How Do I Apply For My Social Security Retirement Benefits

Do We Pay Death Benefits

A one-time lump-sum death payment of $255 can be paid to the surviving spouse if they were living with the deceased. If living apart, they were receiving certain Social Security benefits on the deceaseds record.

If there is no surviving spouse, the payment is made to a child who is eligible for benefits on the deceaseds record in the month of death.

Federal Insurance For Private Pensions

If your company runs into financial problems, you’re likely to still get your pension.

• Insures most private-sector defined-benefit pensions. These are plans that typically pay a certain amount each month after you retire. These are single-employer plans. Multi-employer plans have different coverage.

• Covers most cash-balance plans. Those are defined-benefit pensions that allow you to take a lump-sum distribution.

• Does not cover government and military pensions, 401k plans, IRAs, and certain others.

How Are Social Security Benefits Calculated

The Social Security Administration uses your average monthly earnings from up to 35 years of work history to calculate your “primary insurance amount,” or the benefit you’d receive at full retirement age. That calculation includes income up to the “taxable maximum” amount, which is $160,200 for 2023.

After determining the number of years worked, Social Security chooses the years with the highest earnings, taking inflation into account, takes the sum of those earnings, and then divides it by the total number of months worked during those years. The resulting average is then rounded down to the next lower dollar amount.

Your earnings are then indexed so that future benefits are reflected in the current standard of living to help offset inflation. This “average indexed monthly earnings” number is then used to calculate your monthly benefit. The maximum Social Security benefit for someone at full retirement age in 2023 is $3,627.

If you are a spouse or ex-spouse of someone who has contributed to Social Security through taxes, you may be able to claim part of their benefits. You can either choose to receive that share or a payout based on your own work history, depending on whichever amount is greater.

The Social Security Administration provides calculators for estimating your future benefits. Creating a My Social Security account online is a great way to see your current benefits or expected payouts for when you plan to retire.

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How Do I Apply For Supplemental Security Income

SSI is an income assistance program administered by the SSA for people who are elderly , blind, or disabled or whose income follows these guidelines: . For the most current information on SSI requirements, please call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 or visit . You can generally expect an answer on whether you are eligible for SSI within two to six months.

Benefits For Your Divorced Spouse

If you are divorced, your ex-spouse can receive benefits based on your record if:

• Your marriage lasted 10 years or longer.
• Your ex-spouse is unmarried.
• Your ex-spouse is age 62 or older.
• The benefit that your ex-spouse is entitled to receive based on their own work is less than the benefit they would receive based on your work.
• You are entitled to Social Security retirement or disability benefits.

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How Does Pension Insurance Work In Germany

As an important part of the social security system, German pension insurance is represented throughout Germany. The pension insurance office advises on pension and retirement provision issues, pays a pension in the event of reduced earning capacity or in old age and also offers various benefits during working life.

Calculate The Best Time To Start Social Security

If you are confused about when to start, you can use the Social Security Explorer part of the NewRetirement Retirement Planner to compare your monthly income and maximum lifetime payout at different ages.

Or, you might consider the following rules of thumb:

• Take Early: The only people who should consider taking their Social Security early are those who absolutely need the money immediately, or those who do not expect to live for very long, due to illness
• Take at Full Retirement Age: Should you have reason to believe that you will not live past the age of 80, then generally speaking you will maximize your social security benefits if you take them when you reach your Full Retirement Age.
• Wait as Long as Possible: On the other hand, if you are confident that you will live past the age of 80 or 85, then most experts recommend that you defer your social security for as long as you can , so as to maximize the benefits you receive from it.
• Other: If you have dependent children, the additional benefits you receive for them might make filing when you are younger worthwhile.

It can also be a very good idea to have an overall retirement plan before you decide when to start your Social Security benefits. The NewRetirement Retirement Planner can help you assess all of your sources of retirement income and whether or not you will have enough to cover your expenses. This tool was recently named a best retirement calculator by the American Association of Individual Investors .

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How To Withdraw Your Application

You have 60 days to cancel an approved withdrawal. After that, you will lose any possible entitlement for the period covered by your original application.

How Do You Avoid Windfall Elimination Provision

It has a maximum deduction equal to one-half of your pension payment. To avoid the WEP, youll need to work at least 30 years in a qualifying position with substantial earnings .

