain amount of your Social Security checks for the overage you are earning. In other words these held back checks are lost to you.
I was to get my first Social Security check in January, but because of the overage and penalty I was told that now my first check benefit would not arrive until the first of May. The penalty cost me close to $7,000 in monetary loss, unless I would cut my working hours to such a number as to earn less than my Social Security benefit. Which I did do. So now my check should come this january insread of May. A Big Sigh of RELIEF.
All in all, the whole process is a terrible nightmare. Everything is hurry and wait and appears
very dis-jointed with you as the person to benefit never being quite sure if things are going to work out for you as Social Security has told you.
So everybody, when its time for you to apply, prepare for lots of frustration and worry. Keep following up with Social Security, because you'll get different answers for the same question.
Always Wishing You Happiness, Long -Life and Success,
Frederick
