Ask Larry

What's the age and full retirement payment

Hi. A person's full retirement age (FRA) for Social Security retirement benefits depends on their year of birth. You can find you FRA by checking the chart in the following Social Security website: https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/404/404-0409.htm.

Social Security retirement benefit amounts vary depending on an average of a person's highest 35 years of Social Security covered wage-indexed earnings. So, your Social Security retirement benefit amount would depend on your earnings history.

You may want to consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully compare and analyze all of your options so that you can determine your best strategy for maximizing your benefits. The software includes a Social Security benefit calculator that could help you determine your potential benefit rates.

Best, Jerry

I have not yet applied for SS, but I am at full age to do it. I may wait. My ex-spouse (married over 10 years) gets ONLY a government pension that he's collecting, even though he has worked jobs that he paid into SS. In my divorce settlement I was awarded a certain percentage of that pension that I have been getting for years and will continue to get. My question is, can I check if his SS is better than mine so I can make a better decision when I apply? Does the pension I get (awarded) from him have anything to do with my eligibility for my SS? What is the meaning of Government Pension offset, and covered/noncovered by SS ?

Hi. My answer assumes that your ex-spouse is still living. Social Security can't give you any information about your ex-husband's actual or potential benefit rate, but they should be able to tell you whether or not you could qualify for divorced spousal benefits. And, if you do, they should be able to give you an estimate of how much you could be paid.

If and when you do check with Social Security regarding divorced spousal benefits, though, if your ex-husband hasn't yet claimed Social Security benefits then you'll need to make sure you tell Social Security about his government pension. The fact that he apparently receives a government pension would likely reduce the amount of his PIA, which in turn would affect how much you could potentially be paid as a divorced spouse (https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10045.pdf).

You don't mention your exact age, but unless you were born prior to January 2 1954, you can't apply just for divorced spousal benefits without being required to claim your own benefits at the same time. Therefore, you'll only be able to qualify for divorced spousal benefits while your ex is living if 50% of his primary insurance amount (PIA) is more than your own PIA. A person's PIA is equal to their Social Security retirement benefit rate if they start drawing their benefits at full retirement age (FRA).

The Government Pension Offset (GPO) provision can cause a person's Social Security spousal, divorced spousal, or survivor benefit rate to be reduced by 2/3rds of the amount of any government pensions that they receive that are based on their own earnings that were exempt from Social Security taxes (https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10007.pdf). References to 'covered' and 'non-covered' earnings simply refer to whether or not Social Security taxes were required to be withheld from the earnings.

Your best filing strategy likely depends in large part on whether or not your own benefit rate would be higher than your potential divorced spousal rate. It sounds like you should strongly consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully compare and analyze all of your options so that you can determine your best strategy for maximizing your benefits.

Best, Jerry

I have received a spousal death benefit in the form of a monthly pension from the UK for the last 20 or so years which augments my income and upon which I pay US taxes. I am a US citizen and I am now about to qualify for my own Social Security benefit which I have qualified for (10 years/40 quarters minimum) based on my own work record here in the USA since 1976. I am told that as a recipient of a foreign pension (even perhaps as a survivor benefit), I may be subject to a REDUCTION in my SS benefit under WEP or GPO. Is this accurate. Please help. Thank you.

Hi. No. Only pensions that are based on your own work and earnings can cause a Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO) reduction. If you receive a survivor pension from the U.K., it won't have any effect on your U.S. Social Security benefit rate.

You should strongly consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully compare and analyze all of your options so that you can determine your best strategy for maximizing your benefits.

Best, Jerry

I started collecting social security disability benefits in 2010 no 2012 I'm sorry and I called social security to find out why I cannot collect my full benefits I am now 68 years old and well over the age of retirement I want my full benefits

Hi. It sounds like you must already be drawing your full Social Security benefit rate. Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits are calculated at a rate of 100% of the disabled worker's primary insurance amount (PIA). A person's PIA is also equal to their Social Security retirement benefit rate if they start drawing their benefits at full retirement age (FRA).

When a person who's been receiving SSDI benefits reaches their FRA, their SSDI benefits automatically convert to unreduced Social Security retirement benefits at the same benefit rate (i.e. 100% of their PIA). So, if you are now age 68, then even though you are apparently unaware of it your SSDI benefits were converted to your full Social Security retirement benefit rate when you reached your FRA. The conversion wouldn't have changed your benefit rate, though, because you were already eligible for your full PIA when you started collecting SSDI benefits.

You could choose to voluntarily suspend your benefits between now and age 70 in order to earn delayed retirement credits (DRC). That would raise your benefit rate by 2/3rds of 1% for each month that you suspend your benefits, but you couldn't then collect any Social Security benefits during the time that your benefits are suspended. If you'd like to suspend your benefits in order to earn DRCs you can find instructions for doing so on the following Social Security website: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/suspend.html.

Best, Jerry

Mr. Larry, I need to know why my SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY AFTER 10YEARS BEING STOPPED TEMPORARY. WHAT IS YOUR ADVISE SIR??

Hi. There are numerous different reasons for a person's benefits being suspended, and I have no way of knowing which of those reasons is involved in your case. Unless you receive an explanation in the mail from Social Security, you'll need to call them for an explanation (https://www.ssa.gov/agency/contact/phone.html). Social Security employees are the only people who have access to your Social Security records.

