Can my husband claim SS spousal benefits with VA pension when I get $2200 in Social Security?
Hello everyone, I'm really confused about spousal benefits and government pensions. My husband receives about $400/month in Social Security benefits plus a VA pension and another government pension. I get around $2200/month from Social Security based on my work history. Someone at our senior center told us that because my benefit is so much higher, my husband might qualify for spousal benefits from my record? But then someone else said it might not work because of his government pensions and something called "offset rules." Does anyone know if total household income matters for spousal benefits? Or is it just about the individual SS amounts? We're trying to make ends meet and every dollar counts these days!
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Jamal Wilson
Your husband's situation involves what's called the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which can reduce or eliminate Social Security spousal benefits for people who receive government pensions from work not covered by Social Security. Generally, his spousal benefit would be reduced by 2/3 of his government pension amount. The calculation is based on his individual benefits and pensions, not your household income. For example, if he would qualify for a $1,100 spousal benefit based on your record (50% of your benefit), but receives $1,500 in government pension, the offset would be $1,000 (2/3 of $1,500), reducing his potential spousal benefit to $100. If the offset exceeds the potential benefit, he gets nothing.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•Thank you for explaining this! So it sounds like the amount of his government pension is what matters, not our combined household income. Do you know if his VA disability pension is treated differently than his civil service pension? And should we still apply even if we're not sure he'll qualify?
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Mei Lin
My husband went thru similar thing last year!!! The SSA rep told us VA disability payments DON'T count for the GPO thing but regular government pensions DO count. You should definitely apply anyway because sometimes they calculate it different than you expect. We thought my husband wouldn't get anything but he ended up getting a small spousal benefit.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•That's really helpful to know! We'll definitely apply then. Did you have to provide a lot of documentation about the different pensions?
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Liam Fitzgerald
To clarify what others have said - this is specifically about the Government Pension Offset (GPO), not total household income. Here's how it works: 1. VA disability pensions are NOT counted for GPO 2. Civil service or other government pensions from non-SS-covered employment ARE counted 3. The offset is 2/3 of the government pension amount 4. The max spousal benefit would normally be 50% of your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) Since your husband already gets $400/month from his own SS record, he would only receive spousal benefits if the amount payable on your record (after GPO reduction) exceeds his own benefit. I definitely recommend applying - worst case, they deny it, but you don't lose anything by trying.
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GalacticGuru
•This is correct. Just want to add that they should bring documentation for BOTH pensions to the SSA appointment - the VA award letter AND the government pension information. SSA will need to see both to determine which is exempt from GPO and which isn't.
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Amara Nnamani
I tried calling SSA about a simular situation with my wife's benefits and was on hold for TWO HOURS before getting disconnected!!!! So frustrating trying to get answers from them directly.
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Giovanni Mancini
•I had the same problem last month trying to sort out my WEP reduction! I finally found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual SSA agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They basically call SSA for you and then connect you when they get a representative. Saved me so much frustration! Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Totally worth it for complicated questions like GPO calculations that you need a real agent to answer.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
Everyone's talking about GPO but what about WEP??? My brother-in-law had both government pension and SS and lost almost ALL his SS because of Windfall Elimination Provision! It's so unfair how they calculate these things! They're basically penalizing people TWICE for working government jobs!
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Liam Fitzgerald
•WEP and GPO are two different provisions. WEP affects your own Social Security benefits if you have a pension from non-covered work. GPO affects spousal or survivor benefits if you have a government pension. In this case, since the question is about spousal benefits, GPO is the relevant provision. But you're right that people with government pensions often have to deal with both provisions, which can significantly reduce their Social Security benefits.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
Thank you all for the helpful information! I made an appointment at our local SSA office for next month to apply for the spousal benefits. I'll make sure we bring documentation for both pensions. I'm glad to hear the VA disability pension doesn't count toward the GPO - that gives us a better chance of getting something extra. I really appreciate everyone's advice!
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Mei Lin
•Good luck! Make sure u ask for a detailed breakdown of the calculation they use. Sometimes they make mistakes and its hard to catch them if u dont know how they reached their number!!!
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