She Thought She'd Get Half Her Husband's $3,200 Social Security — But SSA Only Approved $1,000

[MULTIZ321]

She Thought She'd Get Half Her Husband's $3,200 Social Security — But SSA Only Approved $1,000

https://flip.it/oJLbgI

Richard

 

[Tia]

• Spousal benefits are based on the PIA, not the actual benefit amount.
• Delayed credits benefit the worker, not the spouse.
• Claiming early reduces benefits — sometimes significantly.

 

[DrQ]

Just went through that exercise with the DW. Sent the form and a certified copy of our marriage license to our local Social Security office by CMRRR and was pleasantly surprised when they turned it around within 30 days. DW was able to get an additional $600/mo in benefits. DW applied for Social Security at FRA when she retired and it was over a year when I retired at 69. She could not apply for spousal benefits until I started receiving SS. Given the PIA in going in the the Social Security Office, I put off applying until now given all the issues with making an in-person appointment. I decided that the first salvo would be to just send in the form.

I did not have a good experience with being IRMAA'd when I first retired. I sent in the form stating that I had a change of income circumstances for me and was approved for an exemption and was approved, but DW's application was swallowed by the black hole of the SS administration an we never heard anything, so we just payed it for the few months it was in effect. That is why I sent the spousal benefit application via CMRRR and it was processed in a speedy manner with credit being applied back to when I applied for benefits, so there was a nice back payment.

I knew roughly what her spousal benefit would be based on SocialSecurity.gov when I was determining my benefit and I knew that it would not increase by me delaying my retirement.

 

[elaine]

Given the PIA in going in the the Social Security Office, I put off applying until now given all the issues with making an in-person appointment

My Mom lost her SSA 1099. I could not get her verified for online account. So in person appt was needed. After being on eternal hold on the 800# listed for appointments, I decided to call the LOCAL SSA office...and (to my surprise) got through immediately and had my choice of appts for the next week. In/out in under 30 minutes-got her a new SSA 1099 and her change of address processed (which I had unsuccessfully tried to do on the phone 3X). What a happy day that was!

Thanks for the article-family members just discussed delaying SS for wives to collect more this week. I'd bet most (me included) didn't know that delaying until 70 doesn't increase spousal benefit.

 

[beejaybee]

DH was advised to collect SS at age 65 although spousal benefits weren't a factor in his decision.

Spousal benefit was moot for me since I have a public retirement pension. Grateful that post-"retirement" I was able to be employed part-time so that I reached 40 quarters under SS and my annual Medicare payment was now covered. Grateful that Congress and 46 eliminated the offset provision and I now do get spousal benefit still somewhat offset by my small SS benefit.

 

[Rolltydr]

DH was advised to collect SS at age 65 although spousal benefits weren't a factor in his decision.

Spousal benefit was moot for me since I have a public retirement pension. Grateful that post-"retirement" I was able to be employed part-time so that I reached 40 quarters under SS and my annual Medicare payment was now covered. Grateful that Congress and 46 eliminated the offset provision and I now do get spousal benefit still somewhat offset by my small SS benefit.

DW is going through this process right now, but she doesn’t have 40 quarters so doesn’t qualify on her own. She retired from DOJ under the FERS system. I started my SS in January 2023 at age 67 and10 months. My FRA was 66. DW is currently 71 and 5 months. So, will she get half what I receive now or half what I would have received at my FRA?

 

[Panina]

Interesting, always learning something new. I wonder how many people who are divorced and were married over 10 years know they can collect survivor benefits if the deceaed ex spouse social security is greater than theirs. I will need to tell my divorced friends.

 

[sun starved Gayle]

I believe this is only true if they are not currently married again. I don’t know how this works if they are widowed or divorced from second spouse.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

PIA is an eye-opener. PIA also applies to disabled adult child. Did not know that. Thanks for sharing Richard. @MULTIZ321

 

[easyrider]

DW is going through this process right now, but she doesn’t have 40 quarters so doesn’t qualify on her own. She retired from DOJ under the FERS system. I started my SS in January 2023 at age 67 and10 months. My FRA was 66. DW is currently 71 and 5 months. So, will she get half what I receive now or half what I would have received at my FRA?

