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my grandma got the same thing, its normal for women of that generation who didnt work outside the home. its def the spousal benefit and $900 sounds about right for someone that age who prob claimed years ago. the benefit increases every year with COLA but not by much.
Since both of your parents are in their 90s, it's also worth looking into whether your mother might qualify for a higher survivor benefit when your father passes away. The survivor benefit would be up to 100% of what your father receives (including his delayed retirement credits), which would be substantially higher than her current spousal benefit. This is important financial planning to consider at their ages. You might want to discuss this with a benefits specialist at SSA once you get through to them.
That's really helpful information - I didn't know survivor benefits would include dad's delayed retirement credits. That would more than double mom's benefit if he passes first. I'll definitely discuss this with SSA when I call them. Thank you!
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i'm confused about something... if the husband already took SS early doesnt that mean he gets a permanently reduced amount forever? even as a survivor?
Good question. Taking his own benefits early does create a permanent reduction to those benefits, but survivor benefits are calculated differently. The reduction to survivor benefits is based on the survivor's age when they begin receiving those benefits, not when they took their own retirement. However, the RIB-LIM rule I mentioned earlier creates some complications when someone has already taken reduced retirement benefits and then later switches to survivor benefits. The SSA uses a formula that essentially prevents getting the full survivor amount in some circumstances.
Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I feel much better knowing my husband would have immediate access to survivor benefits if needed. I'll definitely make sure we keep good records and that he knows about the application process. I think we'll try to schedule an appointment with SSA to get specific calculations based on our actual earnings records too. This community has been so helpful!
Good plan! My mom always says the best thing she did was sit down with someone at SSA a few years before retirement to go over everything. You both should do it. Bring all your questions written down because sometimes you forget stuff when you're there.
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Thank you all for these helpful responses! I think I understand now that survivor benefits would be based on his Primary Insurance Amount rather than his reduced benefit, which is a relief. I'm going to try to speak with someone at SSA directly to confirm based on our specific situation. Hearing about that Claimyr service is helpful since the last time I tried calling SSA, I gave up after being on hold for over an hour.
Glad the Claimyr suggestion was helpful! When you do connect with SSA, make sure to specifically ask about the "widow(er)'s limit provision" - that's the technical term for the calculation that determines the maximum you can receive as a survivor. Some representatives aren't familiar with all the details of this provision unless you specifically mention it.
I just wanted to add one thing - make SURE you keep a copy of your marriage certificate and divorce decree!!! My aunt went through this last year and SSA rejected her claim TWICE because they said they needed "original" copies even though she sent certified copies. The whole process took her 9 months to resolve and she almost lost her house waiting for the benefits to start!!! The system is HORRIBLE for widows and survivors!!!
That's a really good point about the documentation - I'll make sure I have all that organized and ready. I actually still have my original marriage certificate in a safety deposit box. Sorry your aunt had such a terrible experience, that sounds incredibly stressful.
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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.
Emily Parker
another thing - inflation. that $130 diffrence will be worth less in 10 yrs anyway
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Daniel Rogers
•Social Security benefits receive annual Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) that are tied to inflation. So while the purchasing power of $130 might decrease over time, the actual dollar amount of the difference would increase with each COLA adjustment.
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Justin Evans
Thank you all for the thoughtful responses! I've decided to go ahead and apply for benefits now instead of waiting. The break-even analysis and the point about enjoying the money while I'm still active enough to use it for travel and hobbies really resonated with me. I've started the application online yesterday and hopefully it goes smoothly. I appreciate all the different perspectives!
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Ezra Collins
•Good luck with your application! Remember to check your MySSA account regularly for updates on the processing status. If you have any issues, calling early in the morning (right when they open) usually means shorter wait times.
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