Anyone had to appeal to Social Security?

[targetsmom]

OK, this was not a good day anyway, with 14 more inches of snow to total over 6 FEET for the month. Then this afternoon I got a letter from Social Security saying they will send me the Medicare card I just applied for (I turn 65 in April) but that is the ONLY BENEFIT I CAN RECEIVE FROM SOCIAL SECURITY. If I think I might qualify for another kind of SS benefit in the future, I will have to file another application. If I disagree with this decision, I have the right to appeal, but must do it within 60 days.

Since I have worked EVERY quarter since 1968, paying into Social Security, and I get a letter each year with my work history and estimated benefit, this was a huge surprise. I guess I should have taken the reduced benefit at age 62 like almost everyone else does, except I am STILL working and paying into Social Security.

Does anyone have any idea what this means? There is a whole brochure about the appeal process; you must request your appeal in writing and can have legal representation. Of course, by the time I got the letter, it was too late to call anyone about this.

Any chance I will get it straightened out by the time I decide to really retire?

 

[bonloubri]

I never had to appeal as I took my benefits at 62. If I remember right I would have had to wait until I was 65 and 10months in order to receive full benefits since they were changing the retirement age from 65 to 70 (?) I think. Maybe someone else will know for sure on that age change.

 

[Jill]

I can't imagine what could be going on! I'm not an expert, at all, on social security, but work with clients who receive it and as an employer, know what it takes to qualify (40 quarters). I've helped a lot of clients decide when to trigger their benefits...

My gut reaction is this is some kind of a mistake, and I hope for your sake, I'm right. Have you tried to call them on the phone and ask for an explanation?

You're not supposed to get rail road or federal civil service benefits instead of social security, are you?

 

[Jill]

Just in case this could help, http://www.socialsecurity.gov/retirement/ But I'd be making some phone calls and / or visit to your local office for some face to face discussion. It just doesn't make sense to me, either.

 

[targetsmom]

OK, I just called my local SS Office and found out that this is a FORM LETTER they send to everyone, along with the brochure explaining how to appeal the decision. What the form letter doesn't say is that this benefit (in my case, Medicare) "is the only one you can receive from Social Security" BASED ON THIS APPLICATION. My addition in CAPS really changes the meaning of the sentence, doesn't it?

I hope this will save someone else the anxiety I felt since the letter arrived last night. I assumed it was something like this, but having spent a whole summer 2 years ago on the paperwork to convince the IRS we didn't owe them $23,000, I thought it would be more of a hassle to fix this. Oh, in case you are wondering, we ended up owing the IRS less than $100, due to minor errors in a large number of penny stock transactions.

 

[Jill]

Phew! I'm happy it is good news for you. It never seems to be easy or make a lot of sense when you've got to deal with a gov't agency. It can feel like it takes an act of God just to get someone to actually listen to or read what you're trying to explain about your situation.