Made the switch from Divorced Spousal SS to my own SS!

[audreyh1]

BTW, in the process of DW signing up, the SS rep in our local office commented that a good way to remember which month your birthdate qualifies you for is to ask yourself the question, "Was I age xx for the entire month in which my birthday occurs?" Since, in DW's case the answer was "no", then her qualifying month was December - the first month during which she was age xx for the entire month. Since SS pays in arrears, the first payment would land in January. This is why the first of a month is treated differently than the second or third. If born on the first, one is considered to have been ones age for the entire month.

Wow - I think I can remember that!

Both DH and I have late month birthdays, so we should expect the SS to start the following month, but not get a check until the month after.

Wait - that rule only applies to someone starting SS right when they turn 62?

 

[audreyh1]

My husbands birthday was February 19. He turned 66 - full retirement age. He signed up in November to start in February. He will get his first check in March for the full amount for age 66. You do not have to wait an extra month if you are full retirement age. We have received confirmation from SSA.

OK I’m confused now. If FRA or older you get paid for the month you reach FRA and get the check the next month?

 

[always_learning]

Congratulations W2R! I am a planner and I, too, love it when plans work out as hoped. Woohoo!

I'm also a Bluebell fan, so do treat yourself. Mint Chocolate Chip is my weakness but I'm an equal-opportunity ice cream eater.

 

[W2R]

Congratulations W2R! I am a planner and I, too, love it when plans work out as hoped. Woohoo!

I'm also a Bluebell fan, so do treat yourself. Mint Chocolate Chip is my weakness but I'm an equal-opportunity ice cream eater.

Thank you!
Yum, I love Bluebell Mint Chocolate Chip... I still haven't bought any Bluebell to celebrate, but maybe I will do that today.

 

[UpAnchor]

OK I’m confused now. If FRA or older you get paid for the month you reach FRA and get the check the next month?

I believe that's the way it works. And I should have remembered that before posting above. I turned FRA late last month (Feb). Yet I'm due to receive my first spousal on Mar. 14th, next Wednesday. Much shorter wait than poor DW!

 

[MissMolly]

OK I’m confused now. If FRA or older you get paid for the month you reach FRA and get the check the next month?

If you are FRA or older you do not have to wait until you are FRA for a whole month. You are considered to hit FRA in the month of your birthday (assuming your birthday is not the 1st). It is only when claiming at 62. You have to be 62 for a whole month before you are eligible. So if you turn 62 on Feb 19, you cannot start SS until March (when you are 62 for a whole month) which means you get your first check in April. Clear as mud, right?

 

[audreyh1]

If you are FRA or older you do not have to wait until you are FRA for a whole month. You are considered to hit FRA in the month of your birthday (assuming your birthday is not the 1st). It is only when claiming at 62. You have to be 62 for a whole month before you are eligible. So if you turn 62 on Feb 19, you cannot start SS until March (when you are 62 for a whole month) which means you get your first check in April. Clear as mud, right?

What about if you wait to start SS when you turn 70? Do you have to be 70 the whole month to get the full amount you are eligible for at 70? Or will you get the full amount starting the month you turn 70 (of course getting the check the following month).

 

[MissMolly]

What about if you wait to start SS when you turn 70? Do you have to be 70 the whole month to get the full amount you are eligible for at 70? Or will you get the full amount starting the month you turn 70 (of course getting the check the following month).

You do not have to wait until you are 70 the whole month. It starts the month you turn 70.

 

[Golden sunsets]

You do not have to wait until you are 70 the whole month. It starts the month you turn 70.

It starts the month you turn 70, but you do not teceive the payment intil the following month UNLESS your birthday is the 1st of the month ( thus you were 70 for the entire month).

 

[audreyh1]

You do not have to wait until you are 70 the whole month. It starts the month you turn 70.

OK - great. Thanks for clarifying.

Of course I understand that the check would not be received until the following month.

And with DH and my birthday's we wouldn't get our check until the 4th Wed of the following month!!!!

