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How to calculate Social Security benefits when waiting until 70 after retiring at FRA?
I'm trying to figure out how my Social Security retirement benefits will be affected if I retire from work at my full retirement age (67.5) but don't actually claim benefits until I turn 70. I've looked all over the MySocialSecurity website but can't seem to find the calculator that would show me this specific scenario. Does anyone know where on the SSA site I can input zeros for those 2.5 years to see if my benefit amount would be reduced by not working during that period? I'm worried that the gap between retirement and claiming might significantly lower my monthly payment despite the delayed retirement credits. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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Confused about Social Security spousal benefits calculation - spouse turning 62 getting less than half my benefit
I recently transitioned from SSDI to retirement benefits when I turned 65 last year. My monthly benefit is $1705. My husband is planning to file for his Social Security retirement in December when he turns 62. According to the statement SSA sent him, he'll receive $749 per month at 62. I understand that since his benefit is less than half of mine, he should receive his own benefit plus a spousal supplement from mine. But I'm completely lost on how to calculate how much he'll actually get in total. Is the supplement based on my full benefit amount or some other figure? Does his early filing affect the spousal portion too? I've called the SSA twice and got vague, confusing answers both times. My husband has a phone appointment scheduled in a few weeks, but I'd prefer to be prepared before that call. Apparently they don't do in-person appointments anymore, which is frustrating since this seems complicated. Can anyone break down how much total benefit he should expect? I want to make sure we're getting the correct amount when it starts. Thank you!
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My friend's situation was kinda similar and I think there was a surprise with how much she got so def have your husband ask very specific questions during his phone appt! Good luck
Yes!! Make sure he SPECIFICALLY asks: "If I wait until FRA to file, would I receive a higher total benefit through the combination of my own benefit plus a spousal supplement?" The answers they give are often so vague unless you ask exactly the right question!
Just to clarify one more point that sometimes confuses people: The decision about when to file is separate for each of you. You've already filed, but your husband still has options. If your husband files at 62, he gets approximately 70% of his FRA benefit (the $749). If he waits until FRA, he gets 100% of his FRA benefit (probably around $1070). If he waits until 70, he gets 132% of his FRA benefit (around $1412). The spousal benefit doesn't increase after FRA, so there's no spousal advantage to waiting beyond FRA. But his own benefit continues to grow until 70. Since his own benefit is already higher than the reduced spousal benefit, waiting longer would just increase that gap.
This is really helpful information. We need the income now, so waiting isn't really an option for us, but it's good to understand exactly what the tradeoff is. I appreciate everyone helping me understand how this actually works!
Can I get Social Security survivor benefits with a FERS pension? WEP/GPO confusion
Hi everyone, I'm trying to figure out something for my sister who is a retired federal employee (USPS) with about 28 years of service. She gets her FERS pension plus TSP withdrawals each month. Her ex-husband passed away last December (they were married for 22 years), and someone mentioned she might be eligible for survivor benefits from his Social Security record. I'm confused about whether the Government Pension Offset (GPO) would eliminate any survivor benefits she could get? Or is it WEP that applies here? She's 63 now and was planning to claim her own Social Security at 67, but this might change things. Does anyone have experience with postal retirement and survivor benefits? Is there some kind of cap or reduction?
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Something else to consider - has your sister checked her own Social Security record lately??? My friend thought her benefit would be really small because of her government job, but when she actually checked her SS statement online, it was higher than she expected because of all the years she paid in. Your sister should create a my Social Security account on ssa.gov if she hasn't already!!! That way she'll know her own benefit amount before even talking to anyone.
Excellent suggestion. Creating a my Social Security account at ssa.gov is essential for anyone approaching retirement age. The benefit estimates shown there will help your sister make a more informed decision. However, one caution - the online estimates don't always correctly account for things like WEP/GPO reductions. They give a good starting point, but the final calculation should be confirmed with an SSA representative who can properly apply any applicable reductions.
i think everyones overthinking this lol. just have her apply and see what they say. my aunt got dinged with gpo and still got like $400 a month from my uncles record. anything is better than nothing right?
It's not overthinking when we're talking about THOUSANDS of dollars in potential benefits!!! Getting the right strategy can literally mean the difference between getting benefits or nothing at all. But I agree she should definitely apply either way!!!
Social Security payment for non-citizen visa holder missing for July - anyone else affected?
