How Long Do You Receive Social Security Survivor Benefits
Social Security survivor benefits are payable to the surviving spouse for the remainder of their life. Restrictions apply for divorced spouses eligible to receive benefits.
Benefits for surviving children end at age 18 or age 19 and 2 months if still pursuing their elementary or secondary education. For surviving children who became disabled before age 22, their benefits continue for life.
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Is My Spouse Eligible For Medicare If She Never Worked
Can I Get Medicare If I’ve Never Worked? If you’ve never worked, you may still qualify for premium-free Medicare Part A. This is based on your spouse’s work history or if you have certain medical conditions or disabilities. It’s also possible to get Medicare coverage if you pay a monthly Part A premium.
Can I Collect Ssdi And Widows Benefits
Usually, you cannot collect the full amount of both Social Security Disability Insurance and widows benefits, because SSDI benefits are a form of an early retirement program. You could collect the higher amount of the two programs as long as you meet the eligibility requirements. A Michigan SSDI attorney can guide you through the process of applying for benefits and handle your appeals if your claim gets denied or you receive less money than you deserve.
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Social Security Q& A: Can I Claim Widows Benefits At 60
Welcome to Social Security Q& A. You ask a Social Security question, our guest expert provides the answer.
You can learn how to ask a question of your own below. And if you would like a personalized report detailing your optimal Social Security claiming strategy, .
Check it out: It doesnt cost much and could result in you receiving thousands of dollars more in benefits over your lifetime.
Todays question comes from Debbie:
I am currently 60 years old and working full time. My husband died in 2013, and I am wondering if I can collect on his benefits now?
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What If Im Not Automatically Enrolled At 65
If your Medicare enrollment at 65 is not automatic, but you want to enroll, here are some more magic numbers.
3 and 7.
To start taking advantage of Medicare at 65, you need to sign up during the three months before the birthday month you turn 65. Those are the first three months of your seven-month Initial Enrollment Period.
Unless your birthday is on the first day of the month, your Initial Enrollment Period includes the three full months before turning 65, the month you turn 65, and the three months after you turn 65. If you were born on the first day of the month, IEP is the four months before your birth month, along with your birthday month and the two months after.
If you sign up during one of the months before your 65th birthday, your coverage will begin on the first day of the month you turn 65 .
Are you eligible for cost-saving Medicare subsidies?
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Does Social Security Pay For Medicare
Social Security does not pay for Medicare, but if you receive Social Security payments, your Part B premiums can be deducted from your check. This means that instead of $1,500, for example, youll receive $1,386.40 and your Part B premium will be paid.
Now lets take a look at Medicare and Social Security to understand what these important benefit programs are, how you qualify, and what they mean for you.
Who Is Entitled To Survivors Benefits From Social Security
How Social Security Can Help You When a Family Member Dies SSA.gov/benefits/survivors
Social Security is a key source of financial security to widowed spouses. About 7.8 million individuals aged 60 and older receive Social Security benefits based, at least in part, on a deceased spouses work record. These surviving spouse beneficiaries are overwhelmingly women.
These beneficiaries include 3.6 million people who are eligible only as widowed spouses. Another 4.2 million who are entitled to benefits based on their own work records but whose deceased spouses benefit amounts were higher than their own, will receive higher benefits as individuals .
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Survivors Benefits For Spouses
If your spouse was insured for SSDI when he or she died, you may be eligible for a survivors benefits based on his or her earnings record, if your spouse was fully insured under the SSDI program. The type of survivors benefit you can get will depend on how old you were when your spouse died, whether or not you are disabled, and whether or not you care for your spouse’s minor or disabled child.
Many People Would Switch To Medicare From Other Sources Of Coverage
Lowering the Medicare eligibility age to 60 would make 15.6 million additional people eligible for the program, and CBO estimates that 13.6 million would ultimately enroll. The vast majority of those new Medicare enrollees would come from other sources of insurance, such as Medicaid and employer-sponsored coverage. A relatively small number of new enrollees 900,000 would otherwise have been uninsured, but would become insured by Medicare as a result of this policy change.
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What Is Ssa 3368
Complete the SSA-3368 to obtain basic information about the claimant’s condition, sources of medical evidence, and other information needed to process the claim to completion. Additionally, the claimant must sign medical release forms SSA-827 so that SSA may obtain medical records from his or her treating sources.
