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Not sure if this helps but my grandma had exact same situation except her second marriage was 5 years ago when she was 63. When her ex died first she got his benefits because they were higher. Then when her second husband died she kept getting the same benefit amount because it was still higher. SSA just told her she was getting the higher of the two automatically.
That's exactly how it's supposed to work! The key is that she remarried after 60. If she had remarried at 59, she would have lost eligibility for her ex's survivor benefits completely. The 60+ remarriage rule is one of the most important planning considerations for people in this situation.
Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I'm feeling much more confident now knowing that I should be able to claim the higher survivor benefit regardless of which spouse passes away first. I'm going to use that Claimyr service that was mentioned to speak with SSA directly and get this confirmed for my specific case. I'll also gather my marriage certificate and divorce decree to have them ready. So relieved to know this won't negatively impact my future financial security if I decide to remarry!
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A few more points to consider before you make your decision: 1. If your boyfriend's SSDI is based on a relatively high earnings history, and your alimony is based on a lower income level, getting married might make financial sense. But based on the numbers you've shared ($1,675 SSDI, $1,950 alimony), it appears marriage would create a financial shortfall. 2. Look beyond just monthly cash flow. Marriage affects inheritance rights, medical decision-making, tax filing status, and healthcare access. Some of these could provide significant financial or practical benefits. 3. Some divorces have provisions for partial continuation of alimony even after remarriage - check your divorce decree carefully. 4. Remember that your spousal benefit would increase if your boyfriend waits until his Full Retirement Age to convert from SSDI to retirement benefits. This is a complex decision that merges financial considerations with emotional ones. I'd recommend consulting both an SSA representative and a financial advisor who specializes in retirement planning before making your decision.
Thank you for these additional points. I think you're right that I need professional advice. Based on everyone's comments, it seems the pure monthly income would be less if we marry, but there might be other financial and legal benefits that could offset that somewhat. I'm going to try to speak with both SSA and a financial advisor before we make any decisions.
My cousin was in a similar situation last year. She ended up just living with her boyfriend without getting legally married. They had a commitment ceremony with family and friends, exchange rings, call each other husband and wife, but legally they're single. That way she keeps her alimony and there's no negative impact on his benefits. They've been happy with this arrangement. Obviously there are some legal protections you don't get this way, but they took care of most of that with wills, advanced directives, and power of attorney documents. Something to consider if the numbers don't work out for a legal marriage.
Oh and forgot to mention - you should also check what happens to his SSDI if you get married. Some types of disability benefits can be reduced based on household income after marriage. You both need to understand all the possible impacts.
Just to clarify - SSDI benefits (Social Security Disability Insurance) are NOT affected by marriage or household income. You're thinking of SSI (Supplemental Security Income), which is means-tested and can be reduced when you marry. Based on the benefit amount mentioned ($1,675), the boyfriend is almost certainly on SSDI, not SSI, as SSI maxes out around $900.
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Thank you all for the helpful advice! I've downloaded the SSA-521 form and will be taking it to my local office tomorrow morning. I'm definitely going to try to withdraw before any payments start. I'm now convinced waiting until 68 or maybe even 70 will be much better for my long-term finances. I'll update here after I submit the form in case it helps someone else in the future.
Good plan. For reference, each year you delay past your FRA increases your benefit by about 8%, so waiting until 70 would give you approximately 24% more than filing at your FRA. That's a substantial difference that continues for your lifetime (plus annual COLAs). Best of luck with your withdrawal process!
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Has anyone successfully appealed a GPO reduction? I've heard rumors that if you can prove financial hardship you can get the offset reduced. Is that true or just another SSA myth?
That's definitely a myth. The GPO is written into law and SSA has no authority to waive or reduce it based on hardship. The only way around GPO is if you meet one of the very specific exemptions (like being covered by both your government pension AND Social Security at the same time for your last 60 months of government employment).
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Just to add one more important point - if you're planning to start Social Security at 65, that's actually before your Full Retirement Age. For someone turning 65 in 2025, your FRA would be 66 and 10 months. This means: 1. Your benefit will be permanently reduced by approximately 11-12% 2. You'll be subject to the earnings test until you reach FRA 3. The earnings test means SS will deduct $1 for every $2 you earn above $22,320 in 2025 If you've been laid off, this might not be an issue immediately, but if you get another job while on unemployment and then continue working, it could affect your benefits. Just something to be aware of in your planning.
I didn't realize my benefit would be permanently reduced! I thought it just meant a smaller check now. I might need to reconsider and see if I can stretch my savings to wait until my full retirement age. Are there any calculators you recommend to figure out the difference in benefits?
Yes, the reduction is permanent (though you get a small bump when you reach FRA if you've had benefits withheld due to the earnings test). The SSA has an excellent calculator at ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/estimator.html. You can run different scenarios to see the impact of claiming at different ages. For many people, waiting until FRA or even age 70 results in significantly higher lifetime benefits.
