@DecorDiva wrote:
@shell garden wrote:
@tansy wrote:
@shell garden wrote:
@tansy wrote:
@saltysails wrote:
So, if the spouse takes SS at 62 through her husband's SS, wouldn't she get less than half since she is taking it early? Also if she takes it early and out lives her husband, can she take his at 100% at his death, even though she took SS early or will it also be reduced?
Yes, the wife gets less than half if she takes the benefit before full retirement age. Yes, at this time, if she outlives the husband, she receives his full benefit.
EXACTLY, TANSY! That is what the SS said to me! I received my own benefits 2 years ago at age 62....When and if my ex passes before me, I will go back and claim 100% of his!
If this is not true, then that SS REP LIED TO ME, lol! 😄 Whatever, I am blessed, I am grateful and I am happy!
I'm happy for you, shell but I am surprised that an ex-spouse collects the ex's full benefit when he dies. A person can be married to a lot of people for ten years!!
LOL, TANSY....2 things.....
1)....you can not have remarried unless you were over 62! If, you remarried before age 62, you lose the ex's benefits!
2)... If you did wait until after you were 62, you would still have to wait and be married 10 years from each marriage to claim the benefits from an ex...We may not have that many years left to invest, lol! Besides, you can only claim one, not ALL ex spouses! HEY...I ain't Zsa Zsa or Taylor, lol!
@tansy - And now you see why the system is going broke! Multiple people collecting on one person's earnings. And it's not just with the divorce benefits.
SS has been changing benefits to save money and it was sorely needed. My SIL collected SS while she was in college under her father's disability SS benefits. She received enough to live off campus in an apartment and pay for her food, clothing, etc. until she graduated at age 24.
SS also paid for non citizens who never worked in the USA. I remember a lady coming into the office where I worked looking for health insurance for her mother. Mom was from the UK and lived there her whole life until she was around 70. Then she came to the USA to live with her daughter and her American husband.
She was not eligible for Medicare, so I was looking for an affordable plan for her. She qualified for a low income plan because her only income was American SS. I was mad as hello, but had to be nice and not express my feelings. Can't do this anymore.
Multiple people collecting is not so bad. Children still collect if a parent dies and this protects women who stayed at home to raise children, then found themselves alone because of death or a spouse who left.
The problem with running,out of money is because the millions of baby boomers were paying in and their parents were collecting. Now the baby boomers are collecting and because we had smaller families than our parents, less people are paying in and more are collecting.
Also SS money is not kept separate... it is dumped into a general fund and is raided by other programs. This has got to stop.
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