When Can I Get Medicare
When making a decision about which health insurance plan is right for you, keep in mind that there is a waiting period to receive Medicare.
Typically, it takes a minimum of 6 months to start receiving disability income from the time that you submit your application.
You may be wondering, How long does it take for Medicare to go into effect one I apply?
Once you receive a positive disability decision, there is a lengthy waiting period for Medicare coverage.
After receiving approval, you will need to wait 24 months before your coverage starts.
Know that there are a few options to cover your healthcare costs while you wait. You do not have to go uninsured during the 24-month waiting period. Here are the three options typically recommended:
Note that if you enrolled in a Marketplace health insurance plan before getting Medicare, you can keep your original plan as supplemental insurance when you enroll for Medicare.
However, if this is what you decide to do, know that you will lose your premium tax credits and other savings for your Marketplace plan.
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Ask Larry: Is This Widow Eligible For Medicare Benefits
Social Security may be one of your largest assets. What and when you collect will make a huge difference to your lifetime benefits.
Todays column examines widow’s benefits availability and when it might be best to take them in conjunction with retirement benefits, the earnings test, and other questions about spousal benefits and Medicare eligibility.
Ask Larry about Social Security: I cover a broad range of economic topics including personal finance particularly Social Security. You can submit a question by clicking on the link below. Questions submitted to Ask Larry are answered by Social Security experts.
Laurence J. Kotlikoff is a William Fairfield Warren Professor and Professor of Economics at Boston University, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Fellow of the Econometric Society, a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research. Professor Kotlikoff received his B.A. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1973 and his Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University in 1977. Kotlikoff is the Director of the Fiscal Analysis Center and President of Economic Security Planning, Inc., a company specializing in financial planning software: Maximize My Social Security. Recent books: Get Whats YoursThe Revised Secrets to Maxing Out Your Social Security Benefits , The Economic Consequences of the Vickers Commission, The Clash of Generations , Jimmy Stewart is Dead and Spend Til the End.
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How Social Security Could Affect You
During your employment in a SERS-covered job, you do not pay into Social Security or accrue any Social Security benefits. However, most members have worked in one or more jobs covered by Social Security at some point during their lives.
If you are eligible for a Social Security benefit when you either retire with SERS or begin receiving a disability benefit, your Social Security benefit may be affected by federal law regulating Social Security benefits for public employees in non-Social Security states like Ohio. Your Social Security benefit may be reduced by either the Government Pension Offset or the Windfall Elimination Provision .
The federal law does not affect your SERS pension it affects only your Social Security benefit. Your SERS payment would not be reduced because of these Social Security laws. To learn more about the WEP and GPO penalties, read the Social Security Handout.
The following is provided as general information. For more detailed information on the GPO and WEP and how they may affect your specific Social Security benefit, you should contact your local Social Security Administration office, visit the SSA website, or call the SSA toll-free at 1-800-772-1213.
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Special Circumstances: Medicare With Als Or End
Medicare eligibility rules for people with ALS or end-stage renal disease are different. Individuals who qualify for Medicare with ALS or ESRD do not have to wait for your 25th month of disability to be eligible for Medicare.
If you qualify with ALS: You will automatically get Medicare Part A and Part B the month your disability benefits begin.7
If you qualify with ESRD:8
- For most people, Medicare coverage will start on the 1st day of the 4th month of dialysis treatment.
- If you have an employer group health plan, Medicare will begin on the fourth month of dialysis.
- Treatments if you have employer coverage.
- If you participate in an at-home dialysis training program, your coverage may begin the first month of a regular course of dialysis provided the following are true:
- You participated in training from a Medicare-approved training facility for the first three months of your regular dialysis
- Your doctor expects you to finish training and be able to do your dialysis treatments yourself
Note, according to Medicare in order to qualify with ESRD all of the below must apply:9
For further information related to ALS and Medicare, visit www.alsa.org.
For further information related to ESRD and Medicare, visit www.medicare.gov.
Already Enrolled In Medicare
If you have Medicare, you can get information and services online. Find out how to .
If you are enrolled in Medicare Part A and you want to sign up for Part B, please complete form CMS-40B, Application for Enrollment in Medicare Part B . If you are applying for Medicare Part B due to a loss of employment or group health coverage, you will also need to complete form CMS-L564, Request for Employment Information.