Follow on question:

I notice that for my Dad, any COLA adjustment seems to occur in the first check he receives in Jan. So even though that is technically the payment for December of the prior year, the COLA is applied.

 

[audreyh1]

It starts the month you turn 70, but you do not teceive the payment intil the following month UNLESS your birthday is the 1st of the month ( thus you were 70 for the entire month).

Most sources seem to disagree with this. The exception being at just turing age 62.

Otherwise birthday on the 1st of the month - you get your first check the following month just like everyone else.

 

[CRLLS]

Most sources seem to disagree with this. The exception being at just turing age 62.

Otherwise birthday on the 1st of the month - you get your first check the following month just like everyone else.

Even AARP had it wrong. If you want the real stuff, go to SSA.gov. The "full month" requirement only applies to filing before your FRA. FRA or after, you are paid for that month. In all cases, SSA pays the month after. This applies to the first check and the nth check.

Assume Person A filed at age 62 and Person B filed at his/her FRA. Now fast forward to when both are age 75. Both A's and B's "benefit" for March is paid in April, April's is paid in May, etc. A month's benefit is always paid the following month. Only the qualifying month for benefits is variable. Those born on the 1st are considered born the last day of the previous month. I hope that is more clear.

 

[MissMolly]

Even AARP had it wrong. If you want the real stuff, go to SSA.gov. The "full month" requirement only applies to filing before your FRA. FRA or after, you are paid for that month. In all cases, SSA pays the month after. This applies to the first check and the nth check.

Assume Person A filed at age 62 and Person B filed at his/her FRA. Now fast forward to when both are age 75. Both A's and B's "benefit" for March is paid in April, April's is paid in May, etc. A month's benefit is always paid the following month. Only the qualifying month for benefits is variable. Those born on the 1st are considered born the last day of the previous month. I hope that is more clear.

Well, the nth check, not so much. You have to be alive the whole month to earn a SS check. Even though a check will most likely hit your account the following month, it will be snapped back up by SSA.

 

[CRLLS]

Well, the nth check, not so much. You have to be alive the whole month to earn a SS check. Even though a check will most likely hit your account the following month, it will be snapped back up by SSA.

"nth" as in an unspecified number, I didn't imply "last". but you are right about the last check thing.

 

[MissMolly]

"nth" as in an unspecified number, I didn't imply "last". but you are right about the last check thing.

According to Dictionary.com "nth" is defined as the last in a series of infinitely decreasing or increasing values, amounts, etc. Saying "nth" does imply last of an unspecified number.

 

[audreyh1]

Even AARP had it wrong. If you want the real stuff, go to SSA.gov. The "full month" requirement only applies to filing before your FRA. FRA or after, you are paid for that month. In all cases, SSA pays the month after. This applies to the first check and the nth check.

Assume Person A filed at age 62 and Person B filed at his/her FRA. Now fast forward to when both are age 75. Both A's and B's "benefit" for March is paid in April, April's is paid in May, etc. A month's benefit is always paid the following month. Only the qualifying month for benefits is variable. Those born on the 1st are considered born the last day of the previous month. I hope that is more clear.

What it actually is in the case of reaching FRA or 70 or whatever, is that a person whose birthday falls on the first of the month is considered to have reached the new age on the last day if the prior month. That’s why they qualify for benefits a month early.

 

[Golden sunsets]

What it actually is in the case of reaching FRA or 70 or whatever, is that a person whose birthday falls on the first of the month is considered to have reached the new age on the last day if the prior month. That’s why they qualify for benefits a month early.

And here is my first hand example of this rule. I was told by SSA in 2014 that my birthdate, which is actually 12/1/1948, is 11/30/1948, for SS purposes. My FRA was age 66 years, 0 months. When I applied for Spousal benefits, a couple of months prior to my attaining age 66, I was pleasantly surprised to be told that I would receive my first check in December(as I would have been 66 for the entire month of December) , rather than January as I had been expecting. I assume that the same will be the case when I apply under my own record at age 70. Thus my experience is that the month prior for those born on the first, applies regardless of age, as opposed to only at age 62.

