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Does Biden's Social Security increase for government workers include state PERS pensions (Oregon)?
Can anyone clarify something confusing about Social Security and government pensions? I've been hearing that President Biden recently increased Social Security payments for some government employees, but I can't figure out if this applies to STATE government workers. I worked for Oregon state government for 27 years and receive a PERS pension. Currently, my Social Security benefit is reduced because of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). Would I qualify for any increase? Has anyone else with a state pension heard anything about this? Looking for real information, not rumors. Thanks!
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Will Social Security widow benefits be affected by getting a home improvement loan?
Hi everyone, I just started receiving my Social Security widow benefits last month (October 2025). My bathroom is practically falling apart and I need to do some major remodeling to make it safe. I'm looking at getting a home improvement loan but I'm worried about how this might affect my benefits. Does anyone know if SSA considers a home improvement loan as some type of income? I'm really confused about this because I don't want to mess up my widow benefits that I just started getting. The loan would be around $23,000. Thanks for any help!
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Off topic but does anyone know if widow benefits increase every year with cost of living like regular retirement does? My aunt is thinking about applying soon.
Yes, widow/survivor benefits do receive the annual COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) increases, just like retirement benefits. The 2026 COLA hasn't been announced yet, but all Social Security benefits including widow benefits will increase by that percentage when it takes effect in January.
I went through something similar last year when I needed to replace my furnace. I was so scared of messing up my benefits that I initially put it on credit cards instead of getting a proper loan! Big mistake - the interest was killing me. After talking with an SSA rep (finally got through after multiple attempts), I learned that loans don't count as income. I got a proper home improvement loan with much better terms and have had absolutely no issues with my widow benefits. One thing to watch out for though - if you withdraw money from retirement accounts for your bathroom, THAT could potentially affect benefits if you're under FRA. But a standard loan is completely fine.
Unexpected extra Social Security deposit after starting benefits - why the surprise payment?
So I started receiving my Social Security retirement benefits in September 2024, and everything seemed normal at first. I've received my regular monthly payments for October, November, and December. But yesterday, I checked my bank account and found an additional deposit from Social Security that's almost equal to a full monthly check! This wasn't expected and I'm confused about where this money came from. Is this a mistake? A retroactive payment? I'm worried they'll realize it later and ask for it back if it's an error. Has anyone experienced something similar? I tried searching the forum before posting but couldn't find an explanation for a surprise extra payment like this.
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Thank you all for the helpful responses! I checked my MySocialSecurity account and you were right - it was labeled as my September benefit payment. It's slightly less than my regular monthly amount because I started benefits mid-month. Mystery solved! I appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this.
Social Security disability conversion at 62 - will my spousal benefits be reduced if ex-husband already collecting?
I'm trying to make sense of a confusing situation with my Social Security benefits. I've been receiving SSDI (disability) for about 5 years now after a car accident left me unable to work. I'll be turning 62 next month, and I know my disability automatically converts to retirement at my full retirement age (67). Here's where I'm confused - my ex-husband (we were married 12 years) just started collecting his Social Security retirement at 63. Since my benefit amount is pretty low (only about $1,100/month), I believe I'm eligible for divorced spousal benefits to "top up" my payment. My question is: if I apply for the ex-spousal benefit now at 62, will it be permanently reduced because I'm under FRA? Or does the fact that I'm already on disability somehow protect me from that reduction? The local office gave me conflicting information and I can't get through on the phone. Has anyone dealt with this specific situation?
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wait i dont get it…if ur already on SSDI does that mean ur already getting ur full amount? why would they reduce ANYTHING?? makes no sense….
The SSDI benefit itself isn't reduced - that's correct. But the additional amount she might get from her ex-spouse's record (the "excess spousal" benefit) WOULD be reduced if claimed before FRA. They're actually two separate calculations that SSA combines into one payment.
One more important point - if your disability benefit is $1,100 and 50% of your ex's PIA is $1,200, then at FRA you would receive your $1,100 disability (which converts to retirement) PLUS an additional $100 as the excess spousal amount. So waiting until FRA in your case would mean an extra $100/month for life, plus any COLAs applied to that amount. Just something to keep in mind as you're making your decision.
Thank you! This is exactly the info I needed. I think I'll wait until FRA since it sounds like I might not get anything at all if I apply now. I appreciate everyone's help!
Social Security conversion from disability at FRA - will payment increase?
My brother-in-law (62) has been collecting long-term disability since age 57 due to severe rheumatoid arthritis and some complications with his heart. I was explaining to him that when he reaches his full retirement age (which should be 67 for him), his disability benefits will automatically convert to retirement benefits. I told him this might actually result in a payment increase since his original disability calculation was based on limited work history. He doesn't believe me and says the amount will stay exactly the same. He has enough work credits for regular SS retirement (worked consistently for about 30 years before his disability). Will he actually see any payment increase when the conversion happens? Or am I giving him false hope?
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Is anyone else confused by how Social Security calculates EVERYTHING? I swear it's like they purposely make it complicated so we don't understand what we're entitled to. My sister and I both went on disability around the same time with similar work histories and her payment is almost $300 more than mine every month!!! When I asked SSA why they just gave me some mumbo jumbo about "computation years" and "indexed earnings" that made zero sense.
PREACH!!!! The whole system is designed to confuse us regular folks. My neighbor and I compared our SS statements and the numbers made NO sense based on what we each earned. Total mystery math!!
Regarding the part-time work your brother-in-law did while on disability - that $10,000 might actually make a difference. Disability benefits are calculated using a "freeze period" that excludes years of low/no earnings due to disability. When converting to retirement, sometimes additional earnings during the disability period can be included in the calculation. I recommend he create an account at my.ssa.gov (if he hasn't already) where he can view his earnings history and benefit verification. Then, about 3 months before reaching FRA, he should contact SSA specifically requesting a recalculation that includes those earnings during his disability period. He should be prepared with documentation of those earnings just in case.
Thank you! He does have a my.ssa.gov account, so I'll help him check his earnings record. Appreciate everyone's input - sounds like I was mostly wrong but there might be a small possibility of an increase with his part-time work situation. I'll make sure he requests that recalculation when the time comes.
Yuki Sato
I herd that Oregon PERS is different from some other states because Oregon never opted out of Social Security completley. Is that right? Some of my Oregon freinds pay into both systems I think??
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Zoe Alexopoulos
That's partially correct. Oregon has multiple tiers in their PERS system, and some Oregon public employees are covered by Social Security while others aren't. It depends on when they were hired and what government entity they work for. Some local governments in Oregon have opted to participate in Social Security, while others haven't. If someone paid into both systems throughout their career, the WEP impact would be different than for someone who switched between covered and non-covered employment.
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Jamal Anderson
I thought Biden already signed something about this! Now I'm confused. My brother who retired from teaching in Illinois got a letter about his SS benefits going up but maybe that was just the regular COLA?
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Andre Lefebvre
Your brother likely received notification about the 2023 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), which was 8.7% - one of the largest in decades due to inflation. This increase applies to all Social Security recipients. It wasn't specific to government employees and wasn't related to any changes in the WEP or GPO provisions. The 2024 COLA will be 3.2%, and those notices usually go out in December.
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