Husband is 72 and never applied for ssi. Been self employed entire life. Wife is 65 and housewife for 40 years. 1.)Is applying for ssi a relatively easy task for both husband and wife? 2.)If husband has only recently filed tax returns (or had IRS assessments made) How does the husband make sure he is given credit for the recent returns and assessments?
Hi,
By SSI, I assume that you're referring to Social Security benefits and not Supplemental Security Income. Supplemental Security Income, which is typically referred to by the abbreviation SSI, is a needs based program administered by the Social Security Administration, whereas Social Security benefits are paid based on a person's earnings history.
Filing for Social Security benefits is generally relatively easy, depending on how you define that term. If you aren't able or choose not to file online, the hardest part of the process may be getting an appointment to speak with a Social Security claims representative. Social Security is significantly understaffed in my opinion, so even reaching them by phone can be difficult. If you want to try filing online you can use the following link: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/. Otherwise, you can make an appointment to apply by calling 1-800-772-1213, or you can try just walking into an office without an appointment. Some offices won't allow you to file an application on the same day you walk in, though, so you still may end up having to make an appointment.
If the husband in this case filed tax returns recently, those earnings may not yet be posted to his Social Security earnings record. In that case, Social Security will need to see copies of his tax returns in order to give him credit for the earnings. However, if he filed any tax returns more than 3 years 3 months and 15 days after the close of the tax year in question, he couldn't be credited with his self-employment earnings for those years even if he reported a profit and paid self-employment taxes.
Since the husband is age 72, there would be no advantage in waiting to apply for his benefits. Delayed retirement credits aren't added for months after a person reaches age 70, so he would likely want to apply as soon as possible. Social Security retirement benefits can be paid retroactively for a maximum of 6 months prior to a person's month of filing, so a delay in filing may result in a loss of benefits.
If a wife files for spousal benefits prior to her full retirement age (FRA), which would likely be age 66 in this case, her benefit rate would be reduced for age. The amount of the reduction would depend on how many months prior to FRA that the wife claims benefits. You may want to consider using our software to explore and compare your options.
Best, Jerry
