Tuesday, October 16, 2018

October 16 – “In Social Security Time Out”


We made attempt number one to begin the process of Chris receiving her social security retirement benefits.  Well, not Medicare yet.  She has to wait a little while longer for that “blessing.”  We went to the “.gov” website and made it to the screens where they ask random questions about credit accounts you may or may not have had back 30 or 40 years ago.  Well, OK, so maybe it was 10 or 20 years ago.  Either way, we apparently gave the wrong answer to one of the questions.  A screen appeared informing us that we were summarily locked out of the system for 24 hours.  Yep.  We have been put in Social Security Time Out for a whole day.  Well, I certainly feel admonished. 

The screen indicated that we could next call the social security hotline and talk to an agent about the situation.  Aaand … that would be after first waiting on hold for 58 minutes (we timed it).  Chris continued washing clothes and cleaning the kitchen.  I dove back into work on the computer.  When the guy finally answered I called out for Chris to hurry in so she could talk to the guy.  First he said, “It sounds like I am on speaker phone where you are.  Do I have permission to speak about these things so that others can hear?”  Interesting request.  Never heard that one before.  Chris assured his it would be fine.  It was “just her husband.”  He got all her pertinent information, and then asked what she was trying to do.  Chris gave him the short version, and he asked specifically about what error the screen had flashed at us.  Fortunately I still had it up on the computer, so we could read it to him.  “Ah, that’s what I was afraid of.”  Not what we wanted to hear.  Seems with that code there was nothing he could do to help us.  The account was completely locked down.  We were truly in Time Out.  Worse, even.  We were suspended.  We were grounded.  He told Chris that her only other option was to go to the local social security office and they could unlock everything and give her the code she needed to set up her “Mysocialsecurity” account.  Wonderful.  The office is in League City.  And when I had to go there (Yep, I had one of those dreaded codes as well), it involved a wait of at least an hour (Enough that Chris had exhausted all the shopping options in the area).  Sigh.  Guess we can wait until this afternoon and try again on line.  Or be forced to drive into Texas.  Aaaarrrgh.

Psalms 105:4 says, “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.”

Father, help us have the patience to get through this process … again.  Amen.

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