Signing up for SS in US

[Nicco]

Next year I need to return to US for xyz reasons. I will apply for SS in US while there. This will be a few weeks after my 65 bd. I have the following questions.

Does anyone forsee any issues signing up online on arrival (eg weeks for call back)? Any issues doing a walk in other than getting appointment such as residence questions?

 

Is walk in application immediateand done?

I've seen document list in IDMe and it's worrisome. While I have Birth certificate, SS card, CA Real ID, additional docs - I lack tertiary docs linking me to the residence. SS has sent mail to this address. 

 

Perhaps get SS rolling and then worry about online?

Additionally, I've not worked in two decades and have no w2 to produce. Any thoughts on which route to take?

Could I get a prepaid phone and do registration? Would that matter?

Sign up using US address. Using Thai address will complicate things I imagine.

If I sign up in person how do I get access to online SS information?

Any questions about kids or spouse? I'm married but wife has no attachment to USA

 

SS send 1099 to address mailed or only online?

I can have financial statements mailed to California address and have rec'd mail there but the ask seems to be utility and phone bills, some other odd, reaching stuff.

I will have two full weeks in States.

Appreciated

[jas007]

31 minutes ago, Nicco said:

Next year I need to return to US for xyz reasons. I will apply for SS in US while there. This will be a few weeks after my 65 bd. I have the following questions.

Does anyone forsee any issues signing up online on arrival (eg weeks for call back)? Any issues doing a walk in other than getting appointment such as residence questions?

 

Is walk in application immediateand done?

I've seen document list in IDMe and it's worrisome. While I have Birth certificate, SS card, CA Real ID, additional docs - I lack tertiary docs linking me to the residence. SS has sent mail to this address. 

 

Perhaps get SS rolling and then worry about online?

Additionally, I've not worked in two decades and have no w2 to produce. Any thoughts on which route to take?

Could I get a prepaid phone and do registration? Would that matter?

Sign up using US address. Using Thai address will complicate things I imagine.

If I sign up in person how do I get access to online SS information?

Any questions about kids or spouse? I'm married but wife has no attachment to USA

 

SS send 1099 to address mailed or only online?

I can have financial statements mailed to California address and have rec'd mail there but the ask seems to be utility and phone bills, some other odd, reaching stuff.

I will have two full weeks in States.

Appreciated

Off the top of my head, I'd say two weeks might not be enough, especially if they've now cut back on employees. Maybe someone knows about the current wait times.  

 

Another question: what is your full retirement age?  Is it really 65?  If not, and it's more than four months after you apply, that won't work.  Of course, you can apply any time after age 62 and receive reduced benefits....

 

So you have at least two potential problems. 

[Nicco]

29 minutes ago, jas007 said:

Off the top of my head, I'd say two weeks might not be enough, especially if they've now cut back on employees. Maybe someone knows about the current wait times.  

 

Another question: what is your full retirement age?  Is it really 65?  If not, and it's more than four months after you apply, that won't work.  Of course, you can apply any time after age 62 and receive reduced benefits....

 

So you have at least two potential problems. 

 

Full retirement age is 67. I will apply 65 + approximately 2 weeks

 

I was in SS office 1+ year ago (you mentioned cutbacks) to correct birthdate error. I think I did a walk in or made an appointment while in US. Took about two hours or less to be seen. I did receive follow up info after I'd returned though..

 

Let's say I have appointment day 2 of two full workweeks..?

 

Why do you think simply signing up in person with pp, realid, birth certificate take longer than two weeks? I know it must go through bureaucracy and won't get approved on the day - just obviously don't want to get called in after I'm gone

[jas007]

9 minutes ago, Nicco said:

 

Full retirement age is 67. I will apply 65 + approximately 2 weeks

 

I was in SS office 1+ year ago (you mentioned cutbacks) to correct birthdate error. I think I did a walk in or made an appointment while in US. Took about two hours or less to be seen. I did receive follow up info after I'd returned though..

 

Let's say I have appointment day 2 of two full workweeks..?