Will my foreign pension affect my Social Security?

Your foreign pension will not cause WEP to apply to your U.S. Social Security benefit.

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A You Can Continue Working And Start Receiving Your Retirement Benefits

If you start your benefits before your full retirement age, your benefits are reduced a fraction of a percent for each month before your full retirement age.

You can get Social Security retirement benefits and work at the same time before your full retirement age. However your benefits will be reduced if you earn more than the yearly earnings limits.

After you reach your full retirement age, we will recalculate your benefit amount to give you credit for any months you did not receive a benefit because of your earnings. We will send you a letter that explains any increase in your benefit amount.

If you delay filing for your benefits until after full retirement age, you will be eligible for delayed retirement credits that would increase your monthly benefit. If you also continue to work, you will be able to receive your full retirement benefits and any increase resulting from your additional earnings when we recalculate your benefits. Once you reach full retirement age, your earnings do not affect your benefit amount.

If you start receiving retirement benefits before age 65, you are automatically enrolled in Original Medicare when you turn 65. If you or your spouse are still working and covered under an employer-provided group health plan, talk to the personnel office before signing up for Medicare Part B. To learn more, read our Medicare publication.

Who Is Eligible For Social Benefits In Germany

Who can get social benefits in Germany? Everyone who is employed in Germany and earns more than 450 Euros a month is part of German social security. If you are part of the German social security system, you have unemployment insurance, health insurance, pension insurance and so on. The same applies to students and family members.

Do I have to pay for German pensioners health insurance?

Usually, once you start to claim your German pension you must start paying for compulsory pensioners health insurance. This may be supplemented by the government and it will be deducted directly from your pension payments. How much you pay depends on the amount of pension benefit payments you receive.

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Apply Online For Disability Benefits

Social Security offers an online disability application you can complete at your convenience. Apply from the comfort of your home or any location at a time most convenient for you. You do not need to drive to your local Social Security office or wait for an appointment with a Social Security representative.

You can use the online application to apply for disability benefits if you:

• Are age 18 or older
• Are not currently receiving benefits on your own Social Security record
• Are unable to work because of a medical condition that is expected to last at least 12 months or result in death: and
• Have not been denied disability benefits in the last 60 days. If your application was recently denied for medical reasons, the Internet Appeal is a starting point to request a review of the medical determination we made.

• Print and review the Adult Disability Checklist.

  It will help you gather the information you need to complete the application.

We suggest that you have the following information at hand. It will make completing the application much easier.

We may ask you to provide documents to show that you are eligible, such as:

Important

We accept photocopies of W-2 forms, self-employment tax returns or medical documents, but we must see the original of most other documents, such as your birth certificate.

Mailing Your Documents

After we receive your online application, we will:

If You Don’t Have All Of The Documents

Even if you don’t have everything, don’t delay applying for Social Security retirement benefits. You can provide the missing documents later. We may be able to help you get them.

In many cases, your local Social Security office can contact your state Bureau of Vital Statistics and verify your information online at no cost to you or find other ways to get the information we need.

If you delay signing up, you could lose some benefits you may be due.

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D You Can Stop Working And Not Begin Receiving Your Retirement Benefits

We calculate your benefits based on your highest 35 years of earnings. If you stop working before you have 35 years of earnings, or you have low earnings for some years, this will affect your benefit calculation. However, if you wait to start benefits after you reach full retirement age, your benefits will increase for each month you do not receive them until you reach age 70. There is no incentive to delay filing for your benefits after age 70.

If you are not receiving your Social Security benefits when you turn 65, you will need to apply for Original Medicare three months before you turn 65. If you dont sign up for Medicare Part B when youre first eligible at age 65, you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty for as long as you have Medicare coverage.

How Credits Are Earned

Since 1978, you earn up to a maximum of four credits per year.

The amount of earnings it takes to earn a credit may change each year. In 2022, you earn one Social Security or Medicare credit for every $1,510 in covered earnings each year. You must earn $6,040 to get the maximum four credits for the year.

During your lifetime, you might earn more credits than the minimum number you need to be eligible for benefits. These extra credits do not increase your benefit amount. The average of your earnings over your working years, not the total number of credits you earn, determines how much your monthly payment will be when you receive benefits.

Read our publication, “How You Earn Credits,” for more information.

