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Ava Martinez
my mom just prints all the papers they mail her, says its easier than the website lol. check your mail maybe they sent you the calculation?
Good point! I've been trying to go paperless with everything, but maybe I should check if they mailed me more detailed information than what shows up online.
I just checked my own account to verify - if you go to the Benefits Verification Letter in your Message Center, it should show your monthly benefit amount after WEP. Then you need to call SSA to ask for your pre-WEP amount, as I don't see it displayed clearly anywhere on the site. Also, if you haven't already, check if you qualify for the WEP guarantee provision - in some cases, your WEP reduction cannot exceed 50% of your non-covered pension amount.
Thanks for checking your own account! I don't think I've heard of the WEP guarantee provision before - that's another thing for me to look into. I appreciate everyone's help with this confusing topic!
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Brady Clean
I'm still confused about survivor vs retirement benefits. Are they the same amount? How do you know which one to take?
Molly Hansen
•They're usually different amounts. Your retirement benefit is based on your own work history. The survivor benefit is based on your ex-husband's work history - specifically, it's based on what he would have received at his full retirement age. The best strategy depends on your specific situation. Generally: 1. If your survivor benefit would be higher than your own benefit at age 70, take the survivor benefit at your FRA (to get the full amount). 2. If your own benefit at 70 would be higher than the survivor benefit, take the survivor benefit early (even with the reduction) and switch to your own at 70. This is why getting a detailed benefit calculation from SSA for both benefits is so important before making a decision.
Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I've made an appointment with my local SSA office for next month to discuss my specific situation. In the meantime, I'll gather my ex-husband's death certificate and our marriage/divorce documents. It's complicated, but it sounds like it might still be worth claiming survivor benefits even with the earnings reduction - especially if I can switch to my own benefit later. I'll definitely be clear about restricting my application to ONLY survivor benefits!
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Diego Flores
wait i'm confused... isn't windexing for cleaning windows? lol what does that have to do with social security??
Chloe Taylor
•Haha, no - though that's an understandable mix-up! In Social Security context, people sometimes incorrectly use "windexing" to refer to detailed benefit calculations done through a program called WINDOWS (WINdfall Offset WorkSheet). But as another commenter correctly pointed out, WINDOWS is actually for worker's compensation offset calculations, not retirement benefit matrices. What OP needs is a month-by-month benefit calculation showing various claiming age options, which is a different service.
One more tip: When the technical expert does your calculation, make sure to ask about the impact of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) if you've ever worked for a government entity where you didn't pay into Social Security. These provisions can significantly reduce your benefits and aren't accounted for in standard calculations. Also, if you're planning on continuing to work while collecting benefits before your FRA, make sure they explain how the earnings limit would affect your payments. The benefit calculation matrix is much more useful when it includes these adjustments.
That's good to know. I did work for a state university for about 5 years where I didn't pay into Social Security, so I'll definitely ask about WEP. I hadn't thought about that.
Miguel Herrera
Has anyone here successfully gotten an increase in their SS payment after having cancer??? My dad is going through something similar and we keep hitting dead ends... SO FRUSTRATING!!!
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Connor Murphy
•no increases with SS but check your state dept of aging. my husband got extra help with heating bills and some home care through our county office. not much but every little bit helped.
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Paolo Romano
I'm a volunteer with cancer patients, and while Social Security won't provide additional cash benefits beyond his retirement amount, please look into these resources that many miss: 1. Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition (CFAC) - searchable database of financial help 2. CancerCare provides small grants for treatment-related costs 3. Patient Advocate Foundation for help negotiating medical bills 4. If he was employed when diagnosed, check if his employer offered critical illness insurance 5. Veterans with cancer can access additional VA benefits if applicable Definitely apply for Extra Help with Medicare prescription drugs as others suggested - it can reduce costs dramatically.
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Dmitry Ivanov
•Thank you SO much for these resources! I hadn't heard of most of these. Will definitely check into all of them, especially the CancerCare grants. Every bit helps right now.
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