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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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so sorry about ur son thats really tough. when we adopted our grandkids they told us we HAD to switch them to our benefits and we lost like $400 a month for each kid. later found out that wasnt true at all!! make sure u tell them specifically u just need to report the adoption but want to keep the kids on survivor benefits!!!!!
Aiden Chen
•This is unfortunately a common misunderstanding, even among some SSA employees. The adoption doesn't require a benefit type change. If you have documentation showing they were receiving higher benefits before, you might want to request a reconsideration of that determination - you may be entitled to back payments for the difference.
Jayden Reed
Just wondering - how old are you and your wife? If either of you are under Full Retirement Age and earn income, it could affect family benefits on your record (another reason to keep them on survivor benefits).
I'm 68 and my wife is 67, so we're both past FRA. I still do some consulting work but it doesn't affect our benefits anymore. That's a good point though.
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Arjun Patel
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.
Isaac Wright
•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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Sean Kelly
To summarize what everyone has said: 1. Yes, an ex-spouse married 10+ years can file for benefits on your record (equals up to 50% of your FRA benefit amount) 2. The Government Pension Offset would reduce any spousal/ex-spousal benefit by 2/3 of his pension amount 3. He doesn't need your birthplace to apply - SSA has that information 4. There could be Medicare premium advantages even if his Social Security benefit is reduced to $0 by the GPO If you're uncomfortable, don't provide the information. He can work directly with SSA for any legitimate benefit application.
Thank you so much for this clear summary! I've decided not to provide the birthplace information and instead suggested he work directly with SSA. Everyone's insights have been incredibly helpful.
my husband had government pension (firefighter) and we went thru this whole mess last year. the GPO wiped out EVERYTHING he might have gotten from my record. total waste of time!!!! 😡
Yes, this is extremely common with the GPO. Most people with substantial government pensions end up with $0 in Social Security spousal benefits after the reduction. The system seems punitive to those who worked in public service.
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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.
Javier Cruz
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.
Javier Cruz
•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.
Evelyn Rivera
Wait I'm confused - I thought the new WEP/GPO bill didn't pass?? Did I miss something? Last I heard they were still debating it??
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Jackson Carter
•The WEP/GPO reform was included in the recent tax package legislation that passed Congress and is now awaiting the President's signature - that's what the original poster is referring to. It hasn't been signed into law yet, but it has passed both the House and Senate as part of the larger bill. The provisions would gradually phase out the penalties rather than eliminate them immediately.
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Lilah Brooks
Thank you all for the helpful information! This community has explained things better than hours of reading confusing government websites. I'm cautiously optimistic about the legislation but will wait to see the final details before getting too excited. I'll gather our records as suggested and be prepared to speak with SSA once the changes are official. And I'll definitely check out Claimyr when it's time to call - sounds much better than spending days on hold!
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