Gotta give credit to SS admin for making claim easy

[dtbach]

My DW just filed for SS at 62 and then I claimed restricted on her account (I'm FRA). Took about 15 minutes (would have been faster if we had all the info ready) on line and clicked the button.

Got a call the next day from SS to make sure that I was filing restricted and that I was qualified.


A week later got a call from SS to go over some final questions. Everything is set, no need to go in to the local office or send anything in.


Just really easy-peasy. For a government entity they seem to be quite efficient.

 

[wanaberetiree]

My DW just filed for SS at 62 and then I claimed restricted on her account (I'm FRA). Took about 15 minutes (would have been faster if we had all the info ready) on line and clicked the button.

Got a call the next day from SS to make sure that I was filing restricted and that I was qualified.


A week later got a call from SS to go over some final questions. Everything is set, no need to go in to the local office or send anything in.


Just really easy-peasy. For a government entity they seem to be quite efficient.

Socialism in action

 

[pb4uski]

Socialism in action

One of those glass half-empty types I guess.

 

[cbo111]

I plan to claim in a month to get my SS at age 62. We have pensions that cover all living expenses and a portfolio that we have not touched in 4 years of RE. We are going to blow this monthly $ 1,900 check on ourselves, family, and friends, with the singular rule that it will be spent on nothing but fun crap. YOLO!

 

[dtbach]

Socialism in action

I look at it as getting the pension that I paid into all these years. If that is socialism, I'm OK with it. This wasn't written to be a partisan topic, just that I was pleased that it was taken care of so easily.

 

[NW-Bound]

Well, this socialist system does not work as well for me.

I was born a few years later, and missed the eligibility to this SS spousal restricted filing.

I wonder what my children will miss, compared to what I get. Perhaps they will have to work till 70? Early SS at 65?

Well, unless something really bad happens, we will be leaving them plenty of money to compensate. Other people's kids will not be as fortunate, but life is never fair as they say.

PS. By the way, my wife claimed her SS a few months ago. Easy peasy. They called to let her know the monthly deposit would start soon, and it did.

 

[Red Badger]

I look at it as getting the pension that I paid into all these years. If that is socialism, I'm OK with it. This wasn't written to be a partisan topic, just that I was pleased that it was taken care of so easily.

Quite agree. It is not an entitlement. You don't pay - you don't play.

DW and I will file next month. Then pensions and SS cover everything, with portfolio covering "beer money."

As a resident of NC, SS is a win-win. To get his bill through the house, FDR needed the leader of the Ways and Means committee on board. The US got SS and NC got over 200 miles of parkway. True story!

 

[CardsFan]

Quite agree. It is not an entitlement. You don't pay - you don't play.

Personally, I think we have lost the meaning of the word "entitlement". To me, SS is an entitlement, as I am entitled to receive the payment promised for my contribution. Pretty simple.

"other" benefits, that I made no contribution to are not entitlements, they are charity, or any other word you want to give to something that did not require a cntribution.

 

[RetireBy90]

Filed for DW at FRA of 66. After doing Medicare for her last year I was a bit anxious but np problems. Like others above, got a personal call to go over the details. Rep was friendly and even had his direct number in case of problems. Only thing I would change is to get a pay stub like my old paychecks or like my pension, shows total pay, deductions, and net pay along with YTD figures.

I don’t consider this a handout, any more than govt did when they took from each paycheck. However, SS covers way too many things now. Way I heard it when it was created by FDR you collected at 65 but average life expectancy was something like 58, so only if you outlived your expectancy. I’d change to FRA at 70, over a few years, and add another half percent to employee and employer dues. Workers would forget about the changes after few years and it would pay for itself.

 

[NW-Bound]

... Way I heard it when it was created by FDR you collected at 65 but average life expectancy was something like 58, so only if you outlived your expectancy. I’d change to FRA at 70, over a few years, and add another half percent to employee and employer dues. Workers would forget about the changes after few years and it would pay for itself.

