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Can I get higher Social Security benefits through my wife due to WEP offset from federal pension?
I just retired after 30 years working for the Federal government under FERS. I recently found out that because of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), my own Social Security benefit is going to be reduced to almost nothing - basically the minimum monthly amount. I've got about 12 years of substantial earnings under Social Security from jobs I worked before becoming a fed. My wife worked her entire career in the private sector and has a pretty decent Social Security benefit coming her way. She hasn't filed yet - she's 64 and planning to wait until 67 (her FRA). I'm wondering if there's any way for me to qualify for higher Social Security benefits through my wife's record? Can I get spousal benefits that would be more than my WEP-reduced benefit? We're trying to maximize our retirement income and this WEP thing really threw a wrench in our plans. Any advice would be much appreciated!
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Can my husband file for Social Security retirement at FRA in January but request November payment date?
My husband turns 67 (his full retirement age) at the end of January 2025 and plans to continue working. We're in the middle of filling out his Social Security retirement application online and confused about the start date options. Since he's already earned about $80k this year, would he be able to request a November 1st start date for his benefits? Or does he have to use January 1st because that's closer to his birthday? I know there's that retroactive 6-month rule, but does that apply if he's still working? The online form isn't clear about this at all! We want to maximize his benefits but don't want to cause problems with his application.
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my nephew works for SS and says always wait till ur actual FRA month to file unless u really need the money now. something about actuarial calculations favoring the later date even if by just a month or 2.
Your nephew is right about the actuarial calculations. Each month of retroactive benefits reduces the monthly amount by approximately 0.5%. While this sounds small, over a 20+ year retirement, that can add up to thousands of dollars. The break-even point (where waiting for the higher amount pays off) is typically around 10-12 years for most people.
To add some specific numbers to this discussion: If your husband's PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) at 67 is $3,000 for example, taking benefits 2 months early (November instead of January) would reduce it by about 1% to approximately $2,970 per month. That's $30 less every month for life. However, he would receive two extra payments of $2,970 (about $5,940 total). The break-even point would be around 198 months (16.5 years). If he lives longer than that, waiting until January would provide more lifetime benefits. Also remember that any future COLAs will be calculated on the lower base amount if he takes retroactive benefits. As others have suggested, getting the exact calculations from SSA for your specific situation is the best approach.
Thank you so much for doing that math! That really puts it in perspective. Since his family tends to be pretty long-lived (his parents both made it to their mid-90s), it probably makes more sense to wait for the January start date. I appreciate everyone's help with this decision!
Confusing SS denial letter when applying for spousal benefits with government pension - WEP/GPO question
I retired from teaching last year after 26 years (state pension) but I only have about 32 SS credits from summer jobs way back. Last month I applied online for Social Security spousal benefits based on my husband's record. He's been drawing his full retirement benefit since 2022 (about $2,250/month), and I thought with the new GPO/WEP Fairness Act changes, I could finally get some spousal benefits despite my teacher's pension. Just got an email from SSA yesterday that completely ignored my spousal benefit application! It just stated I "don't have enough work credits for SS retirement benefits" and asked if I had proof of additional qualifying work. Nothing about my spousal application at all. I'm confused - did they just miss the spousal part of my application? Should I submit a whole new application specifically for spousal benefits or will they eventually review that part of my original application too? Has anyone else with a government pension applied for spousal benefits recently? I'm worried if I reapply it might delay things even more.
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Just to offer another perspective - the SSA is COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED with applications right now specifically because of the Fairness Act changes. Thousands of government pensioners who previously wouldn't qualify for spousal benefits are now applying all at once. I work with several retired teachers who've been dealing with this exact situation. The system wasn't prepared for this volume of GPO-affected applications requiring manual review. The most efficient approach is to: 1. Wait 4 weeks from your original application date 2. If you haven't heard anything, try to speak with someone (good luck with that) 3. If you can't get through by phone, schedule an in-person appointment 4. Bring ALL documentation showing your pension amount, when it started, and proof of your marriage The specialists who handle these calculations are backlogged about 10-12 weeks right now, so patience is unfortunately necessary.
Thank you for explaining that. I had no idea they were so backlogged with these applications. That makes me feel a little better that it's not just my application getting lost. I'll try to be patient, but it's so frustrating not knowing if they're even processing it correctly.
My wife just went through this! Retired nurse with state pension applying for spousal on my record. Got the EXACT same email as you - the "not enough credits" one with no mention of spousal benefits. She panicked and reapplied which was a HUGE mistake!!! Basically reset the clock after already waiting 6 weeks. If I could offer one piece of advice: DO NOT REAPPLY! What worked for us was going to the local office in person. They confirmed her original application was being processed correctly despite the misleading email. Took another 5 weeks after that visit but she finally got approved last month.
