Q: My husband retired with a government pension based on work for which he did not pay Social Security taxes. If he should die before me, I will receive a monthly spousal annuity payment equal to 70 percent of his benefit. He was also eligible for Social Security benefits, and the amount was reduced because of his government pension. I have not worked long enough to receive a pension or Social Security benefits on my own record. Will I be entitled to Social Security benefits on my husband’s record? And how will those benefits be affected by the spousal annuity?…
Browsing: SOCIAL SECURITY
Q: On Oct. 31, 2007, I reached mandatory retirement age of 57 and retired as a FERS law enforcement officer with more than 33 years experience. I have a blended retirement of both CSRS and FERS. For whatever reason, I did not receive my lump sum vacation pay of $25,742 until early January 2008. Just recently, I received notice from OPM that because I exceeded the Social Security earnings limit of $13,560 for 2008, I was overpaid in the supplemental security portion of my pension. I did not have any other earned income for 2008. Since I could not have…
Q: I was a U.S. Postal Service employee from February 1975 until February 1983. I will turn 65 this May. I am not eligible for government retirement, since those eight years were my only government employment, nor am I eligible for Social Security benefits. Is there some way that the post office can credit my employment with them for Social Security benefits? A: No. Only employment where Social Security taxes are taken from your income can earn Social Security credits. Note: If you had retirement deductions taken from your salary and didn’t ask for a refund when you left, you…
Q: My latest Social Security estimate pamphlet says the maximum monthly reduction for WEP in 2010 is $381. Does that mean I would take whatever amount they estimate my monthly amount will be and can count on having no more than $381 deducted from that amount for the WEP penalty? A: The windfall elimination provision reduces but does not eliminate the Social Security benefit of anyone who receives an annuity from a retirement system where he didn’t pay Social Security taxes, such as CSRS, and has fewer than 30 years of substantial earnings under Social Security. To find out how…
Q: My brother died after being approved for, and receiving, a FERS disability. His spouse is 46 and receiving survivor annuity benefits from FERS. Is it fair to assume that if he was granted a FERS disability retirement that he also had applied for disability benefits under Social Security, or OPM would not have approved his FERS disability? Is she also entitled to any Social Security survivors benefits? A: OPM would not have processed his application for disability retirement unless he had filed for Social Security disability benefits. You’ll have to check with the Social Security Administration to learn what…
Q: I am 52 and a FERS employee with 30 years of service. I’m thinking about deferring my retirement until I reach the MRA of 56. My questions are: When you defer you lose: the SSI at 56? You need to be in the service for five years to get the health care? What if I come back to the government a year before I reach my MRA of 56, do I then get the SSI when I retire at 56? I know I would lose the health care without the continuous five years. I am more concerned with the…
Q: I’m 61 and a 70-percent service-connected veteran receiving Veterans Administration disability benefits. I am also a CSRS -offset federal employee. I took a lump sum in 1996 and resigned from federal service. I returned to federal service in 2002 as a CSRS-Offset employee, after working for a local government and paying Social Security. I have over SSA 40 credits. How will my annuities be calculated at age 62 if I were to retire then? How would the CSRS offset affect my VA or Social Security benefits and vis-a-vis? I am trying to decide whether to redeposit my lump sum…
Q: Can you tell me if the following Social Security calculation is correct? We have visited our local Social Security office, who said, “That’s the way it is. You can appeal if you like.” We are U.S. citizens, born in the United Kingdom. Prior to coming to the U.S., my wife worked for 15 years for private companies in the United Kingdom. She has just retired at 62, and receives a United Kingdom pension equivalent to $250 per month. She has worked in the U.S. for 15 years, and would normally qualify for a monthly benefit of $547. But We…
Q: In calculating the effect of WEP, how do the years I work between age 66 and 70 count? I plan to keep working and apply for Social Security when I am 70. At age 66, I will only have 18 years of substantial contributions under Social Security. If I continue to work until I am 70, will the additional four years of substantial contributions count in calculating the WEP when I apply for Social Security? Or will the WEP be based only on my years of substantial contributions as of age 66? A: The windfall elimination provision is applied…
Q: My fiancé has been informed he has terminal cancer. We were planning our wedding for next month. He has just applied for Social Security disability. He already collects a disability pension from a county school board, of which I am not entitled to when he passes. If we marry, how will that affect my civil service retirement pension (I am 58, he’s 62); and am I eligible to receive his Social Security disability benefits after he passes? Do we have to be married for a certain amount of time first? A: Your CSRS annuity won’t be affected because you…