The Benefits Blog

If I have a client who was permanently disabled and was drawing disabled benefits based upon his prior salaried employment, but then returned to work as a self-employed individual, would he still be eligible for SS benefits upon retirement based off his years as a salaried employee? Would they still...

If a person is still working and is paying into TRS (Teacher Retirement System of Texas), they cannot not take spousal or ex-spousal benefits? A new client thinks she can take her ex-spouse benefits while working and not receiving the government pension. She is FRA.

Your new client can indeed take ...

We have a client who is the executor of an estate. They just received a notice from Social Security administration, stating that the decedent owes Social Security money for payments received prior to his death. The letter states that the executor is liable if the estate cannot pay. The letter also s...

We have a client who is 61 and was recently widowed.  She is still working, and not sure about her official retirement. Can you refresh my memory on how they rectify benefits if she begins collecting and then exceeds the earnings limit? I seem to remember it eventually being adjusted for any months ...

I believe that I am WAY overthinking this, but I have a situation where a client (John) is collecting a government pension of $90k/annual – no SS benefits, a government job his whole life.  Hi spouse (Jane) worked and is collecting SS of $2,300/month. There is a survivor benefit payout of 60% for th...

I applied for benefits in December, 2023 at age 68.  A friend turned 67 on January 23rd, 2024.  He will pull his SS shortly; however, he will receive a lump-sum payment of $15,000 for 6-months of Retroactive Benefits. (Marc – Not sure if 6 months is available as retro period cannot precede FRA.)  My...

We have a client who is planning to go back to work and will be earning over the limit for the annual earnings test. He understands that SSA will reduce his benefits in the first months of the calendar year based on the estimated earnings he reports. His question to me is what happens with his Medic...

The VA has determined that I am now entitled to disability benefits as a result of my service in Viet Nam. My question is how these new benefits will affect my current payments of Social Security Benefits.  Currently my monthly benefits are;  Social Security monthly payment $3,600.90 minus my medica...

It’s been several years since I’ve had a divorcee! Since the rules changed regarding spouses where one cannot file and suspend and must file for benefits for the other to file on their record, does the same hold true for ex-spouses? Are there any other requirements that I should know about?

For div...

A woman who is about a year out from collecting Social Security had a problem of her own making when she was a young girl. When she was in school, they handed out the forms in Catholic Schools to apply for a Social Security card. Her parents had never given her a middle name, and having gone to Cath...