My husband is from Colombia with a permanent resident visa who lived in the US since childhood. He's been receiving Social Security retirement benefits for about 15 months after contributing for nearly 35 years with his valid SSN. His payment normally arrives on the 3rd of each month, but yesterday nothing showed up in his bank account. I'm getting worried because we depend on that income for our mortgage payment that's due next week. Has anyone else experienced a delay with their July payment? Are other legal immigrants having this issue specifically? He's planning to call SSA today, but I know how impossible it is to get through. Just wondering if this is a widespread problem or if we need to be concerned about something with his specific situation.
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my mom has the same problem (shes from philippines originally) no payment yet. but my uncle got his (hes citizen) so i was thinking maybe its for immigrants only? glad to hear its not that. still nothing in her account today tho
It's definitely not targeting immigrants. The SSA payment system doesn't filter based on citizenship once benefits are approved. It's more likely your mom and uncle are simply in different payment processing batches, and your mom's batch was affected by the technical issue while your uncle's wasn't.
UPDATE: My payment just posted this morning! So it was about 48 hours late. Check your accounts - hopefully your husband's payment has arrived too!
Just checked and YES! The payment came through about an hour ago! Such a relief. Thank you everyone for your help and reassurance. Now we can pay the mortgage without a late fee.
Social SECURITY SPOUSAL BENEFITS - WHAT PERCENTAGE AM I ENTITLED TO IF HUSBAND WAITED UNTIL FRA?
I'm having trouble figuring out exactly what portion of my husband's Social Security I'm eligible for. My husband waited until he was 65 to start collecting his benefits (he's now 78), but I filed for mine when I turned 62. He retired with a pension from his workplace that pays him about $3,200/month, while I only receive $1,350 from Social Security based on my own work record. I worked part-time for most of my career raising our children. The SSA AGENT I SPOKE WITH SAID MY BENEFIT IS CALCULATED AT 32.5% OF HIS. BUT I'VE BEEN READING THAT SPOUSES CAN GET 50% OF THEIR PARTNER'S BENEFIT AMOUNT IF THEY WAIT UNTIL THEIR OWN FULL RETIREMENT AGE. I'M CONFUSED ABOUT WHY MINE IS SO MUCH LOWER AND WONDER IF THERE'S A MISTAKE OR IF THE WEP/GPO IS AFFECTING ME SOMEHOW? DOES ANYONE KNOW IF I SHOULD BE GETTING MORE?
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A lot of misinformation in this thread. The spousal benefit isn't always 50%. That's just the maximum. The actual formula is more complicated and takes into account whether you're eligible for your own retirement benefit, when you file, and whether the WEP/GPO rules apply. Calling SSA directly is your best bet. Ask them for a breakdown of your benefit calculation. They can tell you exactly how your benefit was determined and whether there are any options to increase it. You might need to speak with a technical benefits advisor though, not just the first person who answers the phone.
Yeah good luck getting through to a 'technical benefits advisor' lol. Last time I called they put me on hold for 40 mins then transferred me to someone who had no idea what I was talking about!
One more thing to consider - if your husband passes away, you would become eligible for survivor benefits, which can be up to 100% of what he was receiving (depending on your age when you claim them). So while your current spousal benefit might seem low, the survivor benefit would be significantly higher. If your husband is in good health, you might want to discuss having him delay taking his own benefits as long as possible (up to age 70) to maximize the eventual survivor benefit you'd receive if he passes before you. Each year he delays past his FRA increases his benefit by 8%, which also increases the survivor benefit you'd eventually receive.
That's actually very helpful information about survivor benefits. He's already collecting, but knowing that I could get up to 100% of his benefit as a survivor benefit gives me some peace of mind for the future. It's frustrating how complicated all these rules are - I wish the SSA made this clearer when we were deciding when to file.
Astrid Bergström
One more thing - when you do claim at 70, make sure you understand how your benefits will be taxed. Depending on your other income sources, up to 85% of your Social Security can be subject to federal income tax. Many people don't plan for this and get surprised at tax time. Your state may also tax SS benefits differently.
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Emma Johnson
YES!! THIS!! I got BLINDSIDED by taxes on my SS benefits!! Had no idea they would be taxed!!! The government is taking my money TWICE!!! Complete ROBBERY if you ask me!
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Leila Haddad
To answer your specific question about finding this on the website: The tool you want is called the "Retirement Estimator" which you can find here: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/estimator.html When you log in with your my Social Security credentials, you can see estimates based on different claiming ages. There's also an option to enter custom earnings amounts for future years where you could enter zeros. If you want even more detail, you can download the "Detailed Calculator" software mentioned earlier, but for most people, the online tool provides sufficient information.
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Freya Andersen
AuthorPerfect, thank you for the direct link! I'll check out the Retirement Estimator today. I feel much better about my retirement plans now that I understand how this works.
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