Latest News
To qualify for spousal benefits
The Social Security Administration reported in April 2022, over two million spouses of retired workers collected benefits. Are you eligible for spousal benefits? Even if you don’t have enough Social Security credits to qualify for your own benefits based on your work history, you may be able to receive benefits on your spouse or ex-spouse’s record. For more information on how to qualify for these benefits, click here…
Notice: The link provided above connects readers to the full content of the posted article. The URL (internet address) for this link is valid on the posted date; socialsecurityreport.org cannot guarantee the duration of the link’s validity. Also, the opinions expressed in these postings are the viewpoints of the original source and are not explicitly endorsed by AMAC, Inc.; the AMAC Foundation, Inc.; or socialsecurityreport.org.
My social security is twice as large than my wife’s.
In case of my death..can she get a portion of mine ( while dropping her own) ?to makes ends meet better ?
If so, can that be estimated now as we plan for that eventuality ?
Steve McC
Steve,
If you die first and your personal Social Security benefit at that time is more than the amount your wife is personally entitled to from her own work record, then she will get the higher amount. If she has reached her own full retirement age (FRA) when she claims her survivor benefit she will get 100% of the amount you were receiving instead of her own smaller amount. If she claims before reaching her FRA then the amount will be reduced (by 4.75% for each full year prior to her FRA she claims the survivor benefit). If she hasn’t yet reached her own FRA when you die, your wife will have the option to continue receiving her own smaller benefit until her survivor benefit reaches maximum (100% of yours) at her FRA. FYI, FRA is somewhere between 66 and 67, depending on year of birth.
Russell Gloor
National Social Security Advisor
The AMAC Foundation
Are you ever required to take Social Security benefits? I understand you might not receive anymore than 6 months benefits retroactively if you postpone signing up past 70 and half, but my question is are there any issues in signing up if you wait say to 75? Like will you be denied any benefits.
My opinion on social security is I think they should slowly start raising the age people must wait before they can start taking social security, except for those who have worked in careers where life expectancy is shortened. ie coal workers. I know this sounds like a simplistic statement, but that is the point. We need to start looking at this issue.
Paul:
No, there aren’t any limitations on how long one can defer filing for Social Security benefits. Your benefit is calculated based on your actual work history, and that is a fixed calculation based on your full retirement age and adjusted to account for deferred filing up to age 70 and, if necessary, for earnings after beginning benefits. But no, there is no denial of benefits based on when one files.
Your suggestion of raising retirement ages is consistent with what AMAC has been advocating in its Social Security Guarantee. AMAC’s position also calls for the early retirement age to remain at 62 for the reasons you stated. You can support AMAC’s efforts for Social Security reform and modernization by contacting you congressional representatives and urging them to support the AMAC Social Security Guarantee, which you can access here: https://amac.us/social-security.
Thank you for your comments!
Gerry Hafer
AMAC Foundation
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this message, including any attachments, are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the person or entity to whom the message was addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please be advised that any dissemination, distribution, forwarding, printing, copying, or use of the contents of this message, and any attached documentation, is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender. Please also permanently delete all copies of the original message and any attached documentation. The opinions and interpretations expressed in this message are the viewpoints of the message’s author, a trained advisor accredited under the National Social Security Advisors program of the National Social Security Association, LLC (NSSA). The author, the NSSA, and the AMAC Foundation are not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government, the Social Security Administration, or any other state government.