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Social Security Spousal Benefits?

Discussion in 'Everything Else (off topic)' started by wildwest, Oct 14, 2019.

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  1. wildwest

    wildwest Moderator

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    Pretty disappointed, guess I've been wearing rose colored glassed, just learned they do not transfer to surviving spouse. What?!?
     
    wildwest, Oct 14, 2019
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  2. clemsonfor

    clemsonfor

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    Unless that changed, yes they do?

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    clemsonfor, Oct 14, 2019
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  3. wildwest

    wildwest Moderator

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    I just learned a couple relatives of mine whose spouse passed on did not get partners SS$. Wha?!?!

    I Googled this below

    Does wife get half of husband's Social Security?
    As a spouse, you can claim a Social Security benefit based on your own earnings record, or collect a spousal benefit in the amount of 50% of your spouse's Social Security benefit, but not both. You are automatically entitled to receive whichever benefit provides you the higher monthly amount.

    My generation had many working mothers/wives, I can see how 50% of husbands earned SS$ could be less than the wive's earned full SS$



    Hoarders let me know if this is correct please ?
     
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2019
    wildwest, Oct 14, 2019
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  4. clemsonfor

    clemsonfor

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    You can't collect both if they die. I have always the spouse can get the larger of the two when the other passes. So the way I understand it is if my SS is $2000/month and my wife's is $1200/month. When I pass if she's alive she can then claim mine.

    My mother in law gets my deceased father in laws SS and she still works. When she retires she will still collect his, because bits larger.

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    clemsonfor, Oct 14, 2019
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  5. Chaz

    Chaz

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    Haven't gone far down the rabbit hole, but your initial post led me to a bit of research, and yes it appears that way.
     
    Chaz, Oct 14, 2019
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  6. clemsonfor

    clemsonfor

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    But if that's from their web site I guess it's right. I guess the MIL will get hers or his if 50% of his is higher?

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    clemsonfor, Oct 14, 2019
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  7. Chaz

    Chaz

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    Actually, from what little I've read, your spouse is only eligible for 50% of your benefits, or her full benefit amount due from work history..
     
    Chaz, Oct 14, 2019
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  8. tree killer

    tree killer

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    I know my wife's mom is collecting her dad's after he passed. They were both on SS but his was way more and she was able to get it.
     
    tree killer, Oct 14, 2019
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  9. wildwest

    wildwest Moderator

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    :(
     
    wildwest, Oct 14, 2019
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  10. wildwest

    wildwest Moderator

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    Your MIL gets all of it or 50% of it?

    I don't get it Nate, it takes both their SS$ to keep the lights on and now she needs she gets 1/2 of what they brought in together :confused: ?
    She was a career person so I cannot say if 1/2 his is more than her whole. Either way she's going down by half.

    I'm sad to learn this.
     
    wildwest, Oct 14, 2019
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  11. clemsonfor

    clemsonfor

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    She gets the same dollar amount a month as he did when he was alive.

    I don't know if this muddies the waters but he was fully disabled with Parkinson's. He got SSI several years before his SS age. Maybe this makes a difference?

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    clemsonfor, Oct 14, 2019
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  12. wildwest

    wildwest Moderator

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    Have a feeling that does make a difference though I am not sure. I think SSI and SSDI are different than SS.
     
    wildwest, Oct 14, 2019
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  13. billb3

    billb3

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    My mom gets NOTHING of my dad's SS (he passed in 2004). Because she gets a state pension that's more than what she would have gotten from his diseased benefits (I'm pretty sure it's 50% not 100%). IF her pension was less she would get the difference.
    She does get $300 a month from her own SS because she worked 30 quarters before and after her state job.
    She had like 24 quarters paid into SS before she started working for the state and then got the 6 more quarters in after she retired even though all her tax advisors told her not to.
     
    billb3, Oct 15, 2019
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  14. wildwest

    wildwest Moderator

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    Thank you Bill, that is what I understand from google research after a relative enlightened me to it and I am disappointed to learn this. Actually I am disturbed and sad. Two people love and live together for decades and and contribute to society, takes all their retirement pay just to get by as they age and use SS then one dies after contributing to the household income and FICA but now the wife must on 1/2 they did before (such as in the case as your mother, and no doubt the situation I'm talking about since the wife worked her whole life and earned a decent income) :doh::headbang::picard:
     
    wildwest, Oct 15, 2019
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  15. billb3

    billb3

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    That's why wealth advisors scream from the rooftops NOT to plan on depending on SS.
     
    billb3, Oct 15, 2019
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  16. MikeInMa

    MikeInMa

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    Years ago, when IRA's and 401K's first came to be, we understood that SSI would not be enough to retire on.

    We both worked, and max'd out 401k contributions.

    By working with a financial advisor, investments be worked out fairly well.

    SSI is a government run pyramid scheme, that nobody getting a paycheck, can opt out of. I am happy to be at this end of my working career, and not just starting out.
     
    MikeInMa, Oct 15, 2019
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  17. billb3

    billb3

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    Public sector employees who have their own qualifying pension plans are exempt from paying into social security.
    I don't think there are many exemptions afforded medicare tax though.
     
    billb3, Oct 15, 2019
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  18. Erik B

    Erik B

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    That is not true of all state employees. I worked for the state of Wisconsin for 25 years and paid into SS for the entire time.
     
    Erik B, Oct 15, 2019
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  19. billb3

    billb3

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    Did they have their own qualifying pension plan and were you allowed to opt into it ?
     
    billb3, Oct 15, 2019
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  20. clemsonfor

    clemsonfor

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    This use to be true for the government, as in US government employees. But that changed some time around 1987 with the introduction of the FERS (Federal Employee Retirement System) which has several parts I won't get into here but they do pay SS at the same rate everyone else does.

    I have no idea why this narritive is kept on being repeated almost 30 years after it became not true..at least for new employees. Those hired before 87 are under the old system that you speak of CSRS...very few are still working to this day, just because no new employee has been under CSRS in over 30 years.

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    clemsonfor, Oct 15, 2019
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