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i went thru similar thing with my husbands carpentry business... i did the books for 12 yrs but he never put me on payroll. when i applied for ss they said i only had like 25 credits and needed 40!!! i had to take a job at walmart for 4 more years just to get enough credits to qualify. now my benefit is like $840 a month. can barely live on that but what choice do i have. hope u have better luck than me
This is so common with small family businesses, and it's heartbreaking. Women especially end up in these situations where they worked for decades but have nothing to show for it on their Social Security records. I'm sorry you went through this.
Thank you all for these responses! I'm taking notes on everything you've suggested before my call with SSA. I'll try to get my old tax returns and see if there's anything there that helps. I'm also going to check with our state's business registration office like someone suggested. About the divorced spouse benefits - yes, I know I qualify since we were married over 30 years. What I meant was that his benefit is very low (he only paid the minimum for many years), so 50% of his benefit is actually less than what I qualify for on my own record, even with the missing years. So that doesn't really help me. I'm feeling a little more hopeful now that there might be options, but still preparing myself for the possibility that I'll have to accept the lower amount. Thank you all again.
You're doing the right thing by gathering all possible documentation. One more suggestion: if you had any joint business bank accounts during those years, get statements showing your name on the account. Also check for business credit cards that listed you as an authorized user. For your SSA interview, be very specific about the years in question and have a clear timeline of your work history. Don't let them rush you off the phone - these complex cases require patience from both sides. Good luck and please let us know how it goes!
Social Security divorced spouse benefits denied due to ex's federal pension - is GPO applying to me?
So frustrated with my SS appointment yesterday! I'm planning to retire next year (I'll be 63) and wanted to find out what I could get from my ex-husband's record since we were married for 22 years. He worked for the Army for 8 years and then the Postal Service for 25 years before retiring with a FERS pension in 2019.When I went to SSA to check what divorced spouse benefits I might qualify for, the rep immediately told me I wouldn't get anything because of his federal pension. I thought GPO (Government Pension Offset) only applied if I was the one with the government pension, not my ex? I'm so confused and disappointed since I was counting on getting something to help with retirement planning. Does anyone know if this is correct? Can my ex's federal pension really prevent me from claiming divorced spouse benefits on his record? I worked mainly part-time jobs while raising our kids, so my own benefit will be pretty small.
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Great news! This is why it's always good to get a second opinion when something doesn't sound right. At your appointment, be sure to ask about the best claiming strategy based on your age - whether to take reduced divorced spouse benefits early or wait until your Full Retirement Age for the maximum 50%.
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one more thing DONT FORGET to return the last check if SS deposited money for the month she died!! they will take it back later anyway and charge you interest or penalties. they did this to my brother and it was a huge mess cause he spent the money not realizing
That's a really good point - thank you! I'll check with my dad about this right away. Mom passed on the 14th of last month, so I'm not sure how that works with partial months.
For Social Security benefits (including SSDI), if the person passes away at any point during a month, they are NOT entitled to the payment for that month. So if your mother passed on the 14th, the payment received for that month would need to be returned. If benefits are directly deposited, SSA will usually attempt to reclaim the funds electronically. If they can't, they'll send a notice requesting repayment. As the previous commenter mentioned, it's best to be proactive about this to avoid complications.
so sorry about your mom :( my dad died last year and we had to deal with all this ss stuff too. really stressful time. we found out the funeral home actually reported his death to ssa for us, maybe yours did too? might wanna check
Thank you. I'm sorry about your dad as well. That's a good point about the funeral home - I'll check if they reported it. We've been overwhelmed with everything and might have missed that detail.
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Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! Based on what I've learned, I think I'll wait until January 2025 to apply rather than dealing with all the withholding complications this year. I'll use Claimyr to get through to an SSA representative to confirm this plan makes sense for my specific situation. Really appreciate all the insights about how the earnings test works vs. the benefit calculation!
Smart decision. And remember for future tax years: the earnings test only applies until you reach your Full Retirement Age (probably 67 for you). After that, you can earn unlimited income without any impact on your Social Security benefits. Best of luck with your retirement!
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That's a perfect summary of your options! Getting those exact benefit amounts is crucial for making an informed decision. One additional tip: when you speak with SSA, ask them to calculate the approximate lifetime total you'd receive under each scenario assuming you live to age 85. Sometimes the long-term difference between strategies can be substantial, even if the monthly difference seems small initially.
