Confused about GPO and Social Security spousal benefits backdating since 2018 - can I get retroactive payments?

Your situation is definitely confusing but I think I understand what happened. If your benefits show as "suspended" since 2018, that was probably when you enrolled in Medicare through your husband's record. The SSA system sometimes automatically creates a spousal benefit record when you enroll in Medicare through a spouse, even if you haven't applied for actual benefits. Since you have a non-covered pension subject to GPO, you likely won't get retroactive benefits all the way back to 2018 because you hadn't actually filed an application. However, you should be eligible for up to 6 months of retroactive benefits from your January 2024 application date, assuming your GPO reduction still leaves you with some spousal benefit amount. I struggled with a similar situation last year trying to get through to SSA for clarification.

they probly wont give u back pay to 2018. my mom got state pension too and they only gave her 6 months retroactive when she applied at 70. GPO took most of her spousal anyway, only got like $214/month after offset

The SSA system is so confusing when it comes to GPO cases! I've worked with the Social Security Administration for years, and here's what's likely happening: When you enrolled in Medicare in 2018 through your husband's record, a spousal benefit entitlement record was created but immediately suspended due to your non-covered pension (the GPO situation). This doesn't mean you were entitled to payments then - just that the system created a record. For retroactive benefits: SSA can only pay up to 6 months retroactive for retirement/spousal claims filed after FRA (which you are at 72). So the earliest your benefits could start would be July/August 2023 (depending on when in January 2024 you applied). You will NOT get payments back to 2018 regardless of what the system shows as "suspended." Make sure when they process your claim that they correctly calculate your GPO reduction. The offset is 2/3 of your non-covered pension amount. So if your state pension is $3,000/month, your spousal benefit would be reduced by $2,000. If your unreduced spousal amount would be less than the reduction, you might not receive any payment at all.

THEY ALWAYS DO THIS!!! I've been fighting with Social Security for 14 months about my GPO situation. They keep giving different answers every time I call. One says I'm entitled to retroactive, another says no. I'm also a retired teacher with state pension. I've called at least 9 times and got disconnected or given wrong info EVERY TIME. The whole GPO rule is unfair anyway - we earned our pensions AND should get full Social Security spousal benefits like everyone else!!

I went through this exact situation last year! I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an SSA agent quickly after weeks of trying on my own. Got connected in under 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days before that. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent I spoke with explained that the "suspended" status happens automatically with Medicare enrollment through a spouse. For GPO cases, they confirmed I could only get 6 months retroactive from my application date, not all the way back to when Medicare started. Make sure you have your pension information ready when you call - they'll need the exact monthly amount to calculate your GPO reduction correctly.

I think there's a lot of confusion here about what GPO actually does. GPO doesn't completely eliminate your spousal benefit - it reduces it by 2/3 of your non-covered pension amount. So if your spousal benefit would be $1000 normally, and your state pension is $1200, your reduction would be $800 (2/3 of $1200), leaving you with a $200 spousal benefit. As for retroactive benefits, federal law only allows 6 months of retroactive payments for retirement and spousal benefits filed after full retirement age. The fact that your record shows "suspended" since 2018 doesn't change this limitation. When you apply for Medicare through a spouse, the system creates a benefit record but doesn't actually entitle you to payments until you file an application. You should request the 6 months of retroactive benefits explicitly when you talk to SSA. Make sure they understand you're applying for spousal benefits subject to GPO, and you want the maximum retroactive benefits allowed by law.

i had a similar thing happen to me but with regular spousal benefits (no gpo for me). when i finally figured out i could get some benefits on my husbands record they only gave me 6 months back pay even tho i could have filed 3 years earlier. they said something about that being the law for retroactive retirement benefits. so frustrating!!

I just went back and looked at the actual law on GPO retroactivity. Specifically, your spousal application can only be made retroactive for up to 6 months from the date you actually filed (January 2024), assuming you were already past full retirement age (which at 72, you definitely are). The "suspended" status from 2018 is irrelevant for payment purposes - it's just how their system tracks Medicare-only entitlement through your husband's record. Here's what to do: When you talk to SSA again, ask them to review your application with specific attention to the maximum retroactive benefits allowed under law. Bring your pension information showing monthly amount. Be prepared to make multiple calls - I had to call five times before finding someone who understood the GPO rules correctly. I found the best time to call is right when they open in the morning.

Hey did you ever get this resolved? I'm in almost the EXACT same situation... on medicare thru my husband since 2017, state teacher pension, just applied for spousal benefits in February. Nobody at SS seems to understand how GPO works!

I'm dealing with a similar GPO situation and wanted to share what I learned from my experience. When you have a "suspended" status showing since 2018, that's typically just an administrative record created when you enrolled in Medicare through your spouse - it doesn't mean you were actually entitled to benefits then. From what I've gathered through my own research and calls to SSA, you're definitely limited to the 6-month retroactive payment from your January 2024 application date. The key is making sure they calculate your GPO reduction correctly (2/3 of your gross monthly pension) and that you explicitly request the maximum retroactive benefits allowed. One tip that helped me: when you call SSA, have your pension award letter ready and ask to speak with someone who specializes in GPO cases. The regular representatives often don't fully understand how GPO works with spousal benefits. Also, document everything - dates, names, what they told you - because you'll likely need to make multiple calls to get consistent information. Good luck with getting this sorted out! The whole process is frustrating but it sounds like you should be entitled to some benefits after the GPO reduction.

I went through something very similar with GPO and retroactive benefits last year. The confusion about the "suspended" status is completely understandable - it's misleading because it makes you think you were entitled to benefits since 2018, but you're absolutely right that you can only get 6 months retroactive from your January 2024 application date. Here's what worked for me: I called SSA first thing in the morning (8 AM EST) and specifically asked to speak with someone experienced in GPO calculations. I had my state pension award letter, my husband's Social Security statement, and a calculator ready. The representative was able to walk through the GPO reduction (2/3 of my pension amount) and confirm my retroactive entitlement on the spot. One thing to watch out for - make sure they don't accidentally apply WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) instead of GPO to your case. Some representatives get these two provisions confused, but GPO applies to spousal/survivor benefits while WEP applies to your own retirement benefits. With your pension amount of $3,750/month, your GPO reduction would be about $2,500, so if your spousal benefit calculation is higher than that, you should receive the difference. Don't give up - persistence with SSA is key, and that retroactive payment can really add up!