Q & A
I’ve been “self-employed” most of my life…am I going to get Social Security?
Complete Question: I’ve been told that you need to work the equivalent of 10 years in order to get Social Security. But most of my life I’ve worked odd jobs – like landscaping, painting, construction, etc. I’ve had a few temporary…
How do I get a benefits statement from Social Security? I haven’t gotten one in the mail in years.
Complete Question: I kind of remember getting an estimated benefits statement from Social Security in the mail every year, but I can’t remember when I got the last one. Should I be concerned? I heard I might be able to…
I signed up for Social Security. When will I get my first check?
Complete Question: I finally got all signed up to start my Social Security benefits for my 66th birthday, which is on February 5th, 2015. So when will I get my first check and how often will I get paid? I…
I was denied for Social Security benefits and I’m shocked! What should I do?
Complete Question: I will be 66 years old this March and here I thought I was doing a good thing by waiting until I was full retirement age to file for my benefits. I even got a statement that estimated…
How do I know if a disability lawyer is charging me a fair amount?
Complete Question: I am trying to file a disability claim with Social Security and am having a lot of difficulty with it. I decided it might be best to hire a disability lawyer, but I don’t know where to begin.…
I’m single with no kids…who will get my survivor’s Social Security benefits?
Complete Question: I’m currently 71 years old and started getting my Social Security payments about 5 years ago. I have no children, wife, or other dependents. I was only married once for a brief period when I was in my…
Can criminals get Social Security benefits?
Complete Question: There has been a lot of talk about Social Security running out of funding to pay benefits. Have they thought about not paying benefits to criminals? Is there any law currently on the books about this? Answer: Actually, there…
How does the government handle Social Security funding?
Complete Question: I know that Social Security is paid for by taxes from employment. But what happens after that? With all the hype I’ve been hearing about the country running out of social security funds, I would like to know…
My wife is on disability…Am I eligible for survivor’s benefits based on her disability benefits?
Complete Question: My wife has been on disability for many years. Before that, I had only thought about surviving spouse benefits in terms of what she would receive based on my retirement benefit. Unfortunately, things have taken a turn for…
Is the earnings limit different if you’re self-employed?
Complete Question: I am currently self-employed and will be starting my Social Security benefits this year. I keep hearing that the annual earnings limit is different if you are self-employed, but don’t know how it’s different. Can you explain how…