Wouldn't she qualify for half of your fra benefit on the date you started collecting your SS ?

For us, my wife started collecting at 62 and when I begin collecting at fra she will receive a bump up of half of my benefit minus 30% for starting at 62 on hers is what the SS office person told us.

Bill

 

[Timeshare Von]

At first this headline gave me pause for concern . . . but in our situation, we have all of it correctly figured out . . .
* I collected at FRA and that is the number we are using to approximate hubby's amount based on my earnings
* We also assume the appropriate reduction as he'll collect "early" at age 65, rather than FRA of 67

[whew]

 

[Rolltydr]

Wouldn't she qualify for half of your fra benefit on the date you started collecting your SS ?

For us, my wife started collecting at 62 and when I begin collecting at fra she will receive a bump up of half of my benefit minus 30% for starting at 62 on hers is what the SS office person told us.

Bill

I honestly have no idea. When we met with the SS representative on April 28th, she indicated it would be half of my current benefit. She also said most reviews are completed in 30 days. Tomorrow is 30 days and she's heard nothing. I hope claims aren't being delayed due to the SS layoffs, but I fear that is exactly what is happening.

We never expected her to get anything from SS since she was in the FERS system, so if she gets anything, it will be a nice surprise.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

So if you collect early do you get COLA increases every year?

When you reach your FRA and stay on spousal PIA does your benefit increase? or remain with early payout reduction?

 

[VacationForever]

So if you collect early do you get COLA increases every year?

When you reach your FRA and stay on spousal PIA does your benefit increase? or remain with early payout reduction?

You always get COLA on the amount that you collect, early or late.

It is now called deemed filing. You cannot file against one, letting the other benefit to grow anymore. This "loophole" was closed a few years ago. So if you claim spousal benefit, at the point of filing, SS will calculate to see if spousal benefit is larger or your benefit is larger at that point, and you will get the higher of the 2 amount.

 

[DrQ]

It is now called deemed filing. You cannot file against one, letting the other benefit grow anymore. This "loophole" was closed a few years ago. So if you claim spousal benefit, at the point of filing, SS will calculate to see if spousal benefit is larger or your benefit is larger at that point, and you will get the higher of the 2 amount.

That's kinda what I figured. Once you file, be it for SS or Spousal Benefits, that puts a stake in the ground for filing age.

 

[wilma]

We never expected her to get anything from SS since she was in the FERS system, so if she gets anything, it will be a nice surprise.

If she was a federal employee under FERS she paid into SS and would be eligible to claim SS benefits. Was she under the older CSRS retirement?

 

[Rolltydr]

If she was a federal employee under FERS she paid into SS and would be eligible to claim SS benefits. Was she under the older CSRS retirement?

Yep, I got it reversed. She was under CSRS.

 

[beejaybee]

So many nuances to SS. Many of my former colleagues under the same public retirement system as I have received spousal benefits retroactive to January 2024, including one who's been long divorced, never remarried but now collects ex's death benefit. Another friend insists that she's not gotten any spousal benefit from her DH's SS- makes no sense to me.

When the news first broke about the offset being eliminated, I put in a call to SS. The rep I spoke with told me that I did not need to apply because my claim to be under DHs Medicare sufficed. The rep was so kind- he was working from home that day in late February because the power was out in his office- at that time doing so was permitted.

 

[Rolltydr]

So many nuances to SS. Many of my former colleagues under the same public retirement system as I have received spousal benefits retroactive to January 2024, including one who's been long divorced, never remarried but now collects ex's death benefit. Another friend insists that she's not gotten any spousal benefit from her DH's SS- makes no sense to me.

When the news first broke about the offset being eliminated, I put in a call to SS. The rep I spoke with told me that I did not need to apply because my claim to be under DHs Medicare sufficed. The rep was so kind- he was working from home that day in late February because the power was out in his office- at that time doing so was permitted.

