Why did they cut my wife’s social security benefit in half and what should we do next?

The main points

• Check that the received letter is actually from the Social Security Administration before replying.

• If you are double the right to pay benefits, your spouses’ benefit may decrease if your total check is changing.

• You can always appeal if you do not agree with the change of your social security benefit.

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You depend on your social security checks that you will leave for a financially safe retirement, so it is natural to worry about everything that can be a danger to them, whether it is beneficial taxes or the program’s ability to run out of money. Even if you have your own savings, no one gets out of peace that comes knowing that you have a monthly check, no matter.

That is why it may be really worrying that your benefits will be cut in half. Here’s what happened to one married couple a few months ago after they were involved in social security for 10 years. The couple took Reddit (NYSE: RDDT)Asks for advice on how to proceed:

Fortunately, their story was happy. But it still caused them a lot of stress. Here’s what you should know if you ever get a similar message about an unexpected reduction of benefits.

Review the letter carefully

In the case of Reddit, they received a report that the wife’s spouse’s social security benefits would unexpectedly be reduced in half. They both submitted a program a decade earlier when they were in the full age of the pension (FRAS). Her spouses’ benefit – equivalent to half of her partner’s pension benefit – was worth more than her own pension benefits, so that is the amount she received.

They received a letter that her spouses’ benefit would be reduced and that she had a 60 -day appeal. The couple remained embarrassed and worried.

If this will ever happen to you, you first need to carefully examine the letter to make sure it is actually from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Social security scams exist and they always improve. The threat of reducing or stopping the benefits is the usual tactic scam that uses you to deceive your personal information so they can “correct” it to you.

If you are not sure if the received letter is real, it is better to contact your SSA directly. Do not use any phone numbers, websites or email Email addresses in the letter. Instead, look for your local social security bureau contact information online and use it.

Understand the interaction between pension and spouses’ benefits

In the case of the Reddit Post, the wife had double the right to benefit. This means that she has been working long enough to retire her retirement, and she also was entitled to her spouse’s benefit for her marriage. You may have heard that social security in this case provides only a larger one of the two, but that is not quite true.

The reality is that if you receive a retirement, you always receive it. But you can also get part of your spouse’s benefit if it is a higher than your pension benefit. For example, let’s say your own pension benefit is $ 1,000 a month and your spouses’ benefit is $ 1,500 per month. Social security would give $ 1,000 your own pension benefits and $ 500 your spouse, a total of $ 1500 per month.

The letter received by the couple stated that her spouse’s benefit was only declining. She did not say that her monthly inspections would be reduced, and after a bit of SSA check, the couple learned that she would not.

Although the Reddit record is not in the details, this year the woman’s own pension benefit has increased-the Law on Social Security In good faith has increased. This would have reduced her spouse’s benefit, but her new, higher pension benefit would make the difference, so her checks would remain the same.

If you think that is exactly what happens, it is still worth tracking with SSA to check. You may also want to pay attention to more letters that detail your retirement changes.

If everything else fails, give appeal

When your social security benefits have changed, you will have the opportunity to appeal within 60 days if you think the change is based on inaccurate information. You get a letter you should submit instructions on how to do it. You can also learn more about the appeals on the Social Security Administration website.

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Why did they cut my wife’s social security benefit in half and what should we do next? initially released by The Motley Fool