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Is anyone else annoyed that SS doesn't just pay ON TIME instead of a month behind? Why do we have to wait an extra month for OUR money that we've earned? The system is ridiculous!!!
It's actually not a month "behind" - that's just how the payment schedule works. Social Security benefits are paid after the month for which they are due. December benefits are paid in January, January benefits in February, etc. They're not holding your money; this is just the normal payment cycle.
Well it FEELS like they're holding our money. And when you're on a fixed income waiting for that first check, a month feels like forever!
Since you're turning 70 in December, here's another important tip: Make sure you've also signed up for Medicare if you haven't already. While you can delay Social Security without penalty, delaying Medicare past 65 can result in permanent premium penalties unless you have qualifying coverage (like from current employment). If you delayed Medicare enrollment and don't have qualifying coverage, you'll want to discuss this during the Social Security application process. They can help determine if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period to avoid penalties.
Thanks for bringing this up! I actually enrolled in Medicare when I turned 65 while continuing to work with employer coverage as secondary. So I've had that taken care of for a while now. But that's definitely important for others to know about.
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this happend to my sister too her husband was CONVINCED hed lose money if she took the spouse benfit thing. they even got in a big fight about it! men are so stubborn lol. show him this whole thred maybe hell believe all of us!!!!
I want to add one more technical point: When we talk about the "spousal benefit being 50% of your husband's benefit," it's actually 50% of his Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is the benefit he would receive at his Full Retirement Age. If your husband claimed early and took a reduced benefit, your spousal benefit is still based on 50% of his PIA, not 50% of his reduced benefit. Similarly, if he delayed and gets more than his PIA, your spousal benefit is still based on his PIA, not his increased benefit. This is a common source of confusion that might be contributing to your disagreement.
Oh that's interesting! I didn't realize the spousal benefit is based on what he would get at full retirement age, not what he actually gets. That makes it even more complicated. We both plan to wait until our full retirement age anyway, but that's good to know.
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my cousin got a higher amount but i think it was from the VA not social security
You're right that these are different systems. VA benefits are completely separate from Social Security benefits. Veterans can receive both, but one doesn't directly affect the other's calculation.
Thanks everyone for the helpful information! So to summarize what I've learned: 1. There's no automatic increase just for being a veteran 2. Military service from 1957-2001 does get special earnings credits that can boost the benefit calculation 3. These should already be included in my online estimate 4. I should check my earnings record to make sure my military service is correctly recorded I appreciate all the responses - you've saved me from some confusion when I apply next year!
Perfect summary! Just remember to apply 3 months before you want benefits to start. And don't forget to research the implications of claiming at 62 vs. waiting until your Full Retirement Age or even age 70. Each year you delay (up to 70) increases your monthly benefit amount substantially.
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my neighbor started SS early and they messed up his payments so bad he had to pay back $12,000!!! be really careful with all this, the rules are super confusing and SS workers give wrong info all the time
this is y u should always get everything in writing!!! never trust what they tell u on phone
To summarize for you: 1. Yes, you can earn the entire annual limit in Jan-Feb 2025 2. You'll likely not receive benefits for those two months due to the monthly earnings test 3. As long as you perform no work from March onward, you should receive full benefits for March-December 4. Make sure to report your work activity through your mySocialSecurity account 5. If you have trouble reaching SSA by phone to verify everything, consider using a service to get through 6. Any benefits withheld aren't permanently lost - they're factored in when you reach FRA Good luck with your retirement plans!
This is incredibly helpful - thank you for laying it all out so clearly! I feel much more confident now about how to handle this.
Sara Unger
my brother told me that if u do a qualified charitable distribution from ur ira it dont count toward the 32k. might help u stay under if ur charitable
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Alana Willis
•Your brother is correct! QCDs from IRAs can be an excellent strategy for those over 70½. Since the distribution goes directly to charity and never passes through your hands as income, it doesn't count toward the combined income threshold for Social Security taxation purposes. It's one of the few legitimate ways to reduce your income for SS tax calculations.
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Justin Trejo
Thank you all for the helpful responses! I'm gathering that: 1. The $32,000 threshold is definitely our combined income as a couple, not individual 2. We need to be careful about the earnings test since we're claiming before FRA 3. We should look into voluntary withholding to avoid surprises 4. We should check our state's rules on SS taxation 5. Some types of income I thought wouldn't count (like muni bonds) actually do count I think we need to reconsider our claiming strategy and possibly talk to a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security. This is way more complicated than I initially thought!
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Freya Ross
•That's a smart approach. One more thing to consider: the tax implications are important, but they shouldn't be the only factor in your claiming decision. Even with some taxation, it might still make financial sense to claim when you're planning to if you need the income now. A good financial advisor can help you run the numbers for your specific situation, considering your life expectancy, other income sources, and overall retirement plan.
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