I turned 62 in April 2020. This is when all this was just starting with the pandemic. I called every single week all the way up to Nov. before I was finally able to talk to someone. They gave me a phone apt. for Dec. Well the lady calls we go through everything end of conversation. When I started receiving it I got paid 1050$ for 2 months. Ok then they started paying me 814$ a month. No explanation why it changed no letter anything. When I called them she still didnt answer why it changed . I also ask why I didnt receive payment from April til now and she said we dont go back. It wasnt my fault that everything was closed due to the pandemic so why am I not being paid for what I'm owed instead from November on.

Hi. If you file for reduced Social Security benefits prior to your full retirement age (FRA), the earliest month that you can claim benefits is the month that you apply, or the month in which you establish a protective filing date. You could have established a protective filing date if you'd been able to reach Social Security by phone, but your only other option would have been to mail a written and signed intent to apply for benefits to Social Security (https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0200204010). Since you apparently didn't establish a protective filing date until November, that's the earliest month that you can be paid benefits.

On a positive note, your monthly benefit rate would have been even lower if you had claimed benefits 7 months months sooner. As for why your monthly benefit rate changed, I have no explanation for that unless a mistake was made or if you've requested to have taxes withheld from your benefits.

Best, Jerry