I think DW applied at the end of February. I don’t remember exactly where the rep was but she gave DW a phone number to call to get back in touch with her. DW left a couple of messages but she never heard from the rep. We assume she was one that got laid off. Her claim was then assigned to a rep in Birmingham AL where we lived all of our working lives and up until Noember 2021. That rep told my wife she had filled out her claim incorrectly and she would have to make her an appointment with a rep in St. Augustine where we now live. We met with that rep in mid March and got the application straightened out and provided all of my and her paperwork except a copy of our marriage license. Unfortunately, that rep wasn’t trained on the “offset” applications so she had to put a note in the system and reassign it to another rep in the office and make an appointment for us to meet with her. That was the April 28 appointment. I check every morning for an automatic deposit and DW checks her mySS account every day or two to see if anything has been updated. So far, nada.

 

[PigsDad]

Another friend insists that she's not gotten any spousal benefit from her DH's SS- makes no sense to me.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but SS spousal benefit only comes into play when there is a large discrepancy of the two spouses income over the years, correct? If both spouses had full careers and earned about the same, I assume they each would collect only on their own SS benefit, because it would be about the same. Am I missing something here?

BTW, my wife and I are 59, retired, and in that situation. In fact, most of our friends our age would be in the same situation as well -- very few chose to have a stay at home parent.

Kurt

 

[easyrider]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but SS spousal benefit only comes into play when there is a large discrepancy of the two spouses income over the years, correct? If both spouses had full careers and earned about the same, I assume they each would collect only on their own SS benefit, because it would be about the same. Am I missing something here?

BTW, my wife and I are 59, retired, and in that situation. In fact, most of our friends our age would be in the same situation as well -- very few chose to have a stay at home parent.

Kurt

Yup, you have that right. Unless a spouse has less than half the benefit of the other spouse it wouldn't matter as half is the bench mark at fra.

Bill

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but SS spousal benefit only comes into play when there is a large discrepancy of the two spouses income over the years, correct? If both spouses had full careers and earned about the same, I assume they each would collect only on their own SS benefit, because it would be about the same. Am I missing something here?

BTW, my wife and I are 59, retired, and in that situation. In fact, most of our friends our age would be in the same situation as well -- very few chose to have a stay at home parent.

Kurt

Correct. The family that has a stay at home parent gets a higher ratio of benefit relative to what they put into Social Security IMHO.

 

[chunkygal]

Hey
DrQ,I'm actually a DrQ, also! And my DH.
We got really screwed by IRRMMA. Initially approved, but what I didn't know is that you have to reapply EVERY year until the three years catches up. Means $600 a month for us...
Enough to cover annual maintenance fees!

 

[AnnaS]

I lost out with SS since my husband passed a month before his 65th birthday and I am not full retirement age. Between mine and his, I don't get his full amount. I had no clue with this. Thought I would automatically get his full after seeing my mom, in-law and others get the husbands. Never thought he would pass when he did/unexpected and things we can't plan.

I also lost out with his pension since he was one month away from turning 65. Two months prior he had chosen for me to receive 3/4 of his pension.

Lost over $800 with the two above. A nice chunk of change that was very unexpected. We plan, plan - but we have no way of knowing when we pass. We think and hope in our later years.

I also lost out somewhere else....it is what it is. $$

Lost medical also after three months of his passing. More $$

When they say count your blessings.......Trying to remain positive each day for a few reasons. I will complain here and there......can't help it.

 

[GT75]

She Thought She'd Get Half Her Husband's $3,200 Social Security — But SSA Only Approved $1,000

The one thing that I haven't seen mentioned is that her benefits will increase to $3200 if/when her husband passes. Now, since she started taking SS at 62, I believe that factors into the situation. I suspect that she would get 70% of $3200. At least that is what I remember from about 10 years ago, as we were deciding when to start taking SS.

I do agree that the rules and strategies for taking SS are complicated and have changed over time.