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has anyone actually received increased benefits from this GPO change yet? my mom has a teacher pension and we applied in february but her check hasnt changed
The systems at SSA are still being updated to fully implement the GPO changes. Many people who applied early in the year are seeing delayed processing. If your mom applied in February, I recommend checking the status of her application online through her mySocialSecurity account or contacting SSA directly. Some payments may also include retroactive adjustments when they finally process.
Update: We submitted the application yesterday and put the current date as the start date. The claims specialist said they will determine if any retroactive benefits apply based on the new law. She also confirmed that his benefit will increase gradually over the next few years as the GPO phases out, starting with 20% this year. Thank you all for your helpful advice!
Glad it worked out! Let us know when he gets his first payment and how much it ends up being. Curious about the actual amounts with the new changes
That's great news! You did exactly the right thing. And yes, the benefit will increase by about 20% of the original GPO reduction each year until fully phased out in 2029. Congratulations on maximizing your household's Social Security benefits!
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have you tried going to the local office in person? Sometimes that's the only way to get things moving. My aunt had a similar issue and she went to the office with all her paperwork and refused to leave until someone looked into it. Suddenly they found her file and got things moving.
This is actually good advice. In-person visits for complex situations like this often yield better results than phone calls. Bring all documentation related to both claims, proof of repayment, and any correspondence. Ask specifically to speak with a Technical Expert who handles post-entitlement actions rather than a regular service representative.
did u get any confirmation when u paid back the money? like a receipt or anything? just wondering if maybe they lost track of your repayment somehow
Yes, I got a receipt when I made the payment at my local office. I've shown that to them multiple times when I've called. They confirm they can see the payment was received, but still claim the withdrawal is "processing." It makes no sense!
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Wait they can tell you this over the phone? My friend said she had to file the actual application before they would tell her the amount. That seems ridiculous if true.
Your friend was given incorrect information. SSA representatives can provide benefit estimates over the phone without filing an application. However, they need to verify your identity and have access to both earnings records to calculate an ex-spouse benefit estimate. The estimate isn't binding but gives you a good approximation for planning purposes.
Thank you all for the helpful responses! I'm going to try making an in-person appointment at my local office as suggested. If that doesn't work or the wait is too long, I might try that Claimyr service someone mentioned. It's frustrating that there's no way to see this information online when everything else seems to be available in my MySocialSecurity account. I'll update once I get some answers!
good luck! just remember whatever they tell you, write it ALL down with the persons name who helped you. my aunt got 3 different answers from 3 different people at ssa!
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wait so do they always take back the last payment?? my grandma died last month and we didn't know this!
They don't always take back the last payment. Here's the simple rule: - Social Security benefits are for the PREVIOUS month (October payment = September benefit) - If the person was alive for the ENTIRE month, they're entitled to that month's benefit - If they died during a month, they aren't entitled to that month's benefit Example: If your grandma died in October, she was entitled to September's benefit (paid in October). The November payment (which would be for October) won't come because she wasn't alive all of October. However, if SS wasn't notified of her death in time, they might have issued an improper payment that they'll later reclaim. That's why it's important to notify them promptly.
you should also look into the lump sum death benefit from SS. its only $255 but hey thats still something. i think spouse or dependent child can get it.
Yes, thanks for mentioning that. I did ask about it when I called SSA to report my dad's death. They said my mom would be eligible since they were still married. Just waiting for that to process now.
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To answer your follow-up question about getting more information on the RIB-LIM rule: The SSA's "POMS" (Program Operations Manual System) section GN 00615.320 covers this, but it's extremely technical. A more readable explanation is on the website "Social Security Intelligence" - they have several articles about survivor benefits and the RIB-LIM rule specifically. Also, when you do apply for survivor benefits, be very clear with the representative that you are ONLY applying for survivor benefits and NOT your retirement benefit. Get their name and notes from the conversation. Some representatives mistakenly try to process both simultaneously, which isn't what you want.
Thank you for the resource suggestion. I'll look up that site. And that's excellent advice about being very clear about ONLY applying for survivor benefits. I would have assumed they understood, but now I'll make sure to be explicit and get everything documented.
If ur still caring for ur husband u might want to look into hospice if u haven't already. They helped us so much and medicare covers it. Not SS related but just wanted to mention it.
Thank you for mentioning hospice. We've actually just started working with them last month, and you're right - they've been incredibly helpful. It's made such a difference already, both for him and for me as his caregiver.
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I work with disability claims (not for SSA) and here's something many people miss: if her disability began before age 22 and EITHER of her parents are receiving Social Security retirement/disability OR are deceased, she could qualify for benefits as a Disabled Adult Child on their record. This is completely different from SSI or SSDI! It doesn't matter how little she worked. This is often overlooked by people giving advice about disability.
