SS question

[73ss454]

I have a neighbor who's a retired airline pilot. He turns 62 next month and was excited that his first SS check would be here soon. He has a younger family, a wife in her late 40's and a son 9. His DW works as an airline stewardess PT just for the health bennies.

Today he went down to the local SS office to sign up and was fully expecting to get a little over $1700 a month as his monthly benefit. While talking with the SS rep she asked about his family and for some reason they told him his benefit would be $3988 a month. The SS rep said because his wife didn't earn over 15K a year and his son was under 18 he would receive the additional money. Needless to say he is one happy camper!

Does any of this make any sense to any of you guys?

Oh yeah, I'm not thinking of having any more kids no matter how big the benefit.

 

[Martha]

Sounds like too much, but who knows for sure the circumstances. Retirement Planner: Benefits for your children

Within your family, each qualified child may receive a monthly payment up to one-half of your full retirement benefit amount. However, there is a limit to the amount we can pay your family members. The total depends on your benefit amount and the number of family members who also qualify on your record. The total varies, but generally the total amount your family can receive is about 50 to 80 percent of your full retirement benefit.

 

[crazy connie]

Also, when his kid graduates high school or turns 18 that benefit ceases.

 

[RE2Boys]

His family can get up to 50% of his unreduced (before adjustment for taking benefits at age 62) benefit. Wife can get a benefit for taking care of his child under 16 and the child gets the benefit until age 18.

I'm mulling this over as when I turn 62 in two years, I'll have a non-working wife and two boys, age 15 and 13, so all members of family eligible to receive social security checks for different periods of years. May affect my decision to take SS at 62 rather than full retirement age of 66. Since I'm a former fed govt employee, my SS benefits are rather low due to lots of zero income years (for SS) and the special rules that apply (windfall elimination or govt pension offset, can never keep them straight).

RE2Boys

 

[73ss454]

So the wife and the child will get about 50% of the amount he would have received at 66. Since that would've been around 2500 and there's 2 of them then he could add 2500 to amount he'd get get at 62. That's amazing! So I guess about 4K a month is the real #.

I don't understand how this can be for real as people still have the option to work past 62. Why should people be rewarded for having kids later in life?