Best, Jerry

I was told on a previous call with ssi that I would qualify for divorced spousal benefits because my spouse's benefits would be greater than mine. A telephone appointment to sign up was made. A very rude employee told me on that call that I did not qualify and never would because my benefit would not be less than 50% of my spouses. I have read the entire publication on divorced spousal benefits and nowhere did I read that you would only qualify if your benefit was less than half of your spouse's, only that it needed to be less than the ex-spouses benefit. Which is true?

Hi. Neither one is exactly correct. What is correct is that if your ex-spouse is still living and if you're already drawing your own benefits, then you could only get additional benefits from your divorced spouse's Social Security record if his or her primary insurance amount (PIA) is more than twice as much as your own PIA. A person's PIA is equal to their Social Security retirement benefit rate if they start drawing their benefits at full retirement age (FRA).

If your ex-spouse dies before you, though, then you could potentially qualify for survivor benefits if your own benefit rate is lower than the higher of a) your ex's monthly benefit rate, or b) 82.5% of your ex's PIA.

By the way, even if Social Security tells you that you don't qualify for a particular type of benefit, you are still allowed to file an application. That way you'll get a formal written determination of your eligibility, along with appeal rights.

Best, Jerry

I'm 60 years old. Retired law enforcement officer from the state of Nevada. I receive my retirement from our state PERS ( public employees retirement system).
I lack four quarters to receive SS. If I choose not to work to complete my four quarters how is Medicare paid for?
Thank you.

Hi. People who are insured for Social Security benefits based on their own earnings history or on the earnings record of a spouse or parent, and Medicare qualified government employees (MQGE), can get Part A of Medicare premium free. But, if you don't qualify for premium free Part A of Medicare, you can still enroll for that coverage when you reach age 65 if you're willing to pay a monthly premium. The current Part A monthly premium rate is $506, but it's only $278 per month for people who have at least 30 quarters (QC) of Social Security coverage.

Everyone who chooses to enroll in Part B of Medicare must pay for that coverage regardless of whether or not they are insured for Social Security benefits. So, you would need to pay the same amount for that coverage regardless of whether or not you have enough work credits to be insured for Social Security benefits. The current standard monthly premium amount for Part A of Medicare is $164.90, but higher premium rates apply for people in higher income brackets. For more information, refer to the following Medicare website: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2023-medicare-parts-b-premiums-and-deductibles-2023-medicare-part-d-income-related-monthly.

It sounds like you may want to consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to find out how much your Social Security benefit rate would be if you earn the additional QCs needed to make you eligible for benefits.

Best, Jerry

My first ss check is April at age 62 , is there a limit on my earnings the 1st year of retirement ?

Receiving s s for 9 mths in 2023 at age 62 , how much can I earn ?

Hi. Yes, until you reach your full retirement age (FRA) of 67, there is a limit on how much you can earn and still collect Social Security retirement benefits. In order for you not to lose at least some of your benefits in 2023, you'll either need to a) earn no more than $21,240 for the calendar year of 2023, or b) earn no more than $1,770 in any month that you're claiming benefits.

Therefore, if your first month of benefit eligibility is April 2023 (i.e. the benefit that is paid in May 2023), then if you earn more than $1,770 in any month from April through December 2023, the only way that you could be paid all of your benefits this year is if your 2023 calendar year earnings don't exceed $21,240 (https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/whileworking.html).

By the way, filing for your benefits at age 62 may be something that you'll end up regretting. Doing so will assure you of receiving your lowest possible monthly benefit rate for as long as you live. And, if you're married, starting your benefits at age 62 will also minimize the survivor rate that your spouse could receive per month as a widow. It's not too late to change your mind, though, so you should strongly consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully compare and analyze all of your options so that you can make sure that you're choosing the best possible strategy for maximizing your benefits.

Best, Jerry

I did not receive my social security survivors benefits this month has the date changed I really need it

Hi. There was no system wide change in the benefit payment dates this month, and individual payment date changes are rare. There are many possible reasons for non-receipt of a benefit payment, so there's no way for me to know why your payment wasn't delivered. If you didn't receive your benefit payment this month, you'll need to contact Social Security (https://www.ssa.gov/agency/contact/phone.html).

Best, Jerry

I have two children receiving survivor benefits on behalf of their father's passing. When my oldest is no longer eligible for the benefit, will my younger child's amount increase or stay the same?

Hi. The only way that your younger child's benefit amount would increase when your older child is no longer eligible for benefits is if their current individual benefit rates are being reduced due to the family maximum benefit (FMB) amount. Unreduced child survivor benefits are calculated based on 75% of the deceased parent's primary insurance amount (PIA), and the minimum FMB that's available to be paid to eligible survivors is always at least 150% of the deceased worker's PIA. So, the only time that survivor benefits are reduced due to the FMB is if more than 2 children are eligible for benefits on the deceased person's account, or if there is both a child(ren) and surviving spouse eligible for benefits on the same account.

Therefore, if your two children are the only people receiving benefits on their father's account, then they should already be receiving their unreduced benefit rate of 75% of their father's PIA. And, that would mean that your younger child's benefit rate won't change when your older child stops getting benefits.

Best, Jerry