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btw my cousin didn't sign up for medicare when he got SS and they didn't take anything out but then he got hit with penalties later when he did sign up so make sure u dont miss the enrollment window!!!
This is an important point. If you're not covered by qualifying employer insurance, you need to sign up for Medicare during your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) which is 7 months around your 65th birthday (3 months before, your birth month, and 3 months after). Missing this can result in permanent premium penalties - 10% for each 12-month period you could have had Part B but didn't.
To directly answer your original question: Your PIA of $2,245 is the basic benefit amount before ANY deductions (Medicare or taxes). Whether that's exactly what you'll receive depends on when you claim relative to your FRA. Then Medicare premiums and any tax withholding you've requested will be subtracted before the payment hits your bank account.
Thank you to everyone for all the helpful answers! I understand now that my PIA is the base amount, and the actual deposit will be less after Medicare deductions. I'll make sure to sign up for Medicare during my enrollment period in March when I turn 65, even though I won't start collecting Social Security until June when I retire. This has been so much clearer than the official explanations!
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My cousin had a child benefit situation and Social Security made ALL KINDS of mistakes with his paperwork! Just warning you to double-check everything they tell you.
Thanks for the heads up. I've heard SSA can make administrative errors. If I decide to move forward, I'll be extra careful to document everything and follow up regularly.
To answer your follow-up question: No, if you file for benefits and then suspend them (using the voluntary suspension option available after Full Retirement Age), ALL benefits based on your record - including your daughter's - would stop during the suspension period. This is due to changes made by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. So unfortunately, there's no way to "have your cake and eat it too" in this situation. You either: 1. File now at 68 - you get reduced benefits for life but your daughter gets benefits until 18 2. Wait until 70 - you get maximum benefits for life but your daughter gets nothing until you file (by which time she'll be 16, so only 2 years of eligibility) Given your family history of longevity (parents living to their 90s), waiting until 70 might still be your best financial strategy, despite missing out on some child benefits. At age 90, you would have received substantially more by waiting, even accounting for your daughter's benefits.
This really clarifies things - thank you. Given my family history and the permanent reduction if I file before 70, I'm leaning toward sticking with my original plan to wait. I appreciate everyone's insights and specific details about how this works.
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Did they tell u about taxes? I had NO idea survivors benefits could be taxable and got hit with a huge tax bill my first year. Up to 85% can be taxable depending on your other income. Just a warning so u can prepare...
They mentioned something about taxes but didn't go into detail. With my part-time job, I might need to have taxes withheld from my SS payments. I'll look into this more - thanks for the warning!
my sister tried to get surviver benefits but they denied her because she was married for only 9 years not 10 years! so unfair!!!
The 10-year marriage duration requirement applies to divorced spouse benefits, not to widow(er)'s benefits for a current marriage. For survivor benefits after the death of a spouse, you generally only need to have been married for 9 months (with some exceptions like accidental death). Your sister should appeal if she was denied survivor benefits from a current marriage that lasted at least 9 months.
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One additional thing to note - this is why when people pass away, sometimes their survivors don't understand why they need to return the final payment. If someone passes away in November, they aren't entitled to November's payment (which comes in December) because they didn't live through the entire benefit month. The SSA will want that payment back if it's deposited. Just something to be aware of for future reference.
My mother had to deal with this last year when my father passed. They automatically deposited his payment and then demanded it back 3 weeks later. Very stressful during a time of grief.
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OP you might want to check if your state has that thing called Social Security totalization or something? My friend in Ohio said her state retirement system lets employees pay into both systems at same time to avoid WEP completely. Might be too late for you now but worth checking!
I think you're referring to Section 218 Agreements, which allow state and local government employers to voluntarily participate in Social Security. However, this is an employer decision, not something individual employees can opt into. Once a state agency has a Section 218 Agreement, employees pay into both systems and avoid WEP entirely because they're not receiving "non-covered" pension income. The OP would need to check if their state highway department has such an agreement.
I want to thank everyone for their incredibly helpful responses! I've learned so much about WEP and now understand I need to confirm exactly how many years of "substantial earnings" I have according to SSA's specific thresholds. I'm going to try contacting SSA to get my full earnings record and request written confirmation about my WEP status. It sounds like with my 32 years in the private sector, I'm likely exempt from WEP reductions as long as my earnings met the thresholds for at least 30 of those years. I'll also look into whether my state highway department might have a Section 218 Agreement, though I'm pretty sure we don't pay into Social Security there. Thanks again for clarifying this confusing topic - I feel much better prepared to finalize my retirement plans now!
