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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
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Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
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Oh goodness, I think you misunderstood! We've been together 11 years and are completely committed to each other. We just never felt the need for the legal paperwork. We were simply wondering if there might be financial benefits to formalizing our relationship at this point in our lives. Rest assured, our relationship is based on love not money! 💕
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Another CRITICAL thing to know - if your sister ever does decide to apply for SSDI (not just retirement), there's a 5 MONTH waiting period before benefits start AND Medicare doesn't kick in until 24 MONTHS after SSDI approval!!! The system is designed to make disabled workers SUFFER!!! And btw - if your sister's injury happened 8 years ago, has she even TRIED applying for SSDI? If her injury is permanent and prevented her from working, she might qualify for SSDI which could actually pay MORE than early retirement. The SSDI benefit is calculated as if she worked until full retirement age!
That's a really interesting point about SSDI potentially being higher than early retirement. She hasn't applied because we always assumed the WC offset would make it pointless, but maybe we should run the numbers and see if SSDI might actually be better in the long run, especially with the Medicare benefit. Thanks for that perspective!
After reviewing numerous cases like this in my work, here's the most accurate information I can provide: 1. The Worker's Compensation offset for Social Security benefits varies by state law and policy language. 2. In most states, there is a distinction between SSDI and retirement benefits in how they're treated for offset purposes, but approximately 15 states do allow offsets against retirement benefits. 3. The key factor is often when the injury occurred in relation to age. If the worker was disabled well before retirement age, some policies treat any Social Security as partially attributable to the disability. 4. The safest approach is to request a formal written determination from the WC carrier about how they would treat retirement benefits specifically. 5. There may be a maximum combined benefit amount specified in state law (often 80% of pre-injury wages). I recommend having your sister request her earnings record from Social Security to calculate potential retirement benefits, then discuss with both a WC attorney and a financial advisor to determine the optimal strategy.
Thank you for this detailed breakdown. I didn't realize there could be a maximum combined benefit amount based on pre-injury wages - that's really helpful information. I'll have my sister request her earnings record so we can start running some accurate calculations.
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Has anybody mentioned Medicare yet??? Because if either of you has better Medicare coverage thru a former employer that could be affected by marriage!!! The whole system is RIGGED against senior remarriage if you ask me!!!
Medicare eligibility itself isn't affected by marriage, but if either person has supplemental coverage through a former employer, it's worth checking with that plan administrator. Some employer plans have specific provisions about covering new spouses. This isn't a Social Security issue directly, but definitely part of overall retirement planning.
Just wondering - will you be changing your name when you get married? If so, don't forget to update your Social Security card first, then driver's license, bank accounts, etc. I made the mistake of doing them in the wrong order and it was a nightmare!
I'm planning to keep my current last name - seems easier at this stage of life! But that's a great tip about the correct order for those who do change their names.
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Thank you all for the helpful responses! I'm going to try contacting SSA to get an exact calculation of what I might receive after the GPO reduction. Even if it's only a few hundred dollars, that's still meaningful over time. I'll gather all my documents (marriage certificate, death certificate, pension statements, etc.) and try to schedule an appointment. If I can't get through on the phone, I'll check out that Claimyr service someone mentioned. One last question: If I do qualify for some small survivor benefit, can I receive that AND still potentially claim my own Social Security later (from those 12 years I worked in the private sector)? Or do I have to choose one or the other?
Yes, you can claim survivor benefits now and switch to your own retirement benefit later if it would be higher (or vice versa). This is one of the few remaining claiming strategies after the 2015 law changes. Just be aware that your own benefit would likely be reduced by WEP due to your teacher pension. Ask the SSA representative to calculate both scenarios for you.
Sasha Ivanov
my aunt got hit by GPO and WEP both...worked 18 yrs for the post office (CSRS) and 22 yrs in private sector. her own SS benefit got WEP'd and her widow benefit got GPO'd. ended up with just $220/mo from SS plus her CSRS pension. system is so confusing
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Miguel Hernández
One more thing to consider - if your current spouse (the one you remarried at 63) passes away, you could potentially claim widow benefits on THEIR record too. In that scenario, you'd get the higher of the two widow benefits (after GPO reduction), not both. Something to keep in mind for future planning.
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KylieRose
•That's a good point I hadn't considered. My current husband also has a good earnings record with Social Security. I hope I don't have to face that situation for many years, but it's helpful to understand all the options. This system is so complex!
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