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Have u talked to your brothers doctors about this??? Our neurologist actually wrote a letter saying my daughter NEEDED continuous medicaid coverage for her treatment plan and that helped when we had to fight with the county medicaid office!!! Bring ALL the documentation you can!!
That's a great idea! My brother sees a specialist for his condition, so I'll ask if they can provide documentation about his ongoing treatment needs. Anything to help make the case for maintaining coverage.
One more thing to be aware of: the DAC benefit amount will be 50% of your father's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) while your father is alive. If you have multiple family members drawing on your father's record, the Family Maximum Benefit rules might apply, potentially reducing the amount your brother receives. After calculating the expected DAC amount, I'd recommend contacting your state's Medicaid office BEFORE the transition occurs to discuss the DAC Medicaid continuation provision. Some offices have special coordinators who handle these complex cases. Getting ahead of the situation can prevent a gap in coverage.
I didn't know about the Family Maximum Benefit potentially reducing his amount. Right now it would just be my dad and brother on the record (mom is deceased but didn't have much work history). I'll definitely contact Medicaid ahead of time - great suggestion about asking for a coordinator who specializes in these cases.
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my uncle had this problem. they took his entire check for like 2 months. but he said after he hit full retirement age they gave him back some credit for the months they took the money. something about recalculation? anyone know what that means?
Your uncle is referring to the benefit recalculation that happens when you reach Full Retirement Age. When you lose benefits due to the earnings test before FRA, SSA will actually give you credit for those months later. They recalculate your benefit as if you had claimed later, which can increase your monthly amount slightly. It's a bit complicated, but essentially means the earnings test is more like a deferral of benefits rather than a permanent loss.
Update: I called SSA this morning (took forever to get through). The representative confirmed what many of you said - they'll withhold about $1,500 from future checks since my actual excess was around $3,000 after deducting business expenses. They're giving me options for how to handle it - either taking one full month's check in January plus a partial reduction in February, OR smaller reductions spread across 4-5 months starting in January. I'm going with the spread-out option so it's not such a shock to my monthly budget. Thanks everyone for your help!
that's awesome they're letting u choose!! when they did mine they just told me how it was gonna be with no options 😕
I'm glad you got it sorted out. Make sure to keep track of your earnings carefully going forward. It might be helpful to set quarterly reminders to check where you stand relative to the annual limit. And remember that the earnings limit will increase slightly each year with inflation adjustments.
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A little off topic but I'm just curious - if you're working part time at a hardware store, are you making enough that it's worth having your SS reduced? I mean, they take $1 for every $2 you earn over the limit, so that's like a 50% tax rate on top of regular taxes! My brother-in-law just decided to fully retire instead of dealing with all this SS reduction nonsense until he hit FRA.
That's a fair question! I mostly work to stay active and social. The store is only 10 minutes from my house, and I enjoy helping people with their projects. The extra income helps with rising grocery prices too. But you're right - I should probably calculate if those December shifts are really worth it after all the deductions.
I HATE how they penalize seniors for working!!! It's OUR MONEY that we paid into the system!!! The government just keeps changing the rules whenever they want to STEAL OUR MONEY!!! My cousin lost THREE MONTHS of checks because her employer gave everyone a surprise holiday bonus that pushed her over the limit! SHE HAD NO CONTROL OVER THAT!!! The whole system is DESIGNED to confuse us!!!
Just to clarify, the earnings limit isn't a penalty designed to take money away. It's actually part of the original design of Social Security. When you claim early (before FRA), you agree to an earnings limit. The withholdings aren't permanently lost - they get added back to your benefit amount once you reach FRA. So in the long run, you don't lose money.
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The WEP is so confusing! I tried reading about it on the SSA website but I got totally lost in all the technical jargon. Does anyone know if this affects people who already retired years ago? My dad retired in 2018 with both SS and a small county pension, and I wonder if he could benefit from these changes too???
The Reform WEP Act is retroactive for current beneficiaries, so yes, your dad could potentially benefit! The SSA is supposed to automatically review and adjust payments for existing beneficiaries, but the process is expected to take 12-18 months to complete due to the volume of cases. If he wants to potentially speed up the process, he can contact SSA directly and request a review of his WEP reduction under the new formula. Make sure he specifically references the Reform WEP Act by name when making the request.
Update: I called my local SSA office this morning and finally got through! The representative confirmed the WEP formula has changed and I can withdraw my application. She's sending me the SSA-521 form today. She couldn't tell me exactly how much more I'll get under the new formula, but indicated it would be "substantially more favorable" in my case since I have 29 years of mixed earnings. I'll post another update once I know the exact numbers. THANK YOU all for your help!!!
That's great news! Glad you were able to get through and confirm. For what it's worth, the SSA rep is correct that they can't give you an exact amount on the spot - the new formula requires a detailed calculation based on your year-by-year earnings history in both covered and non-covered employment. But based on what you've shared, I expect you'll see at least a $200-300 monthly increase compared to the old WEP reduction.
Definitely post an update! I'm in a similar situation and would love to hear how much difference it makes for you.
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i went through something similar but got divorced after 25 yrs so i got divorced spouse benefit which is same concept but different rules about whether ex has filed yet depends how long u were married
That's a good point about divorced spouse benefits - they do work slightly differently. If you were married for at least 10 years, you can claim on an ex-spouse's record, and interestingly, you don't have to wait for them to file for benefits as long as you've been divorced for at least 2 years. But for currently married couples like the original poster, the worker must file first before spousal benefits can begin.
