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one thing nobody mentioned - you should check if you have enough quarters to get SOME ss benefit on your own. even a tiny benefit can sometimes help with the WEP/GPO stuff. you said you worked as a nurse for 12 years? did you pay into SS during that time? if so you might be close to the 40 quarters (10 years) needed.
This is partly correct, but there's an important distinction. Having 40 quarters (10 years) of SS-covered work would qualify you for your own benefit, but that benefit would likely be reduced by WEP since you also have a non-covered pension. However, having your own benefit doesn't exempt you from GPO for spousal/survivor benefits. The GPO would still apply. There are specific exemptions to GPO, but simply having your own SS benefit isn't one of them. The main GPO exemptions are if you paid into SS for the last 60 months of government employment, or if your government pension isn't based on your own earnings.
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quick question - are u sure u calculated everything right? did u count gross or net income? and are u including all ur work expenses that might bring it down under the limit?
I counted my gross wages, which is what I understand they look at. I don't think I have any deductible work expenses that would help in this case. Good thought though!
One more tip - keep good records of your earnings for the year. If you're still working, you might want to adjust your hours slightly for the rest of the year to stay under next year's limit. The earnings test gets more complicated in the year you reach Full Retirement Age, but then disappears completely once you hit FRA. At that point, you can earn unlimited income without any impact on your benefits.
Great advice! I'm tracking everything carefully now. My FRA is 67, so I've still got a few years to go. Looking forward to not having to worry about this limit eventually.
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You should definitely keep your appointment. Since you'll be at your Full Retirement Age in June, this is the perfect time to file. Regarding the COVID income concerns: The Social Security benefit formula uses your highest 35 years of indexed earnings, so those lower-earning pandemic years will simply not be included in your calculation if you have 35 other higher-earning years. Also, filing at your appointment in May for benefits to begin in June (your FRA month) is ideal timing. The only reason to possibly delay would be if you wanted to earn delayed retirement credits (8% per year until age 70), but that's a separate strategic decision based on your financial needs and longevity expectations.
i thought u could only get the 8% bonus if u wait till 70? my friend said u get nothing extra for waiting a few months
After I used Claimyr to get through to SSA, the agent confirmed that each month you delay past FRA gives you approximately 0.67% more (which equals 8% per year). So waiting even a few months does increase your benefit, but you have to decide if the permanent increase is worth missing those months of payments. For me, I decided to start right at my FRA because I needed the income immediately.
That's really helpful information, thank you! I think I'll stick with starting at my FRA too - I'd rather have the guaranteed income now than wait for a slightly higher amount later.
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I helped my father-in-law navigate this with his Canadian pension and US Social Security. One important thing to understand is tax implications. Some foreign pensions are taxable in the US, while others aren't based on specific tax treaties. Spain and the US have a tax treaty, but I'm not familiar with the specific provisions regarding pension taxation. We had to hire an accountant who specializes in international taxation to make sure we weren't creating a tax problem. It was worth the expense because we discovered that taking the Canadian pension earlier and delaying US benefits actually created the best tax situation for him. I'd strongly recommend consulting with a tax professional who understands international agreements before making final decisions. The SSA representatives generally don't provide tax advice regarding international benefits.
That's a great point about taxes that I hadn't fully considered. We already have a CPA who handles our taxes including my wife's foreign accounts, so we'll definitely discuss this with her. Thank you for bringing up this important aspect!
just curious did anyybody here ever move BACK to their home country after getting us citizenship? wondering if benefits still work the same way? thinking about moving back to taiwan in future but worried about messing up retirement
Yes, US citizens can continue receiving their US Social Security benefits while living abroad in most countries. For Taiwan specifically, there's no issue - US Social Security payments can be sent to Taiwanese bank accounts or via direct deposit to US banks that you access from Taiwan. The main exceptions where SSA won't send payments are countries like North Korea and Cuba. SSA has a specific publication called "Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States" that explains all the details.
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My mom got hit by the GPO too when my dad died. She was a school principal. She lost like 75% of his SS benefits she should have gotten. Its sooooo unfair! They worked there whole lives and paid into the system just like everyone else!!!
To clarify a common misconception: The GPO exists because many government employees with pensions (like teachers, police, some state workers) worked in positions where they didn't pay Social Security taxes on those earnings. The offset was created because these employees weren't contributing to the SS system during those years of government employment, unlike most workers. That said, many consider it overly harsh, which is why Congress is eliminating it. Your mother will benefit from this change going forward.
One thing to be aware of regarding the COLA calculations: Social Security applies COLAs using compounding, not simple addition. So if your husband's original benefit was $2000, the 8.7% COLA in 2023 would make it $2,174. Then the 3.2% COLA in 2024 would be applied to $2,174 (not the original $2000), resulting in $2,243.57. The 2025 COLA of 2.5% would bring it to $2,299.66. This compounding effect makes a significant difference over time. When your GPO is removed, you should receive the full widow's benefit with this proper COLA compounding applied.
Thank you for explaining the compounding effect! I understand it better now. The difference between my reduced benefit and what I should be getting is substantial - probably around $1,400 monthly. Multiply that by however many months until I die (hopefully many years!), and the GPO has cost me a small fortune. I'm just grateful it's finally ending.
