Bare minimum Social Security

[tinlizzy]

I have a sister who will be 41 in a couple of months and she has rarely worked. I'm guessing she has around 5 yrs of credits. She doesn't want to talk about it because she thinks it will just work out. She has been lucky in that she had a boyfriend, then a husband, and now a boyfriend who support her.

I think her SO's liked that she didn't work so that she could devote herself to them and their busy lives. I've been trying to educate her on what may happen in the future if she ends up alone someday.

So my question is, is there a minimum for social security or is it always a percentage of wages? I do know that she needs at least 10 years credit.

 

[foxcreek9]

Was she married for at least 10 years? If so, she will get SS based on his benefits.

 

[MichaelB]

So my question is, is there a minimum for social security or is it always a percentage of wages? I do know that she needs at least 10 years credit.

There is no minimum. Her pension will be calculated based on how much she earned. The only way for this to change is if she marries and acquires eligibility through her husband's pension. She would then be eligible for half of his.

 

[Philliefan33]

There is a minimum benefit, depending on the number of years of paying into SS. There's a table at ssn.gov.

It's very minimal and I'm guessing would only kick in for someone who earned just enough to get a SS "credit". ( $1260 per credit in 2016, so a little over $5000 a year). For example, in 2016 the minimum monthly payment for someone with 11 yrs of covered work is $40/month.

 

[athena53]

That would also get her Medicare A at no additional cost, which is worth a lot more. I think you can buy into it but it's $300 or $400/month.

 

[MichaelB]

There is a minimum benefit, depending on the number of years of paying into SS. There's a table at ssn.gov.

It's very minimal and I'm guessing would only kick in for someone who earned just enough to get a SS "credit". ( $1260 per credit in 2016, so a little over $5000 a year). For example, in 2016 the minimum monthly payment for someone with 11 yrs of covered work is $40/month. It's hard to see how someone could live with that income.

Yes, there is a minimum, but according to SSA it has not been awarded since 1998 because it is too low. A worker still needs 10 years of work history, and even low wages will generate a pension that is greater than the minimum.

https://www.ssa.gov/retirementpolicy/program/special-minimum.html

Special Minimum Benefit

DEFINITION: The special minimum benefit is a special minimum primary insurance amount (PIA) enacted in 1972 to provide adequate benefits to long-term low earners. The first full special minimum PIA in 1973 was $170 per month. Beginning in 1979, its value has increased with price growth and is $804 per month in 2013.

• The number of beneficiaries receiving the special minimum PIA has declined from about 200,000 in the early 1990s to about 75,000 in 2010.
• Fewer new beneficiaries are receiving the price-indexed special minimum PIA because wage growth typically exceeds price growth, thus, their wage-indexed regular PIA is usually higher.
• 2018 is projected as the last year a new beneficiary could theoretically be awarded a special minimum PIA that is higher than his or her regular PIA, but 1998 is the last year it actually happened. a

 

[tinlizzy]

Was she married for at least 10 years? If so, she will get SS based on his benefits.

I'm afraid it will end badly for her. She worked retail after HS then moved to Calif. and met her first real boyfriend. They were together for 7-8 years and engaged for two but he wouldn't set a date and she wanted to be married and have children so they broke up. She did get an interior design degree during this time but mainly helped him run his business.

Her future husband was a friend of boyfriend number one who pursued her after her breakup. They got married the same year. She did do a few design jobs during this time but he was from a very wealthy society family and was she was expected to join in all of their charity work. They were married five years. Her marriage ended because her husband wouldn't move out of his parents estate. They also had trouble conceiving and he wouldn't try any way other than a natural conception.

Her boyfriend now she met at a charity event. He's a nice enough guy and they've been trying to have a baby but he doesn't want to get married right now. She has done one or two design jobs (one earned her $30K) since she met this new guy but they have moved numerous times and her job is basically to transition his life while he works.