To summarize what you should do: 1. Continue receiving your current benefit until your husband retires 2. When your husband files for his benefits, contact SSA (ideally make an appointment) to apply for your spousal benefit 3. Bring your marriage certificate, both birth certificates, and both Social Security cards to the appointment 4. You'll then receive your own $980 benefit plus a spousal add-on of approximately $570 (assuming your husband's benefit is $3,100) 5. The total will be $1,550, which is exactly 50% of your husband's benefit And just to be clear - this isn't SSI, this is regular Social Security retirement with a spousal benefit component.
Thank you so much for laying it out so clearly! I understand exactly what to do now. We'll gather all those documents and be prepared when my husband retires next year. I appreciate everyone's help with this!
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my neighbor went thru this exact thing. they waited too long. he got sick suddenly and they rushed to get married but he passed away after only 7 months of marriage. SSA denied her survivor benefits because they missed the 9 month requirement by just a few weeks. don't wait if their gonna do it
That's really sad to hear about your neighbor. I appreciate the warning - definitely something to consider since he is already in his mid-70s.
One other tax consideration: Filing status for income taxes will change if they marry, which could result in either a marriage penalty or bonus depending on their income levels. If both have significant income besides Social Security, they might want to consult with a tax professional to see how marriage would affect their tax situation. Also, if estate planning is a concern, marriage provides certain legal advantages for inheritance purposes beyond just Social Security benefits. In many states, a spouse has automatic inheritance rights that a non-married partner doesn't have, even with a will in place. For the most personalized advice, they might want to consult with both a financial advisor who specializes in retirement planning and an elder law attorney who can advise on the broader implications for their specific situation.
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My condolences on your loss. One thing to consider - if you were receiving Medicare and it was being deducted from your husband's Social Security payment, make sure to tell SSA you want to continue those deductions from your new survivor benefit. Sometimes this detail gets missed during the transition and people end up with Medicare premium bills they weren't expecting.
I hadn't even thought about the Medicare premiums. Thank you for mentioning this - we both had the premiums deducted from our checks.
Just went through this process for my mom a few months ago. Here's exactly what happens: you'll report the death to SSA (call or go in person), then formally apply for survivor benefits. They'll stop your current benefit and switch you to the survivor benefit amount. It takes about 2-3 weeks for everything to process, and then you'll get a letter in the mail confirming the new amount. My mom's first increased check came about 6 weeks after we initially reported my dad's death.
Thank you for sharing your timeline. That helps me know what to expect. Did they continue sending her regular payment during that transition period or was there a gap?
There was no gap in payments, but the first survivor payment came on a slightly different day than her usual payment date. After that it stabilized to a regular schedule. Just make sure you have all the paperwork they need the first time around to avoid delays.
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Also wanted to mention that since your husband will be eligible for Medicare soon, make sure he enrolls when he turns 65 even if he continues working! Unless his employer has 20+ employees and he's on their health plan, in which case he can delay Medicare enrollment without penalties.
Good point about Medicare! He works for a large company with good health insurance, so I think he can delay enrollment. But I'll double-check to make sure we don't mess that up too!
One more important consideration: when your husband does file at his FRA of 67, make sure you immediately contact Social Security to apply for the spousal benefit supplement. This won't happen automatically! Many people miss out on higher benefits because they assume SSA automatically recalculates everything. Also, keep in mind that if your husband were to pass away (hopefully many years in the future), survivor benefits work differently than spousal benefits. As a widow, you would be eligible for up to 100% of what he was receiving, and WEP would not reduce that amount. This is an important consideration for long-term financial planning.
Thank you SO much for pointing this out! I definitely would have assumed they would automatically adjust my benefit when my husband files. I'll make sure to contact them right away when he applies. And that's good to know about survivor benefits too - at least there's some protection there if something happens to him.
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Just a heads up - once you reach your Full Retirement Age (FRA), the earnings limit goes away completely! You can earn as much as you want from work without any reduction in benefits. So if you're turning 66 and 6 months soon (assuming that's your FRA), this will all be a moot point after that.
That's good to know! My FRA is 66 and 8 months, so I still have a bit over 2 years to go. I might consider picking up some part-time work after reaching FRA since there won't be any penalties.
My situation is different but related... I'm on SSDI and turning 62 soon. Will my SSDI automatically convert to retirement benefits? And will the earnings limit suddenly apply to me? I've been able to do some permitted work under SSDI rules but confused about what happens at retirement age.
Your situation is different. SSDI will automatically convert to retirement benefits when you reach your Full Retirement Age (likely 66+), not at 62. Until then, you'll continue under SSDI rules. When you convert at FRA, there's no earnings limit anymore, so you wouldn't face those restrictions. Hope that helps!
Mei Chen
does anyone know how long these applications take? my mom applied for the same thing 9 months ago and still hasnt heard anything
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ThunderBolt7
•Disability determinations typically take 3-5 months for initial decisions, but can take longer if additional medical evidence is needed or if the case is complicated. If it's been 9 months, your mother should contact SSA for a status update. She might also want to check if her case is stuck in the medical review stage at DDS (Disability Determination Services).
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Andre Dupont
One more important thing to know: If you're approved for disabled widow's benefits, you'll be automatically enrolled in Medicare after 24 months on benefits, regardless of your age. This is a significant benefit that can help with your healthcare costs. Also, when you reach your full retirement age (probably 67 in your case), your benefit will automatically convert to a regular widow's benefit, which will be 100% of your husband's PIA instead of the 71.5% you receive as a disabled widow. This increase happens automatically.
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Carmen Sanchez
•That's excellent news about the Medicare and the automatic increase at retirement age! No one at SSA mentioned that to me. This forum has been incredibly helpful - I feel much more prepared now.
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