 

Why do you think simply signing up in person with pp, realid, birth certificate take longer than two weeks? I know it must go through bureaucracy and won't get approved on the day - just obviously don't want to get called in after I'm gone

I think, given the recent cutbacks and changes in procedures and so on, you may be assuming too much.  How, exactly, do you know you can get an appointment on day two? 

 

And, as I've said, applying more than four months before your full retirement age is not allowed, unless you want to begin to receive reduced benefits sometime in the next four months.  You don't really say how old you are or whether you want to receive full benefits, or not. 

[Nicco]

13 minutes ago, jas007 said:

I think, given the recent cutbacks and changes in procedures and so on, you may be assuming too much.  How, exactly, do you know you can get an appointment on day two? 

 

And, as I've said, applying more than four months before your full retirement age is not allowed, unless you want to begin to receive reduced benefits sometime in the next four months.  You don't really say how old you are or whether you want to receive full benefits, or not. 

 

I thought I'd made that pretty clear. I'm applying 65yo +2 weeks.

 

I'm well aware benefits reduced. That wasn't even in question.

 

Full retirement in USA is 67 🌟

 

67 plus four months is years away.

 

I was going to make an online appointment either myself here on Thailand and or via friend in US

[Trippy]

You don't need to be in the US or go to any SS office to apply. Use a good VPN and sign up for MY SS, right on the social security website. Do it now and it also tells you how much you will get depending on your age.

You don't need any docs, just a ss#, a bank acct, and a address to get benefits.

 

[Nicco]

12 minutes ago, Trippy said:

You don't need to be in the US or go to any SS office to apply. Use a good VPN and sign up for MY SS, right on the social security website. Do it now and it also tells you how much you will get depending on your age.

You don't need any docs, just a ss#, a bank acct, and a address to get benefits.

 

 

When I did IDMe it wants all sorts of docs. Basically four types of identification and I think like two or three were related to residents. I have none of those here nor in the states which is another reason why I wanted to just do it in the office. In Thailand landlord has utilities in his name. Yes I have a similar problem. I have no utility bills there I just use the residence to collect random mail and to facilitate things like this

 

Then apparently I need to speak with someone online - which I'm ok with

 

There was so many bits of paper to verify residence I just thought wt f... I'll go visit my best friend bc why not

 

I'm under impression I must have IDMe to do social security site. No??

 

I was just looking at the IDMe site and was going to register because I had a serious health scare wanted to start drawing ASAP. The scare turned out to be only that. I want to wait until I'm 65 to start drawing

 

So I can register directly on the Social Security website? And what sort of documentation must I upload? Just the docs that you had mentioned? Is that then a done deal?

 

[Trippy]

28 minutes ago, Nicco said:

 

When I did IDMe it wants all sorts of docs. Basically four types of identification and I think like two or three were related to residents. I have none of those here nor in the states which is another reason why I wanted to just do it in the office. In Thailand landlord has utilities in his name. Yes I have a similar problem. I have no utility bills there I just use the residence to collect random mail and to facilitate things like this

 

Then apparently I need to speak with someone online - which I'm ok with

 

There was so many bits of paper to verify residence I just thought wt f... I'll go visit my best friend bc why not

 

I'm under impression I must have IDMe to do social security site. No??

 

I was just looking at the IDMe site and was going to register because I had a serious health scare wanted to start drawing ASAP. The scare turned out to be only that. I want to wait until I'm 65 to start drawing

 

So I can register directly on the Social Security website? And what sort of documentation must I upload? Just the docs that you had mentioned? Is that then a done deal?

 

Yea I think you're right. I forgot all about ID.me. That wasn't needed when I signed up about 6 years ago. The SS site is down right now or I'd do some searches for you. But I did find this one:

 

https://help.id.me/hc/en-us/articles/9198013708439-Verifying-your-identity-with-Self-Service

 

[EVENKEEL]

Did mine 5 yrs ago in US. Me, I had an appointment lined up with SS office. I already had my online account set up. I would definitely call and set up appointment.

 

If you have minor kids in Thailand with US passports, you get more money although that would have to go through Manilla and not the USA.

[Yellowtail]

I did mine about five years ago online from Thailand without difficulty. 

 

If you have kids under 18, file now, because they will each get benefits as well. My boy got half my benefit for four years,