I just googled the NYT headline, which is all I could grab, and it popped up Reuters.

Paranoid as it seems, I had already downloaded and taken screenshots of my and OH's SS records online, in case some doge adolescent on Red Bull and vapes pressed the wrong button. I'm a citizen, so reasonably safe, but OH was only a (long term) PR.

Not sure if this has been mentioned already (I scan-read the thread and didn't see anything).

I applied for SS when I was 62 not only because it worked within my overall financial plan but because I was a bit paranoid about how things might change, especially for non-residents. I'm glad that I did. I had several issues with WEP and a few other problems that lasted from age 65 until just recently (I'm about to turn 68). Over the past year it's been nigh on impossible to talk to anyone at FBU, nor receive timely responses to emails. I think if I had applied at 66, it would have been a lot more complicated to deal with the problems not only because of reductions in staff but because of age-related decline in "cognitive tolerance," as I call it.

Regarding login.gov and ID.me, I originally used login.gov, but came a cross a potential problem. I was provided a set of 10 one-time only confirmation codes - every time I logged in, I had to supply a code. At one point I was logging in very frequently to keep track of the aforementioned problems, and got to the point where I only had one left. Luckily, I thought I'd better check how to get another set of one-time codes, because in order to request another set of 10, I had to ... log in using a one-time code! If I had already used that last code, I'm not sure what I would have done.

I looked at signing up for ID.me a while back but for reasons I can't remember, it just got complicated. I resolved to try again recently, and it wasn't too bad at all. I think it took me 1-2 hours from stat to finish, mostly time taken up finding the various forms of ID I needed. IIRC correctly, I was able/allowed to scan and submit two of them, and had to sign up for an online "interview" for the other (passport, I think). Over a brief online interview, a very pleasant interviewer asked me a few questions and then I had to hold my passport up to the camera. Job done.

(I'm a non-US citizen, non-US resident living in the UK, by the way).

Apologies if I missed it but I didn't see anyone answer your query about citizenship.

The bill is here https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-...bill/1547/text

.. the pertinent text being "and to require that an individual be a citizen or national of the United States to receive benefits under the Social Security Act". I will be very surprised if this bill passes but you never know. Us UK citizens receiving SS retirement benefit should be concerned!

I got this email from AARP a couple of days ago:

The Social Security Administration assured AARP that they will still allow all claim types to be completed over the telephone. This is great news for Americans all across the country, especially those who would have to travel long distances just to complete some paper work.

Advocates like YOU helped make it possible. Our community sent hundreds of thousands of letters to lawmakers demanding that Social Security not impose burdensome requirements on people trying to access their hard-earned Social Security — and it worked!

Excellent. Thanks for posting.

For those wishing to discuss the SSA Reform Act 2025 a new thread has been opened:

SSA Reform Act Of 2025 - Beware Expats

Yeah.... finally got onto SSA at 4am via ID.me (login.gov still doesn't work properly).

It's been more than 30 days now, but my application is still at 'step 2'. No change whatsoever on the website. I'm answering every unrecognized call on my phone in case it's the SS office .

For timeline comparison...

I applied on 5th March and quickly moved to 'step 2'.

I was contacted, by phone, on 26th April with a single, simple question. I was told my application was now complete and same day received an email letter with all the details.

Thank you! That's very encouraging! So yours took about 50 days. I'll relax for 20 days now

Good luck with that.

I have a trick I learned for that, by trial and error

And yesterday, 5 days after my claim was confirmed as good, a multipage letter arrived giving a detailed breakdown of how much I will get, why, when, etc. I'm assuming that's the end of the road on this item

My husband applied via London on January 31st for a retirement date of March. It went to stage 2 very quickly but not moved since then.

At this stage on my application I called SS in Baltimore and got it moving very quickly. (this was end of February/early March)

Social Security Fairness Act and elimination of WEP for expats