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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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Is your husband gettin SSI or SSDI? if its SSI then u DO hve to report his earnings every month cuz thats need-based!!!!
The poster mentioned her husband is 71 and collecting retirement benefits, not SSI or SSDI. You're right that SSI has different reporting requirements because it's need-based, but that doesn't apply in this situation. Regular Social Security retirement benefits past full retirement age don't require manual reporting of earnings.
I think people who say SS automatically recalculates are being optimistic lol. My brother-in-law had to actually request a recalculation after working 3 years past retirement. Maybe it's supposed to be automatic but with the govt who knows if it actually happens!
You raise a good point. While SSA is supposed to automatically recalculate benefits when new earnings might increase your benefit, the system isn't perfect. If your husband continues working for more than a year past full retirement age, it wouldn't hurt to contact SSA every couple of years to request a benefits review. You can do this by calling their main number at 1-800-772-1213 or contacting your local office.
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I had a question about your sister's situation - since she's 63, is she getting reduced benefits by claiming before her FRA? I'm trying to decide whether to take my spousal benefits at 62 or wait until my full retirement age at 67 to get the full 50%. Did your sister consider waiting?
Yes, she is getting somewhat reduced benefits by claiming at 63 instead of waiting until her FRA (which would be 66 and 8 months for her). She calculated that she'd need to live past 78 for waiting to be worth it financially. Plus, her financial situation didn't really give her the option to wait - she needed the income now. It's really an individual decision based on health, finances, and other factors.
This is an important calculation everyone should do. Taking benefits at 62 gives you about 32.5% of your ex's PIA instead of 50% at FRA. However, you're collecting for 60 extra months. The breakeven age varies based on benefit amounts and life expectancy. For many people with immediate financial needs, taking reduced benefits makes sense despite the permanent reduction.
Thank you for sharing this success story! I've been so discouraged lately with my own SSA issues. This gives me hope. Did you need to involve a lawyer at any point in the process? I'm wondering if I should hire one for my case.
We actually consulted with a lawyer who specializes in Social Security cases after the second denial. They gave us some helpful guidance on what specific documentation to emphasize, but we didn't formally hire them to represent us. If we'd gotten to the hearing stage, we probably would have hired them. For complex cases or disability claims, a lawyer can be really valuable, but for straightforward benefits like divorced spouse benefits, persistence and good documentation can often be enough.
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One more important consideration: if your child qualifies for benefits on your record, they would receive up to 50% of your PIA (your full retirement age amount) even if you file early. However, there's something called the "family maximum" that limits the total amount your family can receive on your record (typically 150-180% of your PIA). So, maximizing your own benefit could potentially increase what your child receives too. Regarding working while collecting: I'd recommend sitting down and calculating exactly how much you plan to earn after claiming benefits. If it's significantly over the earnings limit, it might make sense to wait until your FRA to avoid the penalty.
This is exactly right. The family maximum is a critical consideration here. One strategy some people use is to file a restricted application for just the child's benefits while the worker delays their own retirement filing to increase their benefit amount. However, this option was largely eliminated by legislation except for certain people born before 1954, so it wouldn't apply in OP's case.
I KNOW YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR THIS but waiting until 70 would give you 24% MORE than filing at 67 (your FRA). That's a PERMANENT increase for life! I filed at 67 and now at 75 I'm watching my friend who waited collect WAY MORE every month. It's hard to work longer but the math doesn't lie.
not everyone can keep working tho some jobs are too hard on the body
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Have u tried contacting your congressional representative? My friend is a retired police officer who had issues with WEP and his congress person's office helped straighten it out. They have staff who specifically handle SS problems!
This is actually excellent advice that people often overlook. Congressional caseworkers can sometimes get answers and action from SSA much faster than individuals can. They won't change the law for you, but they can help ensure it's being applied correctly in your case.
After learning about how WEP works, I discovered that SSA had missed some of my substantial earnings years from when I worked summers during my teaching career. I was able to get my WEP reduction decreased by providing proof of those earnings. The WEP formula provides a 5% reduction in the penalty for each year of substantial earnings over 20 years, so each additional year you can document is worth fighting for.
That's encouraging! I'm going through all my old tax records this weekend. I'm pretty sure I hit the substantial earnings threshold in at least 25 years, maybe more. Thanks for sharing your experience - gives me hope that I can get this adjusted without an attorney.
Hugh Intensity
The REAL QUESTION is how they're going to pay for this!!! Repealing GPO/WEP would cost billions and SS is already headed for trouble. They'll probably just increase the debt more or raise taxes on everyone. Nothing is free - we'll all end up paying for it one way or another.
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Romeo Quest
•isnt it just fixing an unfair penalty though? teachers and firefighters paid into their pensions instead of SS, not their fault the systems dont work together right
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Hugh Intensity
•It's more complicated than that. The original purpose of GPO/WEP was to prevent "double-dipping" from two different government-subsidized retirement systems. Yes it's unfair in many cases, but repealing it without accounting for the cost is irresponsible. They should FIX it with a more proportional approach, not just ELIMINATE it entirely!
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Eve Freeman
I just went through all this with my financial advisor last week. Here's what she told me (I'm also a former teacher with pension): 1) The current GPO reduces spousal/widow benefits by 2/3 of your government pension 2) Most pending legislation would phase out GPO over 5 years (20% reduction each year) 3) For spouses, there's NO benefit to waiting beyond FRA - you get 50% of your spouse's PIA at FRA 4) For survivor benefits (after spouse dies), there IS benefit to waiting up to age 70 5) Keep good records of your pension and SS communications Her advice was to wait until FRA to avoid the early filing reduction. In your case at 65.5, it's only about a 6% reduction, so if you need the money now and GPO is repealed, it might be worth taking slightly reduced benefits.
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Everett Tutum
•Thank you for sharing this advice! The 5-year phase-in is something I hadn't considered in my planning. That's helpful to know about survivor benefits too - I didn't realize those could increase up to age 70 unlike spousal benefits that max at FRA. Sounds like I should start gathering all my pension documentation now to be prepared if/when the repeal happens.
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