Non-Covered Pension - WEP / GPO

Hi Larry. I was a teacher in California for 15 years and currently self employed, age 62. I have been collecting STRS, the teacher’s retirement since age 55. My husband, age 75, passed way 6 months ago. Does the SS WEP rule affect widow’s benefits? I plan to work at least to age 67, 70 if I remain in good health but not sure when to claim the widow’s benefits. It’s all very confusing. I have tried your software but unable to input the STRS numbers. Any advise would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

Hi Larry, I am 67 and a UK national, and have resided and worked in the US since 2000 as a legal resident. I have paid social security taxes all that time. I have retired in 2019 and plan to claim social security this year.

I also have a UK government state pension (social security equivalent) as well as an annuity pension from a UK employer prior to 2000. I contributed to both through UK taxes and employer salary deductions.

Are both assessed when calculating any windfall elimination provisions.

Thank you

Hi,

Hello Larry
I became a widow at the age of 33. My husband was only 37 when he died. I am currently a teacher in the state of Ohio and my question is about STRS and survivor benefits with SSA. Should I collect the survivor benefit early and continue to teach 5 more years until I am able to collect my pension? I am assuming once my pension begins my survivor benefit will be reduced to nothing being that my husband was only 37 when he passed.

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

I am 74 years old and have been receiving Social Security since I was 65 (some 9 years), and also a Canadian Pension, because I have dual citizenship, born in the U.S. The Social Security Office contacted me by letter just yesterday saying they were reducing my U.S. Social Security by $267 monthly. That action left me with only $39 U.S. dollars this month, since they decided to reduce my $838 monthly benefit retroactively starting March 2019. They tell me that I will receive $571 on August 3, 2019, and that this same amount will be ongoing after that.

I worked for an American company in Luxembourg for 11 years from 1987 to 1998 and qualify for Luxembourg national pension (social security) when I turn 65. I paid in to both US and Luxembourg social security from 1987 to 1991, then just Luxembourg from 1992 to 1998 after the totalization agreement with Luxembourg was signed. I am looking to start collecting my Luxembourg social security when I turn 65, but will probably defer my US social security until I turn 70. Can I apply for the Luxembourg social security separately from the US social security?

Thank you so much for your reply to my question. It was very helpful in giving me some idea of what lies ahead. I have not heard from Social Security since the initial phone call in May asking me about my 10 years of school district service. At that time I told the agent the amount and the date that I had started to receive the Texas teacher annuity. I am anxiously awaiting some form of communication from SS. Should I sit tight until I hear or should I call or go to a local SS office to follow up? I continue to receive the full SS survivor benefit.

Hi Larry,
I am planing on applying for SSecurity this July when I turn 66. I worked for 18 years for a City in which I did NOT pay SSecurity and for a year now I have been receiving a pension of $784.85. I also receive a pension of $380 from the UK as I lived and worked there and I did pay SS to the UK on these earnings.
Since I was born in 1953 I going to apply for half of my husbands original SS amount which would be $968.

I worked as a teacher in KY and therefore the SS I had earned prior to my teaching job was cut by about 2/3. My husband who never worked for a government agency and paid into SS for 30 years died this year. They cut the amount of his SS I received as surviving spouse by 2/3. This seems extremely unfair as he paid into the system for 30, or more years, never worked for government. Why am I again being penalized through my husbands benefits? The 2/3 is a close estimate, definitely more than 1/2.

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

I am divorced after 40 years of marriage, age 69, and began receiving social security benefits on my ex-husband's record at my age 66. Early in our marriage I worked in the private sector but barely earned my 40 quarters to be eligible for social security. I returned to teaching and no social security is withdrawn from my earnings. However, since I returned to teaching later in life, I elected to participate in a 401 A (defined contribution program) and not the annuity/pension program.

Hi Larry. Good stuff on your site.