ALSO make sure to ask them about Medicare!! I found out that if you take ANY SS benefit before 65, they automatically enroll you in Medicare Part B when you turn 65 and start deducting the premium from your SS payment. I wasn't expecting that and it messed up my health insurance situation with my employer. So many weird rules!!
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Wait I'm confused... I thought FRA was 66 and some months for everyone? How can your wife's FRA be 67 and 10 months? Is that some special situation?
FRA varies based on birth year. For people born in 1943-1954, FRA is 66. For those born 1955-1959, it gradually increases. For people born in 1960 or later, FRA is 67. The "and 10 months" means she was born in a transition year where FRA is set at 67 years and 10 months. You can check your own FRA on the SSA website.
One more tip - when your wife selects her benefit start month during the application, the system will display a message showing the percentage reduction if she were to start early. If she's selected her FRA month correctly, it should show 0% reduction. If it shows ANY reduction percentage, stop and fix the start date right away because it means she's accidentally selected an early start date.
thats a really good tip!! wish id known that when i applied, would have saved me a lot of trouble
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my dad worked full time till he was 75!! made good money too and still got his full ss check every month no problem
They change these rules all the time tho. You should double check with SS directly. I wouldn't trust internet advice for something this important. My brother got wrong info from his friend and it cost him thousands.
This particular rule about no earnings limit after FRA has actually been consistent for many years. It's codified in the Social Security Act and would require Congressional action to change. While some aspects of Social Security do change annually (like COLA adjustments, tax thresholds, etc.), the fundamental policy that earnings limits disappear at FRA has remained stable. But I agree it's always good to verify important information directly with SSA.
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WHY is everything with Social Security so COMPLICATED?! I swear they make these questions confusing on purpose. My sister answered this wrong and her application was delayed by TWO MONTHS while they sorted it out!!
i know right!! and then when u try to call them its impossible to get through. spent my whole day off work last week trying to reach someone!
If you're unsure about this or any other question on your application, it's always best to include an explanation in the remarks section. Something like: "My mother received survivor benefits on my behalf from 1975-1981 after my father passed away." This additional clarity can help prevent processing delays.
Thank you, that's a great suggestion. I'll definitely add that explanation to make things clearer. I'm hoping to get this application submitted by the end of the week.
Social Security break-even age calculation confusion - getting 80 vs 70.5 years?
I'm trying to figure out my Social Security break-even point and getting confused with the calculations. I turn 62 this September and recently left my job to care for my mom. According to my statement, I'd get $2,580/month if I claim at 62 or $3,650/month if I wait until my FRA at 67.When I plugged these numbers into an online break-even calculator, it told me I'd need to live until almost 80 to break even! But my own basic math shows something different:$2,580 × 60 months = $154,800 in benefits by age 67At $3,650/month, it would take approximately 42 months to reach $154,800So 67 + 3.5 years = 70.5 years old at break-evenThat's nowhere near 80! Is the calculator including COLA adjustments I'm missing? Or am I calculating this completely wrong? My financial advisor keeps pushing me to take it early, but I want to understand the math myself.
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I went through this EXACT SAME SITUATION last year!!! After going back and forth for MONTHS, I decided to split the difference and claim at 65. Not the full benefit but not waiting until 67 either. It let me retire a bit earlier but still got a decent monthly amount. Sometimes the best answer is somewhere in the middle!!
Ella Cofer
can i ask something related? if someone turns FRA in the middle of the year do they still use the monthly test for the months before FRA? my husband turns 67 in august and we dont know if we should be tracking monthly or annual
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Oliver Cheng
•Good question! In the year you reach FRA, a different rule applies. For the months BEFORE the month you reach FRA, SSA uses a higher annual limit ($59,520 for 2025), and they deduct $1 for every $3 (not $2) you earn above that limit. Once you reach the month of your FRA, there's no limit on earnings.
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Ella Cofer
•omg thank you!!! thats much better than i thought it would be
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Felix Grigori
I thought the earnings limit was $1,800 not $1,850? Did they raise it or something?
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Kevin Bell
•Yes, the monthly limit for 2025 is $1,850. It was $1,800 in 2024. Both the monthly and annual limits typically increase each year with the COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment).
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