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Has anyone here actually called and SPECIFICALLY asked the SSA about this question? I've found their representatives often give contradictory information depending on who you talk to! The earnings test is such a PENALTY for seniors who are just trying to make ends meet in this economy. It's absolutely ridiculous that they count retirement savings against you when that money isn't even available for current expenses!
While I understand the frustration, the earnings test exists because Social Security retirement benefits were designed as replacement income when you retire. If you're still working and earning substantial income, the program is designed to reduce benefits accordingly. The good news is that once you reach your Full Retirement Age, the earnings test goes away completely and you can earn any amount without affecting your benefits.
I just wanted to thank everyone for their helpful responses. I'm going to talk to my manager about adjusting my schedule to make sure I stay under the $22,320 annual limit. It's frustrating that retirement contributions still count toward the earnings test, but at least now I understand how it works. I'm also going to try that Claimyr service someone mentioned to get confirmation directly from SSA. Thanks again everyone!
Good plan. And remember - this is only temporary until you reach your Full Retirement Age. After that, the earnings test disappears completely and you can earn any amount without it affecting your benefits. Best of luck!
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Just to clear up a common misconception I'm seeing in this thread: The 6-month retroactive limit applies specifically to retirement and spousal benefits when filed after Full Retirement Age. For disability benefits (SSDI), retroactive benefits can go back up to 12 months from the application date. There are very few exceptions to these limits, even with appeals. The Social Security Administration operates under the assumption that beneficiaries are responsible for knowing and applying for benefits they're entitled to. If you find yourself in a situation where you believe you should have been receiving a higher benefit for years, you can request a formal appeal, but success is rare unless there was a clear SSA administrative error involved in your case.
THIS is exactly why the system is broken!! How can they expect regular people to understand all these complicated rules?? My mother lost out on THOUSANDS because nobody at SSA bothered to tell her about widow's benefits when my father died. The whole thing is designed to confuse people so they don't claim everything they deserve!!
Just wanted to share my experience with this. I was in a similar situation last year. My husband's benefit was much higher than mine, and I discovered I was eligible for additional spousal benefits. After I applied, it took about 2-3 weeks for the adjustment to show up in my bank account. The extra amount wasn't huge (about $320 per month), but it certainly helped with rising grocery prices! They only gave me 4 months of back pay though.
Thank you for sharing this! I'm hoping I might be eligible for something similar. Every bit helps these days with inflation being what it is. Did you have to provide any documentation when you applied for the spousal excess?
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Don't forget that SS benefits are taxed too! My aunt got hit with a big tax bill her first year on survivors benefits that she wasn't expecting!!
This is an important point. Up to 85% of Social Security benefits can be taxable depending on your combined income. If you're working while receiving benefits, this is definitely something to factor into your planning.
i was just thinking... have you checked if you can get survivors benefits now? i thought there was something about benefits for widows taking care of kids or something
You're thinking of Mother's/Father's benefits, which are available to surviving spouses caring for the worker's child who is under 16 or disabled. Since the original poster mentioned her daughter was in high school when her husband died, and that was 3 years ago, her daughter is likely over 18 now and no longer eligible for benefits. The mother would therefore not qualify for Mother's benefits at this point.
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UGH dealing with SSA is THE WORST!!! I spent 6 weeks trying to get through about my widow benefits last year! Keep calling their 800 number at EXACTLY 8:00am when they open. That's the only way I ever got through. And sometimes I'd wait 2 hours then get disconnected right when someone picked up!!!!
That's exactly why I ended up using that Claimyr service. After getting disconnected three times after hour-long waits, I was done with the traditional approach. I needed answers about my specific situation and couldn't wait weeks for an appointment.
One important correction to what others have said: When you file at 62 for ex-spousal benefits, you'll receive approximately 32.5% of your ex's PIA (not 35%). This is because spousal/ex-spousal benefits at 62 are reduced by 35% from the full 50% you'd receive at your FRA. I'd recommend creating a my Social Security account online if you haven't already. There you can see your estimated retirement benefit. Then call SSA to find out what your ex-spousal benefit would be. Compare both reduced amounts at 62 and both full amounts at your FRA to make an informed decision.
I do have a my Social Security account and can see my personal estimated benefits. I'll call to ask about the ex-spousal estimate. Thank you for the correction on the percentage - every bit of accuracy helps when making such an important decision!
Tyrone Hill
btw that earnings limit goes up when u hit your full retirement age... then it's higher (like $4000/month i think?) and then after your birthday month in your full retirement age year the limit goes away completely and u can earn whatever u want
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Anderson Prospero
•That's correct. For 2025, if you reach full retirement age during the year, the earnings limit increases to $4,960/month ($59,520/year) until the month you reach full retirement age. Then once you hit your full retirement age month, there's no more earnings limit at all - you can earn any amount without affecting your Social Security benefits.
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Ahooker-Equator
Thanks everyone for the helpful answers! Just to make sure I've got this straight: I can take money from my 401k for my home repairs without any impact on my Social Security benefits, even though I'm under full retirement age. The earnings limit only applies to actual work income. I'll still need to pay income tax on the withdrawal, and that might affect how much of my Social Security gets taxed, but it won't reduce my monthly SS payment. Does that sound right?
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Lena Kowalski
•You've got it exactly right. Your 401k withdrawal won't count toward the earnings limit and won't reduce your Social Security payment. The only consideration is the potential tax impact.
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