Social Security WEP impact on survivor benefits with dual US/Canada retirement and minor children?

This is an excellent question that touches on several complex aspects of Social Security. Let me break this down: 1. Survivor benefits are NOT reduced by WEP. When you pass away, your wife would receive your full PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) before WEP reduction, adjusted for when she claims it. This is one of the few positive aspects of WEP - it doesn't carry over to survivors. 2. Your children's benefits (both current auxiliary benefits while you're alive and survivor benefits after) are not affected by WEP either. They'll receive the standard 50% of your PIA as dependents or 75% as survivors up to the family maximum. 3. For your wife's strategy, she should definitely consider waiting until 70 for her own benefit if she can live on survivor benefits until then. Remember that survivor benefits max out at her FRA (not 70), so there's no advantage to delay claiming survivor benefits beyond her FRA. 4. The Canadian CPP benefits shouldn't affect the WEP calculation further, but they could potentially reduce benefits under the dual-entitlement provision. For professional help, look specifically for a financial advisor who specializes in cross-border retirement planning with US-Canada expertise. Not all financial advisors understand WEP/GPO and international agreements.

My husband was in similar situation with both us and canadian benefits. When he died i got his full amount NOT reduced by wep!! The social security office told me this directly when i applied for survivors. So yes this is definitely true!! But getting to talk to someone at SSA took forever, almost gave up

not to be a downer but have you asked if GPO might apply to ur wifes benefits? sometimez if you get a pension from work not covered by SS (like is CPP) it CAN reduce spousal/survivors. might want 2 check on that!!!

YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY TALK TO THE SSA DIRECTLY!! Don't trust what people say online about this stuff. I thought my survivors benefit wouldn't be reduced by anything and then when my husband died I found out I was wrong and got WAY LESS than I expected. Every situation is different and the rules are INSANELY complicated. The SSA makes this stuff confusing ON PURPOSE I swear!!! My advice is document EVERYTHING, record all calls if your state allows it, and get EVERYTHING in writing. The SSA people will tell you different things depending on who you talk to. I had to talk to THREE DIFFERENT PEOPLE before I got the right answer.

You might want to consider working with a specialized financial planner who focuses on cross-border retirement planning. I used a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) who specialized in US-Canada situations when planning my retirement with benefits from both countries. It was worth every penny. The most important thing I learned is that the totalization agreement between the US and Canada means your CPP benefits don't trigger GPO (only WEP). This is crucial for your wife's planning. Also, make sure your wife keeps detailed records of your earnings history from both countries. After you're gone, having this documentation will make her application process much smoother. Get everything translated and certified now while you can help with this process.

I think everyone here is forgetting about the family maximum benefit limit! Even if WEP doesn't apply to the kids' benefits, the family max definitely does. With three kids plus a spouse, you'll hit the family maximum cap for sure. Usually it's around 150-180% of the worker's benefit. So while each kid might qualify for 50% of your benefit while you're alive, they might not actually get that full amount because of the family maximum limit.

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.