Category: Social Security
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Social Security disability applicants can now track hearings and appeal decisions online
Waiting for a disability hearing can leave a household with no clear answer about when a decision will arrive or whether a form reached the right office. Social Security expanded its online Claim Status Tracker on July 21 to show hearing and appeal movement, decision milestones and processing-time estimates. The tool does not accelerate a…
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Pending heart-related disability claims face Social Security’s new medical rules October 30
A disability application can spend months moving through medical review, so a rule change scheduled for later in the year can reach claims already in line. Social Security has finalized revised cardiovascular criteria effective October 30, 2026. The agency says the new listings will apply not only to applications filed after that date, but also…
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The Senior Citizens League projects a 3.8% raise for 2027, about $74 a month, but Social Security decides in October
A single figure has been moving through retirement newsletters and social feeds since the middle of July: a 3.8 percent Social Security raise for 2027, worth roughly $74 a month. The figure is real, the arithmetic behind it is ordinary, and the organization that produced it describes it accurately. What gets stripped out in the…
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SSI’s new payroll exchange aims to prevent wage-reporting mistakes that cause costly overpayments.
For a worker receiving Supplemental Security Income, a late or incorrect wage report can turn a routine paycheck into a future benefit problem. Social Security says its fully implemented payroll exchange is intended to bring wage data in sooner, reduce manual reporting mistakes and prevent some improper payments before they become debts. What Social Security…
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Social Security for Divorced Spouses: The 10-Year Rule
Married 10 years before divorcing? You may qualify for Social Security on your ex’s record, worth up to half their benefit, without affecting their check.
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The 2027 Social Security COLA: What Early Numbers Show
April’s inflation data pushed one early 2027 COLA estimate to 3.9%, up from this year’s 2.8%. It’s a forecast, not a promise. Here’s the math behind it.
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Social Security’s 2026 Trustees Report in Plain English
The 2026 Trustees Report projects the retirement fund runs short in late 2032, paying 78% of benefits then. What that means, and doesn’t, for your check.
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How to Open a my Social Security Account Safely
Opening a my Social Security account takes about 15 minutes and a photo ID. Here’s the safe way to set one up — and why claiming yours protects you.
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Working While on Social Security: The Earnings Limit
Claim Social Security early and keep working, and SSA may withhold part of your benefit. Here is how the earnings test works and why the money isn’t lost.
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Survivor Benefits: What Social Security Pays After a Death
When a worker dies, Social Security can pay benefits to a surviving spouse, children, and even parents. Here is who qualifies and how much they receive.
