I have been told I could not get both SS and my husband;s spouse RR pension. Now I hear that has been reversed and I can now have both? Can you help with this?

Hi,

If you file for both Social Security (SS) benefits and for Railroad Retirement (RR) benefits, what you would receive is a) the higher of your SS benefit or your tier 1 RR benefit rate, plus b) any tier 2 RR benefits for which you qualify. Thus, there's no way that you could get both benefits in full at the same time.

Our maximization software can help you determine your best strategy with regard to SS benefits, but our software is not programmed for RR benefits. You'll probably want to contact your nearest Railroad Retirement Board office to check out your options with regard to RR benefits.

Best, Jerry