Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It ain't over until it's over, I guess. The government is telling me that I'm going to owe them...for the last social security and last veteran's benefits that came in, it's got to be paid back, somehow. They really DO know how to kick me when I'm down.
I get V.A. compensation. About 6 months after Hubby died, I get this nice letter that since he is no longer my "dependent" (I always loved that term) I have been overpaid for the last 6 months and needed to pay it back-which was about $1000. Luckily, I am now receiving Hubby's S.S. which I was not expecting and was able to pay it off.
It ain't over until it's over, I guess. The government is telling me that I'm going to owe them...for the last social security and last veteran's benefits that came in, it's got to be paid back, somehow. They really DO know how to kick me when I'm down.
I'm sorry. It feels like such a knock when you get that letter so quickly.
I was allowed to keep my husband's social security and VA benefit for the month he died. They deposited his social security and VA benefit at the beginning of the next month and within 3 days, they took it back out of our bank account.
If you haven't already, check to see if he is eligible for a VA burial allowance. If you are eligible to receive VA DIC, apply ASAP. You should also get a social security one-time payment of $255. I wasn't collecting social security when my husband died, but since I was over 60, I started social security survivor widow's benefits. I'll switch to my own social security at age 70.
I'm sorry. It feels like such a knock when you get that letter so quickly.
I was allowed to keep my husband's social security and VA benefit for the month he died. They deposited his social security and VA benefit at the beginning of the next month and within 3 days, they took it back out of our bank account.
If you haven't already, check to see if he is eligible for a VA burial allowance. If you are eligible to receive VA DIC, apply ASAP. You should also get a social security one-time payment of $255. I wasn't collecting social security when my husband died, but since I was over 60, I started social security survivor widow's benefits. I'll switch to my own social security at age 70.
That's my plan too at age 67 and some change. You do have to be 60 years old or older to get widow benefits, and you can't remarry till I think age 65. Not sure about that last one.
That's my plan too at age 67 and some change. You do have to be 60 years old or older to get widow benefits, and you can't remarry till I think age 65. Not sure about that last one.
I did not work enough to get S.S. (I was retired at the ripe old age of 26.) I thought when I was 65, I would be able to receive half of Hubby's. Then I was surprised to get widow's benefit which is basically all of his.
Oh, that $255 hasn't changed since the first time I was widowed back in the dark ages ('80s).
I did not work enough to get S.S. (I was retired at the ripe old age of 26.) I thought when I was 65, I would be able to receive half of Hubby's. Then I was surprised to get widow's benefit which is basically all of his.
Oh, that $255 hasn't changed since the first time I was widowed back in the dark ages ('80s).
Cat
It was $255 when I received it a couple of years ago!
I get quite a bit of SS with the widow's benefit but I will still get more when I reach full retirement age, since I worked most of my adult life.
My dad had a massive stroke at 59 and I helped my mom care for him for 14 years. He had brain damage and went from having a wonderful happy go lucky personality to mean and grumpy all the time. He hated himself this way and asked god to take him daily. We were all relieved when he died. During the 14 years we grieved losing who he was many times. That taught me that there’s definitely worse things than dying. I’m really sorry for your loss.
My dad had a massive stroke at 59 and I helped my mom care for him for 14 years. He had brain damage and went from having a wonderful happy go lucky personality to mean and grumpy all the time. He hated himself this way and asked god to take him daily. We were all relieved when he died. During the 14 years we grieved losing who he was many times. That taught me that there’s definitely worse things than dying. I’m really sorry for your loss.
I understand your point of view very, very well.
My father and I took of my mother for almost 2 years after her stroke.
My mother got a very rare autoimmune blood disease at almost 70 years-old. About 8 months after her diagnosis (1st treatment was not successful), she had a brain bleed stroke. Although she recovered very well physically from it, she was never the same again. She could talk very well, was very sharp-minded at times, retained her sense of humor as well as other facets of personality - all that said, she was emotionally insane. Towards the last 8 months or so of her, she became delusional and irrational, although her memory and some parts of original personality remained. She was an insomniac who paces almost all night in the 2nd year. She had terrible OCD over temperature and became combative with my father in the night. We never slept in the second year. She had extreme apathy, and just wanted to sit. Sometimes she would make strong efforts to talk to her brothers and sisters, friends and strangers without appearing too affected from her stroke, but that become nearly impossible in the second year. She wasn't just losing her mind - but she gave up her will to live. It was best that she got sepsis very quickly and died. Also, her autoimmune blood disease would have eventually caused her more issues as she aged. She was never going to make it over 75-80.
Overall, she lived 70 really good years, more or less. She never made it to her 72nd birthday, but that's the way it is. Her life was nothing but suffering. Living another 10-15 years for what? To suffer as she was. She wa never getting better. Her mind was done for. And her blood disease was never going to go away long-term (very unlikely at her age).
It was $255 when I received it a couple of years ago!
I get quite a bit of SS with the widow's benefit but I will still get more when I reach full retirement age, since I worked most of my adult life.
LOL, I just have to say this. When I saw your thread on the Retirement forum, I was a little taken aback, because I always had the impression that you were one of the "ladies who lunch", not someone who had a job. I don't know why I thought that!
I called Social Security less than a week after my wife died and didn’t have to pay anything back. Within days I got a letter from her past employer stating her pension was terminated. She had worked for this company 30 years. Letter was about two sentences long. No condolences. It was for her lifetime only. And shortly thereafter letters from her credit card companies stating her cards had been cancelled. Ruthless efficiency. I guess these folks are tied into the SS system.
Last edited by msgsing; 01-12-2024 at 03:21 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