 

[audreyh1]

And here is my first hand example of this rule. I was told by SSA in 2014 that my birthdate, which is actually 12/1/1948, is 11/30/1948, for SS purposes. My FRA was age 66 years, 0 months. When I applied for Spousal benefits, a couple of months prior to my attaining age 66, I was pleasantly surprised to be told that I would receive my first check in December(as I would have been 66 for the entire month of December) , rather than January as I had been expecting. I assume that the same will be the case when I apply under my own record at age 70. Thus my experience is that the month prior for those born on the first, applies regardless of age, as opposed to only at age 62.

But it didn’t have anything to do with being 66 the whole month of December, it was because in the SS system you had actually turned 66 in November.

The requirement to be the age for a whole month only seems to apply to those turning 62.

 

[Golden sunsets]

But it didn’t have anything to do with being 66 the whole month of December, it was because in the SS system you had actually turned 66 in November.

The requirement to be the age for a whole month only seems to apply to those turning 62.

I agree with that. I guess my point is that those with actual bdays on the 1st get to collect one month sooner whenever they file. Same was true of DH whose bday is 10/1. He received his first check in the month of October.

 

[djmu8749]

Disability

First post ever on any forum. Pardon me if not following proper etiquette.
My partner and I are divorced from each other but were married for over 10 years. Partner is on disability which is more than my S.S. Does anyone know if disability is treated the same as S.S. and if I can switch to collect S.S. based on partners disability payment.

 

[SecondCor521]

First post ever on any forum. Pardon me if not following proper etiquette.
My partner and I are divorced from each other but were married for over 10 years. Partner is on disability which is more than my S.S. Does anyone know if disability is treated the same as S.S. and if I can switch to collect S.S. based on partners disability payment.

Welcome to the forum, and you did just fine with the etiquette - no worries!

Since you were married for more than 10 years, I know that you are entitled to spousal benefits, and if those spousal benefits are more than your own benefit, you could switch to the higher amount.

I don't know how it works with disability except that I think with disability your partner could have collected earlier than normal retirement age, and that when s/he reaches normal retirement age they can switch to regular SS. Unfortunately I don't know how that affects spousal benefits at all.

One final thing is that you can collect benefits on your partner's record without them ever knowing and without it affecting their benefits at all.

I guess my suggestion would be to take your partners SSN and your marriage certificate and divorce decree to your local SS office and see what they have to say. They're reasonably good in most cases in answering questions like yours.

 

[Chuckanut]

One of the few government loopholes I have ever been able to step through is getting SS on my former wife’s account while letting mine grow. In the past i e always been born to early or to late.

 

[W2R]

I think this might be the happiest day since the day I retired!

I have been on divorced spousal SS since age 66 (2014), with the idea that my own SS would continue to grow until age 70 (2018) and then I'd switch over to my own SS which would be larger by now. […]After Medicare is deducted, I will be getting $555/month above what I have been getting on divorced spousal SS.

I was wrong! TODAY is the happiest day because my new, higher SS amount actually hit the bank! I just checked and it is indeed a $555/month "raise" compared to what I had been getting, the correct amount and what a rush it was to see that deposit.

The thing about delayed gratification, is that while the delay is the pits, the gratification part is sure sweet.

I already bought four extra steaks with the money (because, hey, why not?) which will be delivered tomorrow by Fedex with the rest of my box of frozen meat, and I still have over $500 left to blow. I'm going to pay for our lunch today when F and I go out to eat, and maybe I can persuade him to let me pay for a more expensive restaurant than usual this time. I have no idea what else I could possibly want to spend it on, but surely something will come to mind.

 

[Carpediem]

I have no idea what else I could possibly want to spend it on, but surely something will come to mind.

How about a nice, shiny new SUV?

 

[W2R]

How about a nice, shiny new SUV?

Touché!!!

If I see one that I think I would like more than my Venza, that is always a possibility. I have just grown awfully fond of it over the years, and it only has 29,000 miles on it.