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One final important point: If you do exceed the earnings limit, SSA withholds benefits at the rate of $1 for every $2 you earn above the limit. However, they don't take a little from each check - they withhold FULL MONTHS of benefits until the penalty amount is satisfied. For example, if your monthly benefit is $2,500 and you exceed the annual limit by $3,000, they would withhold 2 full months of benefits ($5,000) to cover the $3,000 penalty, and you'd still be due $2,000 that they would pay back to you. This is why it's crucial to be very specific about which month you want as your first month of entitlement, and to keep track of your earnings for the year.
Thank you for explaining this. I didn't realize they withhold entire months rather than reducing each payment. I'll definitely be careful with my application and double-check everything. This is all more complicated than I expected!
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I've worked as a benefits counselor for years. Here's what you need to know: SSA has internal metrics to process retirement applications within 21 days, but they're currently running behind in many regions. However, if it's been more than 30 days, it's worth calling because there's approximately a 40% chance they're waiting for additional verification. The system doesn't always generate the notification letters correctly. Call the national number early in the morning (first 30 minutes after they open) for shortest wait times. Have your confirmation number, SSN, and the exact date you applied ready before calling.
Thank you for this detailed information! I'll try calling right when they open tomorrow morning with all my information ready. Really appreciate the insight from someone with your background.
anyone know if you still get backpay for the weeks it was pending? like if i applied in august but it doesnt get approved till october will i still get september money?
Yes, SSA will pay benefits retroactively from your entitlement date, regardless of when your application is approved. The processing delay doesn't affect your payment amount or starting date - as long as you applied before you wanted benefits to begin.
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i forgot to mention my cousin gets SSI not survivors benefits and for SSI they DO count those payments against you. so make sure your situation is different.
This is an important distinction! You're absolutely right - for SSI (Supplemental Security Income), which is a needs-based program, the Difficulty of Care payments would typically count as income and could reduce benefits. But for Social Security survivor benefits, which are insurance benefits based on the deceased worker's record, the earnings test works differently and excludes these payments. This is why it's so important to be specific about which benefit type we're discussing.
I really appreciate everyone's replies. I just talked to my sister and she's going to try to get through to SSA to get something in writing. She said her Medicaid case manager also offered to provide a letter specifically stating these are Difficulty of Care payments under Section 131. It sounds like keeping good documentation is the key here. Thank you all for helping during this difficult time.
That sounds like a solid plan. Having documentation from both sides (Medicaid and SSA) is the safest approach. One more tip - when your sister does speak with SSA, she should ask them to document the conversation in her file with specific notes about the Difficulty of Care payments not counting toward the earnings test. Each call to SSA is supposed to be logged with notes, and this can help if questions come up in the future.
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This is y the SS system is so messed up!! One guy works and now 2 different women get benefits??? My cousin pays into SS for 40 yrs and barely gets anything for himself but his exes can cash in when he's gone? The whole thing is rigged
The system is actually designed this way intentionally to recognize the economic contribution of spouses, including those who may have given up career opportunities to raise children or support the household. Your cousin's benefit amount is based on his own earnings record, while survivor benefits reflect the reality that many families made joint decisions that affected both spouses' earning potential. It's not about someone 'cashing in' but providing financial stability after the loss of a spouse or ex-spouse.
Thank you everyone for the helpful information! I talked to both my mom and my stepmom separately and explained that they can both apply without affecting each other's benefits. They seemed relieved, though I think they're both still a bit skeptical. My mom is going to try that Claimyr service to get through to SSA faster instead of continuing to wait on hold. I'll update once they've both had their appointments and we know for sure what they'll receive. It's such a relief to know that this doesn't have to be another source of family conflict.
Please do update us! When I went through this with my family, the actual benefit amounts were different than what we expected. There are so many little rules and exceptions that can affect the final number.
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My sister took her benefits 4 months early just like youre thinking about and she says the small reduction wasn't a big deal for her. But she was already retired so didn't have to worry about the earnings part. Just sharing her experience!
That's the key difference - taking benefits a few months early has a relatively small permanent reduction (roughly 5/9 of 1% per month for the first 36 months before FRA), but the earnings test can temporarily reduce benefits much more significantly for people still working substantial hours. Each situation is uniquely dependent on individual circumstances and income timing.
Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! Based on all your comments, I think I'm going to go ahead with claiming a few months early since my bonus structure means I'll probably stay under that higher earnings limit before reaching FRA. And if I do exceed it slightly, at least I know they'll adjust my benefit later to account for any withheld amounts. Really appreciate all the detailed explanations - this stuff gets complicated fast!
