The Benefits Blog

I have a situation where someone has worked and is captured under WEP.  The client is currently 65, and believes that if he works another 6 years, he will collect his full SS benefits and government pension. 

Your client’s understanding that working another six years could allow them to collect the...

I have a question in regard to spousal benefit for my clarification.  If I have a client that is 63 and his wife is 62. She has her own work record but is a much lower income earner. If she elects to turn on her benefit early (age 62) and for a reduced benefit amount and her husband waits until age ...

My client, age 67, is currently collecting his SS benefits. He called SSA to suspend his benefit so he could start to receive DRC’s. SSA told him he could only do so if he paid back the SS benefits that he had received so far. She said that was a recent rule change. Is that correct? If not, is there...

A new case has come to my attention where the ex-wife of over 10 years died. The ex-husband has remarried but remarried after age 60. He went to SSA to file on the ex-wife’s record (widower benefits) and was denied.

• Married over 10 years
• Divorced more than 2 years (not an issue-MDK)
• Remarried a...

Had a quick question I was hoping you could help me with. A client of mine unexpectedly passed away in the middle of January. I just spoke with her husband who claims he didn’t receive her SS check for the month of January. This seemed a bit odd to me as she only just passed in the middle of January...

I just wanted to get your take on the potential tax impact on the COLA increase related to people being taxed more and how that could we impact distributions from their investment portfolios etc. question can you give me some commentary on the impacts of this change? 50% versus 85%.

The annual Cost...

I have an individual who turned 65 in January and was trying to sign up for Medicare Part A. He has 38 credits but realized his 1986 earnings are not presented on the statement from the SSA. He cannot locate his records – W2, tax return, etc. Do you know how to correct a statement that is that old? ...

What is the processing time with SSA on SSA 44 right now?

The processing time for SSA-44 forms, which are handled by local Social Security offices, can vary significantly depending on the office and the individual handling your request. Some offices may process these forms more quickly than others....

Quick question on the spousal boost.  Let’s say wife has a PIA of $1,000 and husband has a PIA of $3,000. Both are same age — wife starts at 62 and husband starts at FRA. My understanding is that when the husband turns on his SSB, the spousal boost happens automatically, but I recently saw that that...

I have an individual that will turn 66 on February 13.  She will reach FRA in August.  If she starts taking SS in August or September, will her benefits be reduced, since she will start in the month of or later of reaching FRA?  I am reading some conflicting reports relating to whether her benefit w...