Yep. You die early, you lose it all.

People who live long win in more ways than one.

People keep talking about the have and the have-nots, but the inequality between the unfortunate short-lived and the ones with longevity is huge.

The difference is that the dead are, well, dead, and they cannot protest.

 

[Dtail]

Socialism in action

Why not give up your SS payments when applicable to protest this system?

 

[joeea]

Personally, I think we have lost the meaning of the word "entitlement". To me, SS is an entitlement, as I am entitled to receive the payment promised for my contribution. Pretty simple.

"other" benefits, that I made no contribution to are not entitlements, they are charity, or any other word you want to give to something that did not require a cntribution.

Please link to a definition of the term "entitlement" that requires contributions.

Do you think some people are entitled to SS spousal benefits? Or is that labeled "charity" somewhere?

 

[CardsFan]

Please link to a definition of the term "entitlement" that requires contributions.

Do you think some people are entitled to SS spousal benefits? Or is that labeled "charity" somewhere?

Here you go: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/entitlement

something, often a benefit from the government, that you have the right to have:

[ U ] Social Security and Medicare are popular entitlement programs in the US.

 

[pb4uski]

Please link to a definition of the term "entitlement" that requires contributions. ....

https://www.ssa.gov/sf/FactSheets/aianssavsssifinalrev.pdf

There is often confusion about Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) because you apply for both programs with the Social Security Administration. But, the programs are different. The Social Security benefit programs are “entitlement” programs. This means that workers, employers and the self-employed pay for the benefits with their Social Security taxes. The taxes that are collected are put into special trust funds. You qualify for these benefits based on your work history (or your spouse or parent). The amount of the benefit is based on these earnings.

SSI is a needs-based program for people with limited income and resources. Resources are assets or things that you own. The program is paid for by general tax revenues -- not from the Social Security trust funds.

 

[Calico]

here you go: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/entitlement

https://www.ssa.gov/sf/factsheets/aianssavsssifinalrev.pdf

BOOM.

 

[CardsFan]

Do you think some people are entitled to SS spousal benefits? Or is that labeled "charity" somewhere?

Clearly, SS spousal benefits are part of the program.

And maybe "charity" was the wrong word. " Redistribution of wealth" is probably the better phrase.

 

[dtbach]

Post seems to have veered into the merits of the SS system. I just wanted to put out there that this was possibly the easiest and most efficient dealings I have ever had with a government run system. Certainly a whole lot better than trying to renew your driver's license

 

[ggbutcher]

Post seems to have veered into the merits of the SS system. I just wanted to put out there that this was possibly the easiest and most efficient dealings I have ever had with a government run system. Certainly a whole lot better than trying to renew your driver's license

In Colorado, well at least El Paso County, driver's license renewal can be similarly easy. Our DMV has worked hard on streamlining the most streamline-able transactions.

I think it depends on two things: 1) the people running the particular agency, and 2) the fundamental structure of the program. Congress has enacted a lot of programs, some more administrate-able than others...

FWIW.

 

[jkern]

I filed for SS last week (90 days before turning 62). No calls, no updates, but all seems to be progressing.

 

[joeea]

Clearly, SS spousal benefits are part of the program.

And maybe "charity" was the wrong word. " Redistribution of wealth" is probably the better phrase.

Neither of which mean that "entitlement" has anything to do with you having paid into it.

So perhaps now you have found the meaning of the word "entitlement".

 

[pb4uski]

Neither of which mean that "entitlement" has anything to do with you having paid into it.

So perhaps now you have found the meaning of the word "entitlement".

Did you miss posts 13 and 14 or are you daft?

 

[Aerides]

...This wasn't written to be a partisan topic, just that I was pleased that it was taken care of so easily.

Thank you OP for your good intentions with this thread. It's unfortunate that several other forum members decided to take yet another opportunity to drag this topic into the politics of SS, and indulge in sniping at one another.