Ask Larry

How Do I Find Out What I'm Entitled To?

How do I find out what I'm untitled to?
My income per mo.is $550.00 SSI disability and
$250.00 of my exhusbands SS. Friends in
my position receive much more. I don't
Understand.

Hi,

I can give you a general explanation. Social Security benefit rates are calculated based on the average annual Social Security covered earnings level of the person on whose record the benefits are paid. The higher the average earnings, the higher the benefit rates. The number of years used in the calculation depends on the type of benefit involved. Social Security retirement benefits on a person's own record are based on an average of their highest 35 years of wage indexed earnings, but disability and survivor benefits can be based on an average of fewer earnings years depending on the worker's age at the time they died or became disabled.

Auxiliary (e.g. spousal, divorced spousal) and survivor benefits are based on a percentage of the worker's primary insurance amount (PIA). And, if a person qualifies for both their own benefits and an auxiliary or survivor benefit, they can only be paid essentially the higher of the two rates. I don't have the information necessary to know if you're receiving the right benefit amounts, but Social Security has all of that information so they should be able to explain it to you.

Best, Jerry

Category: 
Posted: 
Aug 2 2020 - 12:25pm
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