Thanks for the info. I'm scared to look at it but I think I'll have her sign into SS they next time she visits and just see what's there. And I'll keep advising her to pick up more jobs.

 

[marko]

.... she thinks it will just work out. She has been lucky in that she had a boyfriend, then a husband, and now a boyfriend who support her.

Sounds like it has worked out so far. Not trying to be snide, but some people just find a way to get things done and move through life unconventionally.

 

[Aerides]

Really no point in you being more worried about it that she is. She will either wise up or not, likely not. She's gotten this far and this long doing it her way, and probably thinks that will always be the case.

She has more immediate issues. 41, no real job, and trying to get pregnant with a guy who doesn't want to get married? (and "not right now" means "not you, ever").

 

[Sunset]

I'm afraid it will end badly for her. ......... I think I'll have her sign into SS they next time she visits and just see what's there. And I'll keep advising her to pick up more jobs.

If she simply signs in to SS, it will be too big, huge, messy for her to even bother to look at since she really wants to ignore the issue.

She should be getting a SS statement every 5 years, but I bet she doesn't read them.

Before you have her sign in , maybe just find the pertinent information on the SS site for her, print it out, high-light the critical sections and mail it to her. Maybe she will read it if it's simple.

As for her work history, even though she worked, some of those jobs could have been not contributing to SS , so the situation could be worse for her.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

well, it seems you got the answer to your question already, she needed to be married 10 years before the divorce to get 1/2 the husbands. She needs more work history to collect her own. On the bright side here is an other option. You only need to be married 9 months if your spouse dies. Next time she visits and you get her to sign into the social security website, see if you can play match maker. Fix her up with one of your very sick older friends. My mother in law was married to her second husband for 11 months before he died. She collects half of his.

 

[Independent]

Thanks for the info. I'm scared to look at it but I think I'll have her sign into SS they next time she visits and just see what's there. And I'll keep advising her to pick up more jobs.

This looks like a good strategy.

Note that the benefit estimator includes an estimate of future earnings. Be careful what you enter there.

 

[haha]

well, it seems you got the answer to your question already, she needed to be married 10 years before the divorce to get 1/2 the husbands. She needs more work history to collect her own. On the bright side here is an other option. You only need to be married 9 months if your spouse dies. Next time she visits and you get her to sign into the social security website, see if you can play match maker. Fix her up with one of your very sick older friends. My mother in law was married to her second husband for 11 months before he died. She collects half of his.

She sounds like an attractive woman who has no trouble finding men. Read up on California palimony cases, she may yet hit a jackpot. Few men are careful enough to avoid breaching some rule or other regarding responsibility. Too bad about the infertility, that one also can work very well if the gent is well heeled.

Ha

 

[marko]

. Too bad about the infertility, that one also can work very well if the gent is well heeled.

Ha

As I posted earlier there are unconventional ways to get through life...but this is a new one I think for this forum! A new twist on FIRE
[emoji1]

 

[tinlizzy]

Yes she's very pretty and social. These men have been two or three years older than her. And she may always land on her feet because her social circle doesn't include the average joe. She may just move from being a trophy wife to an older wife with the perfect credentials.

Yeah, I don't get the current BF. They've dated three years and at his suggestion she froze some of her eggs shortly after they met. They've done 11 rounds of in vitro at $25k a pop with no luck. She's ready to give up and adopt and he doesn't want to quit trying. It was our conversation about this that made me think of her future and the burden her child/ren would face if they didn't marry. He's wildly successful and can afford a child but is immature I think because his outlook should include the entire life of the child. He's been married before and may not want to be married again but he'll quickly have to replace her or his personal life will fall apart.

I don't get why they don't care if she helps in a business or does charity work that is nearly a full time job but pitch a fit when she works.

 

[Just_Steve]

Then there is the old standbys. Medicaid, SNAP, Section 8.
She will be just fine.

 

[tinlizzy]

Then there is the old standbys. Medicaid, SNAP, Section 8.
She will be just fine.

