Will Selling My House Affect My SS Survivor Benefits?
I’m 65 and receive survivor’s benefits. I I’m selling my house will it affect my SS
Hi. No. Selling a home does not affect Social Security retirement, disability or survivor benefits.
Best, Jerry
Category: Miscellaneous
Posted: May 6 2023 - 11:55am
How Can I Found Out If My Husband Is Alive Or Deceased?
How can I find out if my husband is alive or deceased
Hi. My expertise is limited only to Social Security benefits, so I can only tell you what information Social Security could release to you. Social Security receives notices of death from funeral directors and state death indexes. If you potentially qualify for benefits based on your husband's Social Security record, then Social Security could inform you what options you have with regard to applying for auxiliary (e.g. spousal) or survivor benefits. However, if you don't know your husband's Social . . . Read More
Category: Miscellaneous
Posted: May 6 2023 - 11:45am
How Should I Approach SSA To Reconcile My WEP Calculation?
I applied for both SS benefits and CPP to be effective Jan 1, 2023. Both were approved in January, and when CPP is subjected to WEP, however, the deduction in SS is higher by about $71US than one half of the CPP benefit after being converted to $US. This appears to be a result of SSA relying on the Web Calculator to arrive at WEP PIA, rather than simply subtracting 50% of the CPP in $US from the PIA.
Can you advise how to approach SSA to reconcile $71 a month difference in benefit? It is a substantial amount over the life time.
Thank you.
SS
. . . Read More
Category: Non-Covered Pension - WEP / GPO
Posted: May 4 2023 - 6:30pm
Does The Benefit Rate Reduction For Disabled Widows Go Away At FRA?
Get What's Yours Chapter 12 Advantage 5, says that the reduction in benefits for disabled widows goes away at FRA.
Yet every person I contacted at SSA and other SS advisors/experts seem to think that one reduced, the reduction stays in place.
Assume a person is under 60 and receiving DIB and their disability is expected to continue until after FRA
Assume that their DIB/PIA is much smaller than their potential WIB/DWB benefit
If a person initally on DIB subsequently files for DWB prior to age 60, does the reduction in DWB go away at their FRA?
If a . . . Read More
Category: Disabled Widow(er) Benefits
Posted: May 4 2023 - 11:54am
What Will My Mom's Benefit Be If My Dad Dies Before Her?
Both my parents are 80. My dad worked 30 years and is getting around $1100 in social security, my mom never worked and is getting $500 spousal benefit—- they are married for over 50 years. If Dad dies what would my never worked mom’s benefit be? And if mom dies, would her $500 spousal benefit stop and Dad would just have his own benefit?
Hi. If your father dies first, your mother's spousal benefits would convert to widow's benefits. Her widow's rate would be essentially equal to your father's monthly benefit rate. If your mother dies first, then her . . . Read More
Category: Survivor Benefits
Posted: May 4 2023 - 11:48am
Will My Spousal Rate Include The 8.7% 2023 COLA If I Wait Until January 2024 To Claim Spousal Benefits?
My FRA is November 2023. I benefit by taking half of my spouse's social security versus taking my own. If I take my first payment in November 2023, the 2022 COLA applied to the year 2023 (8.7%) isn't included in my spouse's PIA. If I wait until January 2024 to take my first payment, will I benefit by 8.7%? The payback is only 24 months if this is true.
Hi. As long as your husband was born before January 2 1961, your spousal benefit rate will include the recent 8.7% cost of living (COLA) increase regardless of when you start drawing benefits. If he was born . . . Read More
Category: Cost Of Living Increases
Posted: May 3 2023 - 6:08pm
Am I Able To Collect Any Back Social Security On My Own Record?
My spouse died in 2020 when we both were age 63 (both born in 1956), and we were both working. I continued and still continue to work and am now age 67. I collected nothing from Social Security (we both qualified for benefits) until my full age of 66 as a survivor, when I began the larger benefit, the survivor benefit. I never collected on my own record. I am trying to get an appointment to see if my benefit would ever grow as large as the survivor benefit (at the time of filing, they told me likely it wouldn't). Am I able to collect any "back" Social Security on my own record . . . Read More
Category: Filing Options
Posted: May 3 2023 - 4:23pm
If I Suspend My Survivor Benefits Because Of Earnings Do They Continue To Accrue?
I filed for and received survivor benefits at age 60, I'm currently 61. I Went back to work and suspended the payments due to earnings. Do these benefits continue to accrue? How do they accrue? I'm planning to retire at 70 to maximize my own benefits but would like to know my best strategy (maximum $) for claiming both my survivor benefits and personal benefits. Thanks for your help.
Hi. I'm not sure what you mean by 'accrue', but benefits lost to the Social Security earnings test are not accumulated and returned to the person later. What happens instead . . . Read More
Category: Filing Strategies
Posted: May 3 2023 - 4:04pm
After My Divorce I'll Receive 30% Of My Ex's PIA Until My Child Turns Age 16, Right?
I am 57 divorcing my 70 year old spouse. We have a 13 year old son. I am receiving a child in care spouse annuity . Child lives with me. I understand he will receive 50% of father’s PIA when divorce is final. I may receive 30% of husbands PIA right. (50% + 30% = 80% of family maximum) which families can get 180% right. My 30% will stop when child turns 16, right? Child’s continues until May of 2008 because he graduates high school. He turns 18 in October 2007. I turn age 62 in February of 2008 so now I qualify for divorced ss benefits. Now since my child is still receiving . . . Read More
Category: Divorced Spousal Benefits
Posted: May 3 2023 - 12:56pm
Is What We Were Told By Social Security Correct?
Child benefits vs Child-in-care spouse benefits. I just applied for retirement benefits as I'm turning 62 this summer. We have triplet 11 year old kids. Today I visited the SSA office and applied for child's benefits on behalf of my kids. However your Maximize My Social Security Planner shows that my wife should file for Child-in-care spouse's benefits as well. The SSA rep stated that if my wife applies for child-in-care spouse's benefits, her share would proportionally reduce what my kids would receive. Furthermore when our kids turn age 16, the child-in-care spouse's benefits . . . Read More
Category: Child Benefits
Posted: May 2 2023 - 8:32pm
