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Another resource - many Area Agencies on Aging have benefit counselors who can help navigate this process and provide guidance on elder financial abuse. They often have specialists who understand both SSA benefits and elder protection. Here's a link to find the Arizona offices: https://des.az.gov/services/older-adults/area-agency-aging
Thank you all for the helpful advice! I've contacted Adult Protective Services and will be flying out next week to help my sister-in-law. My nephew is going to try to get her a phone appointment with SSA before I arrive. I'm relieved to know she should be getting the full survivor benefit amount. I'll update once we get this resolved.
Good luck! And remember to get all bank accounts secured too - that's often where financial abuse happens even after benefits are properly set up.
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be carful about the GPO thing... it can really reduce ur benefits. my mom was a teacher in texas and lost almost ALL of her widow benefits bcuz of GPO. they took like 2/3 of it away!!! did anyone calculate how much ur actually gonna get after GPO reduction? might not be worth all this trouble honestly
This is exactly what worries me. I haven't had anyone calculate the exact GPO reduction yet. I know my PERA disability pension is about $2,450/month, and I believe my ex's Social Security benefit was around $2,800. Does anyone know how to calculate how much I'd actually receive?
The GPO reduction is typically 2/3 of your PERA pension amount. So if your pension is $2,450, approximately $1,633 would be deducted from any Social Security spousal or survivor benefit. If your ex's benefit was $2,800, you might receive around $1,167 monthly after the GPO reduction ($2,800 - $1,633). However, this is a rough estimate - the actual calculation can be more complex based on your specific situation.
DONT WAIT!!!! Contact your rep NOW! The backlog is getting WORSE not better. My mom waited 5 months for her widow benefits appointment and lost out on money because of it!!!
That's concerning to hear. I'll look up my representative's contact info today. Did your mom eventually get her retroactive benefits, or did she lose those completely?
She got some retroactive pay but not all she was entitled to because of confusion about her filing date. That's why I'm saying DON'T WAIT - get your rep involved ASAP! They have staff who deal with SSA problems all day long.
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To clarify something important: With WEP, the maximum reduction in 2025 would be approximately $587 (50% of the first bend point). But since your husband has 22 years of substantial earnings under Social Security, his WEP reduction should be less than the maximum. Specifically, each year over 20 years reduces the WEP penalty by 5%. With 22 years, the reduction would be 10% less than the maximum, so approximately $528 instead of $587. If the SSA incorrectly thinks his pension just started, they might be applying some prorated calculation for 2025 only, which could explain the $150 difference. This is definitely worth pursuing with them.
Exactly right. Another thing that might be happening is they could be applying the WEP phase-in rules incorrectly. If they think the pension just started in 2025, they might be prorating the WEP reduction for that year, which would explain why their figure is $150 less than expected. It's a temporary advantage that would likely be corrected later and could result in an overpayment notice.
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can someone explain in simple terms what WEP even is?? i keep hearing about this fairness act but dont understand if it affects me or not. i worked for the post office for 22 years and get a pension from that, then worked at walmart for 18 years paying into social security. do i need to do something different when i apply for SS next year??
Great question. WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) reduced Social Security benefits for people who earned pensions from jobs not covered by Social Security (like many government jobs) but also worked enough in Social Security-covered jobs to qualify for benefits. As a postal worker, your pension was from a Social Security-covered job, so WEP never applied to you. You would have been affected by WEP only if your pension came from a job where you didn't pay Social Security taxes (like some state/local government positions, or foreign employment). When you apply next year, you'll get your full Social Security benefit based on your 18 years at Walmart without any WEP reduction.
I'm confused about the retroactive benefits. I thought you could only get 6 months of back benefits once you're past FRA? But the OP's wife had been past FRA for about 8 months (May 2024 to January 2025). Shouldn't she have been able to get 8 months of back benefits instead of just 6?
You're right about the confusion, but the 6-month limit is correct. Even though you can apply after FRA and request retroactive benefits, SSA limits the retroactivity to 6 months maximum regardless of how long past FRA you are. It's in the POMS section GN 00204.030. So even if someone is 2 years past their FRA when they apply, they can still only get a maximum of 6 months of retroactive benefits. The OP's wife received exactly what was allowed under the rules.
Oh I see! Thanks for explaining. That's good to know since I'll be helping my sister apply soon and she's about 9 months past her FRA.
Christian Burns
Has anyone tried growing lavender? I heard it's really profitable and easy to grow!
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Heather Tyson
•This thread is about Social Security implications of a small business, not gardening tips. Please stay on topic and create a new thread if you want to discuss profitable plants.
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Sasha Reese
To answer your follow-up question about reporting: You should report changes to SSA when they happen, not just at tax time. You can report changes in work activity or earnings by calling SSA directly, visiting your local office, or in some cases through your my Social Security account online. Given that you're close to your FRA (66 and 4 months), it's worth noting that in the year you reach FRA, the rules become more lenient. For 2025, in the months before you reach FRA during your FRA year, the exempt amount increases to $59,520, and SSA only deducts $1 for every $3 you earn above the limit. Once you reach your FRA in August 2026, the earnings test no longer applies, and you can earn any amount without affecting your benefits.
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Paloma Clark
•That's such a relief! I had no idea the rules were different in the year you reach FRA. So it sounds like even if I expand my little flower business a bit next year, I'll still be well under that higher threshold. I'm going to call SSA to confirm all this for my specific situation. Thanks again for the help!
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