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My aunt was in almost the SAME situation!!! She got survivor benefits from an ex she was married to for only 6 years. She got a reduced amount because he died before FRA but it was still better than nothing while waiting for her own benefit to grow. The SSA office told her lots of people don't know about this exception to the 10-year rule!
Wow, I stand corrected! I was going by what a friend experienced, but sounds like her situation must have been different. This is why these forums are so helpful - thanks everyone for the clarifications.
One more important point: If you do qualify for the survivor benefit, you should calculate whether it's financially beneficial to take it now while letting your own benefit grow. If your own benefit at 66 is already substantially higher than the survivor benefit would be (especially since it might be reduced because your ex died before FRA), then it might make more sense to just claim your own benefit now or wait until 70 for the maximum amount.
That's a really good point. I'll need to find out what the survivor benefit amount would be in my case. My ex had a decent income, but mine was higher in the later years of my career. I'm leaning toward pursuing the survivor benefit if eligible while letting my own benefit grow, but I'll need the specific numbers to make an informed decision. Thank you all for this helpful information!
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the ssa people always tell you different things when you call im on disability and they gave me wrong info THREE TIMES!!! go in person if you can
This is so true! My sister and I called on the same day with the same question about survivors benefits and got completely different answers. The in-person offices are better but the wait times are crazy long unless you have an appointment.
Thank you everyone for all the helpful information! I've learned so much. Based on your advice, I'm going to: 1. Schedule an appointment with SSA to get exact calculations for my situation 2. Consider taking reduced survivor benefits now, even with the earnings test reduction 3. Plan to receive full survivor benefits when I reach my FRA at 67 4. Switch to my own retirement benefit at 70 if it would be higher It sounds like this approach will allow me to get some additional income now while maximizing my benefits in the long run. I'll update after my SSA appointment if I learn anything else useful!
Sounds like an excellent plan! One additional tip: when you contact SSA, ask them to calculate both your survivor benefit and your projected retirement benefit at 70. This will help you confirm if the strategy to switch at 70 makes financial sense in your specific case.
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When my sister was dealing with survivor benefits last year they kept asking her if she wanted to apply for both retirement and survivors at the same time. she had to keep saying NO just survivors! they seemed confused by it so definitely have your aunt be really clear about wanting ONLY survivor benefits now.
ive been on SS for 15 yrs now and one thing i learned is always double check their math! my check was wrong for 3 yrs before i figured it out. they did give me backpay for their mistake tho so thats good.
This is great advice. The SSA handles millions of beneficiaries, and while they generally get things right, mistakes do happen. Always review your benefit calculation statement and keep records of your earnings history. For the original poster's aunt, she should ask for a detailed explanation of how both her retirement benefit and potential survivor benefit are calculated. Understanding these calculations can help catch any potential errors.
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Did you apply for Medicare recently? Sometimes when they process IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount) determinations, it can result in refunds if you were initially charged a higher premium than you should have been.
No, I'm only 64 so not on Medicare yet. I'm thinking it might be related to the work I did last year now that others have mentioned recalculations.
my brother got similar random deposits twice last year and both times it was cuz they had calculated his SSI wrong and owed him backpay... but he gets SSI not regular retirement so might be different for u
That's correct - SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and retirement benefits operate under different payment systems and rules. SSI has more frequent recalculations based on income and living arrangement changes, while retirement benefit adjustments typically relate to earnings records, delayed retirement credits, or COLAs. The common thread is that both programs do issue separate payments with specific codes when making adjustments.
Jibriel Kohn
make sure u keep good records of everything!!! my friend had her husband die and they kept saying she already applied for survivor when she hadn't!! took months to fix and she didn't get backpay!!!
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Olivia Kay
•Oh no, that sounds awful for your friend! I'll definitely keep records of everything - dates of calls, names of representatives, and any paperwork. Thanks for the warning.
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Joshua Hellan
One more thing to consider: if your income increases significantly in the future, your early filing reduction is permanent on your own benefit, but it wouldn't affect your survivor benefit amount. So if you expect your earnings to increase substantially in the next few years, that might change your break-even analysis. Also, make sure both you and your husband have created your my Social Security accounts online. This makes it much easier to track benefits and provides better documentation.
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Olivia Kay
•That's a good point about potential income increases. I don't expect my income to change much - I plan to keep the same part-time schedule until I fully retire in a few years. We both do have our my Social Security accounts set up! I check mine regularly to verify my earnings record is accurate.
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