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I think they're changing their policy again. My nephew works at Social Security and he says they're getting new guidance every week about this. Some offices have the updated system and others don't yet. Maybe try a different office?
thats true! my cousin had to go to the office in the next town over cuz his local one kept saying they couldnt do anything. its like some offices got the memo and others didnt
Quick update for everyone following this thread - the official policy change is outlined in SSA Emergency Message EM-23056, which officially limits recovery of most overpayments to 10% of monthly benefits. However, there are exceptions for fraud cases. The implementation date was March 15, 2025, but as others have noted, the actual rollout has been inconsistent across field offices. If you're getting resistance, specifically mention EM-23056 and request to speak with a Technical Expert or the Office Manager who should be familiar with this directive.
This is incredibly helpful - thank you! I've written down all this information and I'm going to try both calling and visiting in person tomorrow. Will update with how it goes in case it helps anyone else in the same situation.
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To add to what others have said - the SSA is currently experiencing significant processing delays due to staffing shortages and increased application volume. While they typically send document request letters within 2-4 weeks, it can sometimes take 6-8 weeks currently. If you haven't received anything after 8 weeks, that's when I'd suggest being more proactive in contacting them. Regarding the required documents for an ex-spouse claim: you'll need your birth certificate, marriage certificate, and divorce decree showing the marriage lasted at least 10 years. You don't technically need your ex-spouse's SSN if you don't have it - SSA can usually locate their record with their date of birth and full name as shown on your marriage certificate, though having the SSN does speed up the process.
wait so you dont actually need the ex's SSN? thats good to know i thought that was required!
Thank you everyone for the helpful replies! I feel much better knowing what to expect now. I'll give it another week or two for their letter, and if I don't receive anything, I'll try that Claimyr service to speak with someone directly. I've gathered all my documents and made copies just to be safe. Really appreciate all the advice!
Happy to help! One last tip: when you do receive benefits, double-check that first payment carefully. Sometimes the SSA calculates backdated amounts if there's a delay between your application and approval, especially if you applied in your month of eligibility. Those retroactive payments can be confusing if you're not expecting them.
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Just wanted to follow up and say I called SSA using that Claimyr service I mentioned. Got through in 7 minutes and confirmed everything people said here. Private pensions DO NOT affect SSDI benefits at all. The representative said it's a very common question and there's absolutely nothing to worry about. Hope this gives you additional peace of mind!
Thank you for taking the time to confirm this! We're going to help my wife start the pension process tomorrow. Such a relief that she doesn't have to wait another 4 months!
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My husband messed this up last year and it was such a headache trying to fix it... he applied online but misunderstood some question and ended up with a start date BEFORE he intended. We had to go to the local office twice to get it sorted out. Just double check everything before you submit!!
Same thing happened to my neighbor! He accidentally applied for benefits 6 months before he meant to and is now getting reduced benefits forever. Such a costly mistake :
Quick question - are you still working? Because if so there might be other considerations beyond just when to start benefits. The earnings test doesn't apply after FRA but might affect how backpay is calculated depending on your situation.
Good question! No, I retired completely last year, so earnings won't be an issue for me. I just want to make absolutely sure I get the maximum benefit by waiting until exactly 70.
Adriana Cohn
Im confused about this IRMMA thing. Is this for regular social security or just medicare? Im turning 65 next year and trying to figure all this stuff out lol.
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Aaron Boston
•IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount) only affects Medicare Part B and Part D premiums. It's an extra amount added to your Medicare premium if your income is above certain thresholds. It has nothing to do with your Social Security retirement benefit amount. When you turn 65, if your income is below $103,000 (for single filers in 2024) or $206,000 (for married filing jointly), you won't have to worry about IRMAA at all.
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Sofia Peña
Thank you all so much for the helpful responses! I'm going to fill out the SSA-44 form this week and take it to our local office with my husband's termination letter. It's such a relief to know we can potentially avoid the higher Medicare premiums right away instead of waiting until 2025. This forum has been so much more helpful than the official Medicare website!
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Melody Miles
•Good plan! One more tip - make a copy of everything before you submit it, and ask for a receipt when you drop it off at the SSA office. I've found it helps to have a record of exactly what you submitted and when. Best of luck with your husband's retirement!
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