WHY, OH WHY...am I not allowed to apply online for spousal benefits from my ex-husband's social security which is a far higher dollar amount than mine? My birthday is January,1955. I set a telephone appointment up in February 2021for April from a Soc. Sec. office near where I work. I received a confirmation letter for the telephone appt. and also a telephone call confirming the appt. the day before my "supposed" telephone appt.. I never received the call and ended up having to call Soc. Sec. where in which I was told, "the telephone appt. had to be made from a office near my "residence" and that, that office has no phone appt's. available until 2022!!! 8 months from now! It doesn't seem fair that I might have to wait that long or longer before I can start receiving benefits. Especially when the extra dollars would come come in handy for my medical bills. Just sign me... Flummoxed and Exasperated.

Hi. Social Security's website claims that they are constantly expanding their online services, but as of now they won't allow you to file for another type of benefit if you're already drawing your own benefits. Aside from that, though, it's simply crazy that Social Security would expect you to wait 8 months for a telephone appointment. I assumed that Social Security could be backlogged on appointment availability due to understaffing and COVID, but I had no idea it was that bad.

If I were you, I would try calling my local office and ask to speak to the manager of the office. You can find contact information for your nearest office by using the following Social Security website: https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp. If you're unable to resolve the problem directly with Social Security, I would suggest contacting the office of your congressional representative or one of the U.S. senators from your state. I would think they would appreciate knowing about your experience, and they may me able to help you out.

Best, Jerry