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Just received my Christmas present from Uncle Sam!
Old 12-24-2016, 12:05 PM   #1
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Just received my Christmas present from Uncle Sam!

I just received my Christmas present from my Uncle Sam.

I have been approved to get depended benefits based upon my ex-wife's SS account. I am at that age where I can claim on my ex-wife's account while my own increases for the next four years. Finally, I manage to benefit from a Grandfather clause in the law/rules/customs/procedures.

Years of struggle as a wretched bachelor have paid off. Now, watch me fall madly in love with a fantastic woman who loves me equally, marry her, and lose the benefit. That would be worth it.
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Old 12-24-2016, 12:54 PM   #2
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Woo-hoo!!

The gift that keeps on giving!
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Old 12-24-2016, 01:16 PM   #3
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Now, watch me fall madly in love
With your newfound riches, you'll be beating 'em off with a stick!
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Old 12-24-2016, 04:40 PM   #4
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Good for you but I hope you find your love of your life! lol
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Old 12-24-2016, 05:26 PM   #5
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Good for you! My present from the IRS is I got my annual PIN letter in the mail since my tax info got hacked about a year ago.
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Old 12-24-2016, 05:33 PM   #6
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Congratulations on hitting a seam in the regulations. Social Security is just unbelievably complicated.
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Old 12-24-2016, 06:17 PM   #7
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Congratulations on hitting a seam in the regulations. Social Security is just unbelievably complicated.
Yes, it is.

This and the National Parks pass are the only two breaks I really have been waiting for.
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Old 12-29-2016, 02:26 PM   #8
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I heard from my oldest daughter after her visit with my ex wife over Christmas that the topic of why she and her boyfriend of 9 years have not married came up. My ex told our daughter that she planned on filing for spousal benefits since her boyfriend has had little income and will have low benefits, as well as her. One problem with her plan. We were married in May of 1989, and divorced in Feb of 1999....

Should I let her know?
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Old 12-29-2016, 03:37 PM   #9
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No, I would let SS tell her.
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Old 12-29-2016, 03:39 PM   #10
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Yes, it is.

This and the National Parks pass are the only two breaks I really have been waiting for.
And both are snatched away from me, just as I am about to get them.
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Old 12-29-2016, 03:44 PM   #11
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Years of struggle as a wretched bachelor have paid off. Now, watch me fall madly in love with a fantastic woman who loves me equally, marry her, and lose the benefit. That would be worth it.

If you find a woman who "dreams of DRCs" then you may be on the right path....
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Old 12-29-2016, 03:48 PM   #12
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And both are snatched away from me, just as I am about to get them.
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Old 12-29-2016, 03:52 PM   #13
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I heard from my oldest daughter after her visit with my ex wife over Christmas that the topic of why she and her boyfriend of 9 years have not married came up. My ex told our daughter that she planned on filing for spousal benefits since her boyfriend has had little income and will have low benefits, as well as her. One problem with her plan. We were married in May of 1989, and divorced in Feb of 1999....

Should I let her know?
Because the marriage didn't last ten years, do the spousal benefits drop off like a cliff?

I would let her know or at least let the daughter know that this plan may be fatally flawed. Advise her to contact SS ASAP for confirmation/clarification.

-gauss
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Old 12-29-2016, 03:58 PM   #14
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Because the marriage didn't last ten years, do the spousal benefits drop off like a cliff?
Not only that, but the ten years have to be consecutive.
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Old 12-29-2016, 04:37 PM   #15
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Weren't you looking forward to medicare also? DH just qualified (starting this Sunday) and we're excited about the lower insurance costs plus the silver sneakers program! He's had the Nat'l Park card for a while. And no ex-wive's for him.. so no SS benefits from that avenue.
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Just received my Christmas present from Uncle Sam!
Old 12-29-2016, 06:20 PM   #16
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Just received my Christmas present from Uncle Sam!

Quote:
Originally Posted by gauss View Post
Because the marriage didn't last ten years, do the spousal benefits drop off like a cliff?

I would let her know or at least let the daughter know that this plan may be fatally flawed. Advise her to contact SS ASAP for confirmation/clarification.
Yes, I believe the 10 years is a strict requirement. No pro-rating of the SS benefit.
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Old 12-29-2016, 08:20 PM   #17
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Because the marriage didn't last ten years, do the spousal benefits drop off like a cliff?

I would let her know or at least let the daughter know that this plan may be fatally flawed. Advise her to contact SS ASAP for confirmation/clarification.

-gauss
Yes... less than 10 years, no benefit.

I see a problem with this whole thing, and yet another reason this system is collapsing. If someone were to marry 3 different people, each for 10 years and 1 day, they would all 3 be eligible for the spousal benefit.
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Old 12-30-2016, 09:35 AM   #18
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Yes... less than 10 years, no benefit.

I see a problem with this whole thing, and yet another reason this system is collapsing. If someone were to marry 3 different people, each for 10 years and 1 day, they would all 3 be eligible for the spousal benefit.
True, but realistically, is that really a significant problem? I have run into a few people with 3+ marriages in their life and most of their marriages were relatively short - less than 5 years. Or, sometimes they have one long one in which they have children, do the family thing, then divorce when the kids are young adults. On the rebound they have a short 2-3 year marriage that everybody but them knows is doomed to quick failure. After that, they give up on marriage.

Like my old grand-pappy used to say "One divorce can happen to anybody, two divorces are unfortunate, but at three you have to start looking in the mirror".

Actually, it is far more likely that if a person (especially women) has two divorces under their belt they don't want to get married anymore. The number of women in their 50's and 60's, divorced twice, who want another man legally tied to them seems quite small. They think it is .

Like my old grand-pappy used to say "One divorce can happen to anybody, two divorces are unfortunate, but at three you have to start looking in the mirror".
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Old 01-02-2017, 10:17 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pilot2013 View Post
I heard from my oldest daughter after her visit with my ex wife over Christmas that the topic of why she and her boyfriend of 9 years have not married came up. My ex told our daughter that she planned on filing for spousal benefits since her boyfriend has had little income and will have low benefits, as well as her. One problem with her plan. We were married in May of 1989, and divorced in Feb of 1999....

Should I let her know?
As stupid as the SS office is, they'll probably say 1999-1989= 10 years, where do we send the check? Then about 20 years from now when all are dead, they'll be going: "Wait a minute, that wasn't a full 10 years and we want our money back"--total idiots.
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Old 01-02-2017, 10:48 AM   #20
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As stupid as the SS office is, they'll probably say 1999-1989= 10 years, where do we send the check? Then about 20 years from now when all are dead, they'll be going: "Wait a minute, that wasn't a full 10 years and we want our money back"--total idiots.
I don't think that's likely. AFAIK, SS does its calculations in months, not years, so the requirement is for 120 consecutive months. Pretty easy to see how this case doesn't cut it.
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