Should We Be Using My Wife's SS Or Half Of My SS Benefit For A WEP Calculation?
Hi Larry.
First of all, thanks for answering all our questions. I'll try to make this simple.
My wife is eligible for social security benefit and pension. Pension is from a job that didn't contribute to social security so we are aware of the WEP reduction and have done the calculation on the social security site. However, should we be using her SS benefit OR half of my SS benefit for the WEP calculation? (Since I understand a spouse is entitled to her SS benefit or half of spouse's - whichever is greater.) Half of mine would be higher so I'm thinking we would use . . . Read More
Category: Non-Covered Pension - WEP / GPO
Posted: May 15 2020 - 8:46am
If My Wife Took Spousal Benefits At Age 62 Is She Eligible To Take Her Benefits At Age 70?
If my wife took spousal benefits at 62 is she eligible to take her benefits at 70 since she was born before 1954?
Hi,
Technically the answer to your question is yes. However, the only way that your wife could have filed for spousal benefits at age 62 without also being required to apply for her own benefits at the same time is if she either didn't have enough work credits to be eligible for benefits on her own account, or if she had a child in her care who's a) eligible for child's benefits on your account and b) under age 16 or disabled. And, if . . . Read More
Category: Filing Options
Posted: May 15 2020 - 8:24am
Why Did Social Security Deny My Claim For Disability?
Hi guys I had a question for you guys I suffer from depression and I apply for Social Security but they deny me
Hi,
In order to meet the requirements for Social Security disability benefits, you must be unable to do substantial gainful work due to your impairment. There are specific guidelines in the Social Security regulations that govern whether or not a person's impairment meets those requirements, but the initial determination on whether or not a person meets those requirements rests with a disability examiner and a doctor who are paid by Social . . . Read More
Category: Disability Benefits
Posted: May 14 2020 - 12:14pm
Am I Eligible For Divorced Widow's Benefits If My Ex-Husband Dies Before Me?
Hi Larry,
I was married for 26 years and have never remarried. My ex husband remarried and is still married. I am collecting on my own social security and am now 73 years old. Am I eligible for full divorced widow benefits or a portion of his benefits....when and if he passes before me?
Hi,
It sounds like you'd meet the requirements for surviving divorced spousal benefits if your ex dies, assuming that your survivor rate would be higher than your own benefit rate. The fact that he's remarried wouldn't have any adverse effect on your eligibility . . . Read More
Category: Divorced Widow(er) Benefits
Posted: May 14 2020 - 8:12am
Can I Start A Business And Receive Survivor Benefits At The Same Time?
I'm new to all of this, but I'm going to give it a shot.. I'm 48, widowed at 46 and raising my 2 grandchildren, which I have complete custody off.. I receive survivor benefits for all of us and I'm currently under review for disability due to a accident, that has permanently messed up my neck and my ability to do things.. I'm so used to being active I fell like I'm losing it at times. I'm considering starting a small ice cream truck business but I'm not sure if I'm aloud to do that and get survivor benefits at the same time.. so my question is, can I?
Hi, . . . Read More
Category: Earnings Test
Posted: May 14 2020 - 7:56am
Will My Social Security Be Reduced Because I Started Drawing Railroad Spousal Benefits At Age 60?
I am presently married to a railroad retiree and am collecting the railroad spousal benefit. I am 69 and have been collecting the spousal benefit since I was 60. My husband and I have been married 10.5 years. I am contemplating a divorce and I need to know how the divorce will affect my social security. I will be losing the railroad spousal benefit, and thus dependent upon my own social security as my main source of income. Will my social security be reduced since I started collecting the railroad spousal benefit ay age 60, or will my social security be basically what I would . . . Read More
Category: Railroad Retirement & Social Security
Posted: May 14 2020 - 7:40am
Would My Husband Be Eligible For Spousal Benefits?
I am 52 and husband is 62. I have been on disability for 10 years. If my husband took his retirement he would get next to nothing. Would he be elegible for my disability under spousal support? If so what percentage of my check would he received?
Hi,
If your husband files for spousal benefits he'll be deemed to also be filing for his own Social Security retirement benefits, and he could only be paid essentially the higher of those 2 rates. Plus, the benefit amount would be reduced for age if he files prior to his full retirement age (FRA).
Your . . . Read More
Category: Spousal Benefits
Posted: May 13 2020 - 11:39am
What Options Does My Wife Have?
My wife is 16 years 4 months older than I am. We are... just lost. I don't even know how to ask the right questions. She will be 67 this August, and I am 50 and still working. She is and has been a homemaker most of our 27 years of marriage.
Help?
Brian
Hi Brian,
Assuming that your wife has fewer than 40 quarters of Social Security coverage (QC) then she likely wouldn't be eligible for any benefits based on her own work record. And, she can't qualify for spousal benefits until you start drawing your benefits. So, unless you become . . . Read More
Category: Filing Options
Posted: May 13 2020 - 11:16am
Will Social Security Make Me Apply For Totalization Benefits When I File On My Ex-Spouse's Record?
Hi Jerry:
Thank you so much for answering my just recent question on WEP/GPO question (May 12 2020 - 2:51 pm for reference). I have only 9 U.S. credits and am collecting $460 Cnd. CPP. Will the Social Security Administration still make me apply for the benefits on my ex-spouse’s U.S. record through a Totalization application. Is this a mandatory procedure even though there is no question that benefits on my ex-spouse’s record will be higher? If so, does it take much longer?
Thank you for your kind assistance!
Hi,
Assuming that you were . . . Read More
Category: Filing Options
Posted: May 13 2020 - 10:46am
Does WEP Or GPO Apply In My Case?
I will be applying for social security benefits on my ex-spouse’s record at 67 years of age. My ex-spouse will then be age 62. I receive a small Canada Pension Plan (CPP) benefit ($460 Cnd.) which I took at age 60 and will defer my Old Age Pension (OAS) until age 67. I will “buy in” to Medicare between ages 65-67. I will not have enough credits to apply on my own record.
QUESTION: As I am not applying on my own record, does WEP or GPO apply in my case?
Thank you!
Hi,
WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) can only apply to Social Security . . . Read More
Category: Non-Covered Pension - WEP / GPO
Posted: May 12 2020 - 2:51pm