This is exactly right - DAC benefits (Disabled Adult Child) are crucial to understand in this situation. The fact that both parents are in their 80s and receiving Social Security means she likely qualifies right now! She should apply immediately and be very clear about requesting DAC benefits specifically. Bring documentation showing: 1. Medical proof her disability began before age 22 2. Parents' Social Security numbers 3. Birth certificate showing relationship to parents These benefits would include both monthly payments AND Medicare eligibility after 24 months of benefits, regardless of her age.
For a DAC claim like this, I'd recommend applying in person if possible, or at least starting with a phone appointment. Explain clearly that you're applying for Disabled Adult Child benefits based on her parent's record. The online system doesn't handle these specialized cases as well. Bring every medical record you can find from when she was 20-22 to establish that the disability began before 22. School records showing she had to drop out or accommodate her condition can help too. If her parents are both receiving Social Security, she could potentially file on either record - usually the higher earner's record would be best. This could be life-changing for her - both monthly income AND Medicare coverage regardless of her age after 24 months of benefits.
Thank you so much. We'll definitely pursue this option. I can't believe no one ever mentioned this possibility to us before. I'm actually feeling hopeful that we might be able to get her some help after all these years.
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just wondering, did your husband work for the government? my sister's husband did and she got almost nothing from spousal benefits because of something called WEP or GPO i think?
No, he worked in the private sector his whole career, so that shouldn't affect us. But thank you for mentioning it - I've heard those government pension offset rules can really reduce benefits for some people.
One last tip - when you do reach your FRA and apply for the spousal benefit, print out a copy of your husband's benefit verification letter showing his PIA amount, and bring your own as well. Having documentation of both benefit amounts will help ensure they calculate everything correctly. Also, if the online benefit verification letter doesn't show your exact start date, you can request your complete earnings record, which will show when benefits began. Log in to your my Social Security account, go to "Review Your Information" and then "View Earnings Record."
Thank you for all the help! I've got my earnings record now and see exactly when I started. I'm going to make a calendar reminder for when I reach FRA so I don't forget to apply for the spousal benefit. Fingers crossed it's worth the effort!
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One important consideration nobody's mentioned yet: If you claim at 62, you'll be subject to the earnings test if you're still working. In 2027, if you earn more than about $22,400 (estimating based on current limits plus inflation), SSA will withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above that limit. This doesn't apply once you reach your Full Retirement Age. If you're planning to continue working while collecting Social Security, this could significantly impact your decision on when to file.
That's a really good point! I am planning to work part-time until around 65 or 66. My estimated earnings would be about $35,000 per year. So it sounds like some of my benefits would be withheld. Do they eventually give that money back, or is it just lost forever?
They actually recalculate your benefit when you reach FRA to account for the months benefits were withheld, which results in a higher monthly payment going forward. So you do eventually get it back, just spread out over your lifetime after FRA. It's essentially a forced partial delay of benefits. With your planned $35,000 income, they would withhold about $6,300 of your annual SS benefit ($35,000 - $22,400 = $12,600/2 = $6,300). That's something to factor into your financial planning.
DONT FORGET ABOUT MEDICARE!!!! If you're not working at 65, you HAVE to sign up for Medicare even if you haven't started Social Security yet!!!! They don't automatically enroll you if you haven't started benefits. My friend missed her enrollment period and had to pay penalties for YEARS!!!
Oh wow, I hadn't even thought about that connection. Thank you for the warning! I'll make sure to mark my calendar for my 65th birthday to handle the Medicare enrollment.
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My sister tried doing wut ur talking about with her husbands record and SSA said NOPE cant do it anymore!!
Same happened to my neighbor! They changed ALL the rules and didnt tell anyone!!! 😡
One additional consideration: tax implications. Since both of you are working and potentially drawing Social Security, be aware of how this might affect the taxation of your benefits. Up to 85% of your Social Security benefits can be taxable depending on your combined income. This is another reason why delaying benefits while you continue to work can be advantageous - you avoid having benefits that would be subject to higher taxation during your working years.
Great point about the tax implications. We're both in fairly high tax brackets since we're still working, so I guess that's another reason to delay taking benefits if possible. I appreciate all this helpful advice!
Luca Ricci
My cousins husband died before getting SS and they calculated her survivors benefit based on what he woud have gotten at full retirement age not 62. So I think the person u talked to was wrong
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Mateo Gonzalez
UPDATE: I went back and checked my paperwork from 3 years ago. The survivor benefit I got WAS based on my wife's FRA amount, NOT her age 62 amount! So the first SSA rep you talked to was DEFINITELY WRONG. They use the FRA amount as the starting point when calculating widow(er) benefits if the person died before claiming. Don't let them shortchange you!!!
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Zara Khan
•Thank you for checking and following up! That's really reassuring to hear. I appreciate everyone's help sorting this out.
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