That's what I'm afraid of. I'm 10 years older than her and have Lupus. I'll probably be dead before she hits the ground.

 

[haha]

Yes she's very pretty and social. These men have been two or three years older than her. And she may always land on her feet because her social circle doesn't include the average joe. She may just move from being a trophy wife to an older wife with the perfect credentials.

Yeah, I don't get the current BF. They've dated three years and at his suggestion she froze some of her eggs shortly after they met. They've done 11 rounds of in vitro at $25k a pop with no luck. She's ready to give up and adopt and he doesn't want to quit trying. It was our conversation about this that made me think of her future and the burden her child/ren would face if they didn't marry. He's wildly successful and can afford a child but is immature I think because his outlook should include the entire life of the child. He's been married before and may not want to be married again but he'll quickly have to replace her or his personal life will fall apart.

I don't get why they don't care if she helps in a business or does charity work that is nearly a full time job but pitch a fit when she works.

I think that she may just have to shift to plan B. Does she need a well connected partner to put her in a position to get her decorating jobs? If she does not, bite the bullet and take jobs no matter what BF thinks, says, or does. Worse case he kicks her out, but then she solves her own financial problems. But she may also find that he really does not want to lose her, and if she makes marriage a condition of her staying, she will be walking down the aisle pretty soon.

Ha

 

[Silver]

I don't get why they don't care if she helps in a business or does charity work that is nearly a full time job but pitch a fit when she works.

IMO that is a control technique men use to ensure a woman feels/is indebted to them. This gives the man control over when to end the relationship because they have money, and the woman does not, so the woman is hesitant to leave.

No intent to be sexist here...could work that way for a man in a relationship as well.

 

[tinlizzy]

I think that she may just have to shift to plan B. Does she need a well connected partner to put her in a position to get her decorating jobs? If she does not, bite the bullet and take jobs no matter what BF thinks, says, or does. Worse case he kicks her out, but then she solves her own financial problems. But she may also find that he really does not want to lose her, and if she makes marriage a condition of her staying, she will be walking down the aisle pretty soon.



Ha

Yes, we've been talking daily lately and she is coming around. She's going to wait until the end of the year then move out. She did that with BF1 and hubby so she's not afraid to but I think she's becoming discouraged at starting over again.

I think she's far more connected than her current BF. She's has her design jobs published so she has a resume and her best GF is a well known fashion designer. She can do it on her own if only she'd put her foot down with these men.

 

[tinlizzy]

IMO that is a control technique men use to ensure a woman feels/is indebted to them. This gives the man control over when to end the relationship because they have money, and the woman does not, so the woman is hesitant to leave.

No intent to be sexist here...could work that way for a man in a relationship as well.

That's one of the things I thought or they're just embarrassed to have a SO that works?

 

[Music Lover]

Yes she's very pretty and social. These men have been two or three years older than her. And she may always land on her feet because her social circle doesn't include the average joe. She may just move from being a trophy wife to an older wife with the perfect credentials.

In that case, she'll probably end up doing okay for herself.

This may sound sexist, but an attractive woman with social skills will only be single if she wants to be. There is no shortage of men looking for an attractive spouse.

 

[Moemg]

. . But she may also find that he really does not want to lose her, and if she makes marriage a condition of her staying, she will be walking down the aisle pretty soon.

Ha

I doubt this . The guys that want good looking companions trade the old models in for increasing younger models . If anybody doubts this just check out the Sarasota social pages .

 

[Mulligan]

She sounds like an attractive woman who has no trouble finding men. Read up on California palimony cases, she may yet hit a jackpot. Few men are careful enough to avoid breaching some rule or other regarding responsibility. Too bad about the infertility, that one also can work very well if the gent is well heeled.



Ha

Ha, I knew you were going to mention something about being attractive before I even read your post. Maybe its because I know how you post....and yes, I do think many times in the manner you post, lol.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I think she is using poor judgement with trying to conceive while not married or having a job. That seems to me a big risk.