That's really helpful to know. Was her benefit reduced a lot because of her pension? I'm trying to estimate what I might actually receive with the new rules.
Her pension is $3,100/month and she's getting about $490/month in spousal benefits. Under the old rules she would've gotten nothing, so we're actually thrilled! The calculation is complicated - depends on how much your pension is.
Will WEP/GPO repeal let my non-SS teacher sister-in-law claim 50% of husband's Social Security benefit?
Confused about WEP/GPO rules with this potential repeal talk going around. My sister-in-law never paid into Social Security (worked as a public school teacher for 32 years). Her financial advisor apparently told her that with the changes being discussed, she'll be able to claim 50% of her husband's Social Security even though she has no SS credits herself. Her husband is taking early retirement at 64 after being laid off from his job.I thought you had to qualify for SS benefits on your own record first, then possibly get topped up to 50% if your spouse's record was higher? My husband qualifies under both systems so he'll get some kind of top-up benefit, but I'm pretty sure my SIL's situation is different.Am I misunderstanding something about WEP/GPO repeal, or is her financial advisor giving her incorrect information? I don't want them making retirement decisions based on bad advice, but I'm not confident enough to correct them.
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My neighbor was in this exact situation (teacher married to private sector worker) and was told by their financial guy the repeal was
Can I claim Social Security at 60 while waiting for full survivor benefits at FRA? Complicated ex-spouse situation
My ex-husband (married 22 years) has some serious health issues, and though I hate to think about it, I need to understand my options if he passes away before either of us reach full retirement age. I'm currently 60 and he's 61 - both of us have continued working. He's always been in tech management with earnings at or above the maximum taxable amount, while I've had a more modest income working in education. If he were to pass away before reaching his full retirement age (which would be 67), could I claim my own retirement benefit at 62 and then switch to the higher survivor benefit when I reach my FRA at 67? Or would taking my own benefit early permanently reduce my survivor benefit? I've tried reading the SSA website but the survivor rules for divorced spouses are making my head spin. I just want to make sure I'm not making a mistake that costs me thousands in the long run. And I want to be crystal clear - I'm just trying to plan financially! Not wishing anything bad to happen!
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Another important consideration: Since you mentioned your ex-husband was a high earner and you worked in education, have you checked if you might be subject to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO)? If you receive a pension from work not covered by Social Security (like some public school systems), it could affect your benefits.
Thankfully I don't have to worry about WEP or GPO. I worked at private schools, not public, so all my earnings were covered by Social Security.
I just want to say its really smart that your planning ahead like this. When my husband passed suddenly I was completely unprepared for all the complex benefit decisions and probly made some costly mistakes. Wishing you and your ex the best!!
Thank you for your kind words. I'm sorry for your loss and appreciate you sharing your experience. It's helping me be better prepared.
Keisha Robinson
the whole wep/gpo thing makes me so mad!! why should we be penalized just becuz we worked for the government?? regular people don't have their ss reduced! there's actually a bill in congress to reform this but it never goes anywhere.
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Amina Toure
The rationale behind WEP is that the Social Security benefit formula is weighted to give lower-income workers a higher percentage return on their contributions. Government employees with pensions from non-covered work appear to be 'low-income' in Social Security's system (since those earnings don't show up), and would receive this advantageous weighting without WEP. It's actually attempting to ensure equal treatment, though many argue it's implemented unfairly. The Social Security Fairness Act to repeal WEP/GPO has been introduced multiple times but hasn't passed.
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Yara Nassar
After reading through all the responses, I think your best strategy is: 1. Confirm your FERS service was fully covered employment (it almost certainly was) 2. Calculate your WEP-reduced benefit using the SSA's online calculators 3. Calculate 50% of your wife's PIA (which she can find on her Social Security statement) 4. Compare these amounts to see if spousal benefits would be higher 5. If spousal benefits are higher, consider when your wife should file Since you're already past FRA, you'll get the full spousal benefit (if eligible). Your wife's decision to file at FRA vs. age 70 should be based on your joint life expectancy and financial needs. If she delays until 70, her benefit increases by 8% per year, which also increases potential spousal benefits for you.
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Connor O'Neill
AuthorThis is excellent advice. I'll sit down with my wife this weekend and look at both our Social Security statements to do these calculations. She's leaning toward waiting until 70 now, especially if that means my spousal benefits would be higher too. I appreciate everyone's insights on this complicated topic!
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