Signed up for SS to start at 70 (spouses, marriage, federal)
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Signed up on line to start in July with first check coming in August. Lots of questions including wife’s SS number, date of marriage, location…. She started collecting at her FRA. Her amount is lower than half of my FRA amount. Basis all the questions I answered will she automatically jump to half of my FRA amount once I start collecting or does she have to apply for that?
Signed up on line to start in July with first check coming in August. Lots of questions including wife’s SS number, date of marriage, location…. She started collecting at her FRA. Her amount is lower than half of my FRA amount. Basis all the questions I answered will she automatically jump to half of my FRA amount once I start collecting or does she have to apply for that?
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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My wife retired before I did, when she hit 70, and they did give her 1/2 the amount of mine. Also, the guy she was talking to in the local office suggested that she back date it. She was going to use her birthday but he said that back dating it to the first of the year would result in a lump sum and only cost her a few dollars/month on the benefit. She ended up with a check for $8,000 that we added to our IRA.
Signed up on line to start in July with first check coming in August. Lots of questions including wife’s SS number, date of marriage, location…. She started collecting at her FRA. Her amount is lower than half of my FRA amount. Basis all the questions I answered will she automatically jump to half of my FRA amount once I start collecting or does she have to apply for that?
If she will get more from your income she can call and ask them for spousal benefits under your income once you start getting your SS. Spouses can't collect on their husband or wives SS until the other starts SS. A new law.
for as long as spousal existed the higher earner had to file .
so that isn’t a new law .
what is more recent since 2015 is that the ability of the higher earner to start , get spousal for the lower earner and then suspend their own to grow has gone away.
It also depends on your relative ages and what your two PIA amounts are. It sounds like you are covered. At least you are aware she is not entitled to “half of what you are getting”. Delaying to 70 doesn’t increase your PIA (unless you were working and replacing lower inflation adjusted incomes with ones working from age 62 to 70). Her PIA (her FRA amount) has to be less than 1/2 of your PIA, since you are both filing FRA or later, and hopefully you have your PIA number. Then your DW will have to call and make a phone appointment, (which currently is out to late May) then they will tell you if any other documents are needed and how much (if any) will be added to her existing SS. Many people with larger SS thanks to the last 3 years large COLAs are under the impression that the COLAs also raised their PIA. They do not. The COLA numbers are applied to your PIA to calculate your SS. Just as an example, I get almost 2 1/2 times the SS DW gets, but she filed at 62. She qualified for no spousal adder. We called to make the appointment and had them do a call back, which they did on the same day. The woman we spoke with (from main federal SS, not local) was very quick and helpful and let us know that most people get this wrong, and was able to tell us immediately if DW qualified for an spousal adder. She did not, so no future appointment was needed. Your DW can make the call now, to set the appointment call, and they will tell you the amount of her adder.
Last edited by Perryinva; 04-11-2024 at 05:53 AM..
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,642 posts, read 81,333,263 times
Reputation: 57884
Quote:
Originally Posted by CA Guy in TX
What is your payout?
Yesterday I got a letter from the SS Administration, and it was good news. My regular benefit of about $4,000/month is being increased by $157 due to my income from still working in 2023, increasing my 35 highest year average due to two raises that year.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,642 posts, read 81,333,263 times
Reputation: 57884
Quote:
Originally Posted by Perryinva
I didn’t even think replacing a zero year with a full max year post FRA would increase the monthly by $157. That’s huge.
I was amazed to see that too, but 2023 with the two raises I got might have replaced a low 2008 recession earnings year.
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