Q & A
Is it true 10,000 people a day are retiring? What’s the easiest way to avoid the crowds?
Answer: Yes. As the baby boomers reach their retirement years, Social Security is handling about 10,000 claims each day. You can avoid the crowds by filing online. You can complete your retirement application in as little as 15 minutes. It’s safe,…
Can I receive Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits at the same time?
Answer: You may be able to receive SSI in addition to monthly Social Security benefits if your Social Security benefit is low enough for you to qualify for SSI. Whether you can get SSI depends on your income and resources. Resources…
This summer, I’ll turn 65 and, because of my financial situation, I thought I’d be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). But my neighbor told me I’d probably be turned down because I have a friend who said he might help support me. Is this true?
Answer: If your friend helps support you, it could have an effect on whether you get SSI and on the amount you would receive. If you have low income and few resources, you may be able to get SSI. However, if…
I was hurt on the job and can’t work. How do I start my application for Social Security disability benefits?
Answer: If you have a disability that qualifies, you can apply online at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyfordisability. There are several advantages to applying online for disability benefits. You can start your disability claim immediately. There is no need to wait for an appointment. You…
My husband is 60 and works as a professor at a state university. His plan is to retire from full-time work when he turns 66, draw his pension and only work part time for perhaps four more years. He wouldn’t need Social Security until he turns 70. He will have at least 31 years in full-time work (as he moved here from the Netherlands). I am 64, and my work has been sporadic and at a lower income. Social Security projects only about $300 per month for me. Should I apply for spousal benefit at 66 and just forget about my own Social Security? We both come from families with longevity into the 80s and 90s. I plan on living to be at least 100.
Answer: You can’t collect your spousal benefit — which sounds like it will exceed your own retirement benefit — until your husband files for his retirement benefit. If you can take it when you are 66, your spousal benefit will be…
I have been receiving Social Security disability benefits since 1995. I am now 63 years old. I know that when I turn 66 my Social Security Disability Insurance program (SSDI) will automatically roll over to regular Social Security retirement benefits at the same rate. Here is my question: Since I’m eligible for early retirement, can I make the switch from SSDI to regular Social Security without a penalty? If the rollover is at the same rate at age 66, it seems like the same would hold true earlier.
Answer: Your disability benefit will just change names and be called your retirement benefit when you reach full retirement age. It won’t be changed. You can, however, choose at full retirement to suspend your retirement benefit and restart it at 70…
Should my husband take Social Security benefits at his full-retirement age and use it to pay down credit card debt? Should he wait until age 70 with $25,000 credit card debt and try to continue with monthly payments? Do we have any options with student loans?
Full Question: My husband is 66. I am 58. We are employed as teachers. My husband is healthy and still has energy for this job. We have a ton of credit card debt, plus loans for two children going through college…
My husband and I separated but remained married even though he lived with another woman for the last decade. He died recently. Can I receive Social Security benefits as his widow even though we have been apart for years?
Answer: If monthly Social Security survivor benefits are payable, they would be paid to you as the legal widow. Since you were not living together, a one-time payment of $255 to help offset funeral costs is usually not payable. Survivor benefits based…
If you are divorced spouse, can you receive Social Security benefits on the record of your ex-spouse (even if he/she has remarried)?
Answer: If you are divorced spouse, you can receive Social Security benefits on the record of your ex-spouse (even if he/she has remarried) if: Your marriage lasted 10 years or longer; You are unmarried; You are age 62 or older; Your…
Is Citizenship Required for Social Security Disability or Retirement Benefits?
Answer: Many believe that American citizenship is needed to receive Social Security benefits. But that’s not true. Resident aliens (or “green card” holders) may qualify to receive Social Security payments, as long as they meet some additional guidelines, such as having…