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How Do I Apply For Social Security Retirement Benefits

You can apply for retirement benefits up to four months before you want to start receiving your benefits. Even if you are not ready to retire, you still should sign up for Medicare three months before your 65th birthday.

The easiest and most convenient way to apply for retirement benefits is by using our online application. You will need to create or log in to your personal mySocial Security account. If we are not able to process your request, you will receive specific information on how to contact us by phone or schedule an appointment.

You can also apply by calling us at 1-800-772-1213 , Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. or visiting your local Social Security Office.

If you live outside of the United States, you can find the office that serves your country of residence on the Social Security Office of Earnings & International Operations page.

After You Submit Your Application

Well send you an acknowledgment letter after we receive your retirement application. We may also contact you if we have questions or need additional information.

Approximately two weeks before your first retirement warrant, weâll mail you a First Payment Acknowledgment Letter that provides important information about your service retirement, including the date and amount of your first retirement check.

You may sign up to receive your retirement checks through direct deposit at the same time you submit your retirement application. To set up direct deposit online, log in to myCalPERS. Go to the Retirement tab and select Payment Options. Alternatively, you can complete and mail the Direct Deposit Authorization to:

CalPERS Benefit Services Division

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Getting A Social Security Number For A New Baby

The easiest way to get a Social Security number for your child is at the hospital after they are born when you apply for your childs birth certificate. If you wait to apply for a number at a Social Security office, there may be delays while SSA verifies your childs birth certificate.

Your child will need their own Social Security number so you can:

• Claim your child as a dependent on your income tax return
• Open a bank account in their name
• Get medical coverage for them
• Apply for government services for them

Questions To Ask Yourself Before Retiring

As you plan, consider these important questions:

• At what age do you plan to retire?
• Can you participate in an employer’s retirement savings plan? This includes 401 plans and traditional pension plans.
• If you have a spouse or partner, will they retire when you do?
• Where do you plan to live when you retire? Will you downsize, rent, or own your home?
• Do you expect to work part-time?
• Will you have the same medical insurance you had while working? Will your insurance coverage change?
• Do you want to travel or pursue a costly, new hobby?

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Getting The Maximum Amount Because Of A Current Or Former Spouse’s Work

If youre eligible because of a spouses work, the amount is at its highest at your Full Retirement Age” . It doesnt increase if you wait and apply after that time. If your spouse has passed away, you may be eligible for Survivor benefits starting at age 60, or at age 50 if you are disabled.

Learn more about Spouse and Survivor benefits.

Examples Of Deemed Filing Rules

Example 1: Maria turns age 62 after January 1, 2016. Her husband, Joe, is 65. They have each worked enough years to earn a retirement benefit. In March of 2020, Maria has reached her full retirement age and files for benefits. Maria is eligible for a spousal benefit on Joes record. Maria must file for both benefits. She can no longer file only for the spousal benefit and delay filing for her own retirement. She will receive a combination of the two benefits that equals the higher amount.

Example 2: Jennie is a 62-year-old widow. She is eligible for retirement benefits based on her work history, and she is also eligible for survivor benefits based on her deceased husbands record. She starts her survivor benefit this year and only applies for widows benefits. She does not start her own retirement benefit, allowing it to grow. At age 70, she starts her own increased retirement benefit, which she will receive for the rest of her life. The new law does not affect her because deemed filing does not apply to widows and widowers. Jennie will receive the higher of the two benefits

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Effect Of Delaying Retirement Benefits

1Represents Full Retirement Age based on DOB January 2, 1960

2PIA = The primary insurance amount is the basis for benefits that are paid to an individual

That higher baseline would last for the rest of your retirement and serve as the basis for future increases linked to inflation. While its important to consider your personal circumstancesâits not always possible to wait, particularly if you are in poor health or cant afford to delayâthe benefits of waiting can be significant.

Be aware that if you decide to wait past age 65, you may still need to sign up for Medicare. In some circumstances your Medicare coverage may be delayed and cost more if you dont sign up at age 65. If you start Social Security benefits early, youll automatically be enrolled into Medicare Parts A and B when you turn age 65.

Your annual Social Security statement will list your projected benefits between age 62 to 70, assuming you continue to work and earn about the same amount through those ages. If you need a copy of your annual statement, you can request one or view it online on the Social Security Administration portal.