You can use one of the following options to submit your enrollment request under the Special Enrollment Period:
Note: When completing the forms CMS-40B and CMS-L564:
- State I want Part B coverage to begin in the remarks section of the CMS-40B form or online application.
- If possible, your employer should complete Section B.
- If your employer is unable to complete Section B, please complete that portion as best as you can on their behalf and submit one of the following forms of secondary evidence:
- Income tax form that shows health insurance premiums paid.
- W-2s reflecting pre-tax medical contributions.
- Pay stubs that reflect health insurance premium deductions.
- Health insurance cards with a policy effective date.
- Explanations of benefits paid by the GHP or LGHP.
- Statements or receipts that reflect payment of health insurance premiums.
Some people with limited resources and income may also be able to get .
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Mother’s Or Father’s Benefits
If you take care of your deceased spouse’s adopted or biological child, you may be eligible for mother’s or father’s benefits. In some cases, taking care of stepchildren, grandchildren, and even step-grandchildren may qualify for benefits.
Here are the requirements for eligibility for mother’s or father’s benefits.
- You take care of your deceased spouse’s child who is eligible for survivors benefits on your spouse’s earnings record and is under the age of 16 or disabled.
- You have not remarried.
- You aren’t entitled to a higher benefit amount based on your own earnings record, and
- You aren’t eligible for DWB .
If you get remarried. If you remarry at any age, you can’t get mother’s or father’s benefits anymore. However, if your subsequent marriage ends, your benefits can be restarted. Same-sex marriage counts as remarriage only if you live in a state that recognizes same-sex marriage.
Social Security: What Every Woman Needs To Know
When do I become eligible for benefits?
- As a worker: You must work and pay Social Security taxes for at least 10 years , and be at least 62 years old.
- As a spouse or divorced spouse: You must be at least 62 years old. If you are divorced, you must have been married to your ex-spouse for at least 10 years and currently be unmarried.
- As a widow: You must be at least 60 years old . If you are divorced, you can claim the survivors benefit if you were married at least 10 years and are currently unmarried .
If I qualify for more than one benefit, can I receive the total amount of both?
No. You will receive the benefit amount that provides you with the higher monthly benefit, but you do not receive both benefits added together.
When can I receive Social Security retirement benefits?You may receive full benefits at full retirement age. Full retirement age is increasing gradually until it reaches age 67 for those who were born 1960 or later. See the chart below.
| Year of Birth |
| 67 |
What happens to my benefit if I claim early?
If you start your benefits early, your benefits are reduced permanently. Your benefit is reduced about one-half of one percent for each month you start your Social Security before your full retirement age. For example, if your full retirement age is 67 and you sign up for Social Security when you are 62, you would only get 70% percent of your full benefit.
What happens to my benefit if I delay claiming it?
Can I work and still receive my Social Security benefit?
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Should I Take Medicare Part B
You should take Medicare Part A when you are eligible. However, some people may not want to apply for Medicare Part B when they become eligible.
You can delay enrollment in Medicare Part B without penalty if you fit one of the following categories.
Employer group health plans may cover items normally not covered by Medicare Part B. If so, and you meet one of the categories above or below, then you may not need to enroll in Medicare Part B and pay the monthly premium.
If you are:
- a spouse of an active worker
- a disabled, active worker
- a disabled spouse of an active worker
and choose coverage under the employer group health plan, you can refuse Medicare Part B during the automatic or initial enrollment period. You wait to sign up for Medicare Part B during the special enrollment period, an eight month period that begins the month the group health coverage ends or the month employment ends, whichever comes first.
You will not be enrolling late, so you will not have any penalty.
If you choose coverage under the employer group health plan and are still working, Medicare will be the “secondary payer,” which means the employer plan pays first.
If the employer group health plan does not pay all the patient’s expenses, Medicare may pay the entire balance, a portion, or nothing. An employer group health plan must be primary or nothing.
If You’re Already Receiving Retirement Benefits
For those already being paid retirement benefits, they can only apply for benefits as a widow or widower if the current retirement benefit being received is less than the survivor benefit. In other words, they’ll pay you the higher of the two benefits. However, both benefits cannot be combined and taken at the same time.
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