I STILL think this is a TERRIBLE policy!!! Both spouses pay into SS their entire working lives but then one doesn't get squat when the other dies if they already have their own benefit?? How is that fair??? We should all be writing to our congress people about this!!! And don't even get me started on the WEP/GPO penalties that some of us face. The whole system needs to be overhauled!!!

One thing to clarify that might help others reading this thread: for retirement benefits, you can choose between your own benefit OR a spousal benefit (up to 50% of your spouse's FRA amount while they're alive). For survivor benefits after a spouse passes away, you can receive up to 100% of what your deceased spouse was receiving if you're at full retirement age (less if you take survivor benefits early). In both cases, you get the higher of either your own benefit OR the spousal/survivor benefit - never both combined. The OP's situation is unfortunately common - when both spouses have worked and earned their own benefits, sometimes the survivor rules don't provide additional amounts. The $255 death benefit hasn't been increased since the 1950s, which is why it seems so small compared to monthly benefit amounts.

has anyone mentioned the kids can get benefits from BOTH US and canada? my friends kids got both after their dad died who worked in both countries, but i dont know much about how it worked

Since you're dealing with both US and Canadian benefits, here's what I recommend for your planning: 1. Request your SSA earnings record and your CPP contribution statement to confirm your work history in both countries is accurate. 2. For your wife's planning, she should compare these scenarios: - Taking survivor benefits at her FRA, then switching to her own SS at 70 - Taking her own reduced benefit early, then switching to survivor benefits at her FRA 3. Calculate the family maximum benefit now so you have realistic expectations for what your children will receive. 4. Contact both SSA and Service Canada to confirm children's eligibility for survivor benefits under both systems. 5. Consider consulting with a financial planner who specializes in cross-border retirement planning, particularly someone with expertise in the US-Canada Social Security Agreement. The fact that survivor benefits aren't reduced by WEP is extremely important to your planning and could significantly impact your strategy.

Given what you've said - he's 67, has memory issues, is unemployed, and you need the money - I think he should file right now. Here's my reasoning: 1. You're struggling financially - $2,200/month would help immediately 2. The memory issues create risk for a more complicated application later 3. He's already at FRA so there's no penalty for filing now 4. Your SSDI plus his retirement would give you about $3,950/month combined While waiting until 70 would give him an extra $528/month, that's 36 months of not receiving $2,200/month - that's $79,200 you'd be missing out on in the short term. You'd need to live over 12 years beyond age 70 just to break even on that decision.

To answer your question about survivor benefits: If your husband passes away, you would receive the higher of the two benefits, not both. So you would stop receiving your SSDI and instead receive his Social Security retirement benefit as a survivor benefit. This is why his benefit amount matters for your long-term financial security as well. Given your current financial situation and his cognitive challenges, filing now seems most prudent. The immediate financial relief outweighs the potential long-term gain, especially considering the administrative challenges you might face if his condition worsens.

dont bother with the phone unless you want to wait 3 hours!!! go to the offfice in person and bring your mom's ID and your dad's too

I went through something similar with my grandparents last year. One thing to consider - if your mom gets approved for the higher spousal benefit, make sure SSA knows where to deposit it. If she's been getting her own benefit via direct deposit, they should use the same account, but sometimes they mess up and send a paper check for the new amount which can cause confusion. Also, when you call SSA, specifically ask about their "Compassionate Allowances" process since both your parents have serious medical conditions. This won't affect the benefit amount but might expedite the processing. And definitely pursue the Medicaid application simultaneously - at their ages with those medical conditions, they'd likely qualify for home health aide services which would be life-changing given what you described.

A quick tip: When you call or visit SSA, specifically ask for a "TECHNICAL EXPERT" who specializes in WEP/GPO cases. Regular claims representatives often don't fully understand these complex provisions. A technical expert can provide a detailed, written explanation of your benefit calculation. Also, while it doesn't apply to your current situation, I want to mention for others reading this thread: If you're affected by GPO, there's something called the "Last Day of Employment" exception. If you were eligible for your government pension before July 1, 2004, and your last day of government employment was before July 1, 2004, you might be exempt from GPO. Always worth checking if this applies to your situation.

Based on all the information you've shared, here's my analysis of what might be happening: 1. Your own benefit may be correctly reduced by WEP (unless you qualify for the 30-year exception) 2. Your husband's PIA is likely lower than his current benefit amount 3. Your spousal benefit is being reduced by GPO The formula should be: Your WEP-reduced benefit + [max(0, (50% of husband's PIA - 2/3 of your pension))] If the amount in the parentheses is negative, you get nothing additional from the spousal benefit. The fact that you're getting some spousal addition means that 50% of your husband's PIA is more than 2/3 of your pension, but the difference is small. My recommendation: Request a "PEBES" (Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement) and a detailed calculation of your WEP and GPO adjustments. Then make an appointment with a technical expert at SSA to review everything.