SSA still not informing widows/widowers of potential higher benefits - Forbes
To determine the best strategies for maximizing your Social Security benefits you need to educate yourself on Social Security rules, especially if you’re a widow or widower. The Social Security Administration is supposed to investigate all the types of benefits to which you are entitled or potentially entitled; however, the Office of the Inspector General of SSA (IG) found SSA consistently failed to inform a high percentage of widows and widowers that they might be entitled to a higher benefit than the one they were receiving. In the recent 2020 IG report, it was reported that almost half of surviving spouses weren’t informed that they were eligible for higher benefits after their spouses passed away, down from the 2018 report of 82 percent. In Bob Carlson’s article for Forbes, he gives a high-level explanation of survivor benefits and the recent IG report. To read Mr. Carlson’s article click here…
To read the Social Security Office of Audit Report Summary click here….
It’s also important to know that the AMAC Foundation offers an Advisory Service that can help folks navigate the Social Security maze. This service, featuring five trained and accredited Advisors, is available to the public free of charge. To learn more about it, visit the Foundation’s website at amacfoundation.org/programs/social-security-advisory.
This posting is presented for informational purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. Any opinions or interpretations presented are either those of the original author or, in the case of articles authored by the AMAC Foundation, are the opinions of AMAC Foundation staff, originally trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA) and certified via the AMAC Foundation. Any links included in the article are valid on the posted date; socialsecurityreport.org cannot guarantee the duration of the links’ validity. NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity. To submit a question, visit our website (https://amacfoundation.org/services/) or email us at ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org. Because we are a non-profit organization, there is no charge for these services.