i call the social security office and they . want to argue that i can not suspend my social security benefits. i started taking benefits at age 62 and i have know reached fra at . 66 and 2 months and counting. so how do i get passed the bureaucracy?

Hi. A lot of people have reported getting the same misinformation as you apparently did, so it sounds like Social Security may have a training or hiring problem. In any case, you are allowed to voluntarily suspend your Social Security retirement benefits between your full retirement age (FRA) and age 70, regardless of when you started drawing your benefits.

First off, you need to make sure that your request for benefit suspension is acknowledged by Social Security, since the earliest that you can suspend your benefits is the month after the month in which your request is submitted to Social Security. I would suggest submitting a written and signed request, even though the regulations allow your request to be submitted either verbally or in writing. If Social Security continues to argue with you or refuses to process your request, be sure to tell them to read the second example in section A.1. of GN 02409.110 (https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0202409110) in their program operations manual (POMS).

Finally, don't take no for an answer. If you can't reach a trained Social Security employee to acknowledge and process your request, insist on speaking with a supervisor or office manager. If all else fails, I would suggest contacting one of your representatives in the U.S. Congress to tell them about your experience. Inquiries from the office of a senator or congressperson often results in special handling.

Best, Jerry