Social Security problem

[marybourg]

Since my DH died, I’ve been having a terrible time getting S.S. to bump up my payments as a widow. It’s been going on for months, and I’ve enlisted the help of my congressperson’s office. This has gotten me some attention, finally, but strange letters with bizarre computations still arrive. Now they’re starting to play around with my Medicare deductions.

I’m just wondering if anyone else is, or has had, this problem.

[elleng]

1. Fortunately I haven't. Good your congressperson's involved,

but have you thought of retaining an attorney?

Good luck

[marybourg]

2. Not quite ready for that.

Willing to stick with the congressperson for a while longer, since between overpayment mistakes, and underpayment mistakes, I’m about even at the moment. LOL. But it’s very stressful, on top of the stress of losing DH. I was wondering how common this is. I don’t know anyone else who’s had this problem.

I also wonder how many lawyers have dealt with this type of problem, as against SS Disability, which is very different. This is like : just do your job correctly, no judgment involved. Would you think this is a mandamus action? Or do I need a special bill? I hope I’m only joking, but . . .

[elleng]

3. A quick google search suggest to me there are LOTS of these,

but tho don't know exact nature of the problem, can't give you a tailored answer.

[marybourg]

4. Lots of lawyers? Or lots of people having problems?

[elleng]

5. Lawyers, suggesting lots of people having problems.

[marybourg]

6. Yeah, but from what I see, they do ss disability hearings, which is a whole different system.

I haven’t seen any lawyers specializing in the regular ss system problems, where their fees are not provided for, as they are in the ss disability system. But if you are seeing something different, I would appreciate your search terms.

[question everything]

7. Is there SS office close by?

I found out that walking there and talking to someone and have all the computations done in front of you can help.

On the other hand, I think that the woman who helped us was an unusual staff member. I even wrote to the acting director commending her.

[marybourg]

9. Yes, I was there months ago and they filed an

appeal for me. I never got a response to it!.

[question everything]

10. Go again. Ask them to follow

[marybourg]

12. Well, there already seem to be two groups

working at cross-purposes on my account, adding and subtracting money. I do want to stick with the congressperson's constituent service person for a while longer. He has higher level contacts than I could reach.And he absorbs a lot of the aggravation.I was just wondering if anyone else is or was having this problem.

[delisen]

8. If you get a letter from ss saying they overpaid you in a

month or more and are going to deduct those amounts from future checks you might call them and tell them repayment would be a hardship for you. They may exempt you from repayment.

[marybourg]

11. I don't want them to exempt me from re-payment

for what they think was a month's overpayment. I want them to recognize that I'm entitled to the correct amount ( the amount DH was getting before his death) every month.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

13. It should be pretty straightforward.

It's possible you misunderstand exactly what you are entitled to. Now that you are a widow (and I am sorry for your loss, it's never easy) you are entitled to 100% of what your husband's SS amount was. I'm guessing that's more than what you were collecting on your own.

As others have suggested, make an appointment with your local Social Security office.

And Medicare deductions are likewise straightforward. I'm forgetting what it currently is, but it's not a variable amount.

Speaking about my own personal experience with Social Security, I'm a divorced spouse. When I turned 66, my full retirement age, in 2014, I was able to collect 50% of what would be his SS when he turned 66, his full retirement age. He's four years younger, so the numbers actually work out quite nicely. Anyway, I collected that amount for the next four years, until I turned 70. A few months before my birthday I got a letter from Social Security telling me that I need to start collecting on my own, as it would be more money than the spousal amount. Which I already knew. Here's the crucial part. I needed to go in person to the local Social Security office to make the change. I'd been able to do the original claim, the one against his account, over the phone. Not the new one. I had to go in person. Which I did. It was straightforward, the change was made, and I started collecting about $500/month more on my own account.

If my ex dies, I will become one of his widows. He's currently married to someone else, so she'd be a widow also. Depending on exactly how long he lives, and I certainly hope he makes it to age 70, I would then collect at least another $500/month, raising my SS payment quite nicely. Alas for me, his family is quite long lived, typically well into their 90s. Since I'm four years older than he is, my chance of outliving him isn't all that great.

[marybourg]

14. Yes, it's supposed to be so straightforward that on their website

they tell you not to do anything; that *in most cases* they up you to your spouse’s higher benefit amount automatically. In my case, it didn’t work.

Most recently, they dumped a wad of cash into my account to make up for not bumping me up for several months, but no letter came explaining it, just a letter re-stating the old, now-incorrect amount and babbling on about my now having to pay for medicare (which I’ve been doing for 12years)!

I appreciate the condolences. I know it will be straightened out eventually, especially since the constituent service guy at my congresspersons office is running interference for me ( I think he’s responsible for the wad), but it’s upsetting not to know whether and how much I’m going to get when the payment date rolls around each month, until I finally see the deposit. Or not.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

15. I'm a bit puzzled that you don't seem to know exactly how much you should be getting.

It shouldn't be a mystery. If your husband was getting SS, you should get his amount, now that you are his widow. I really hope the constituent services guy at your Congressperson's office will work this out. That is exactly what they are there for.

What distresses me is that this isn't happening in a straightforward manner. As I said above, I made the switch from collecting as a divorced spouse to my own account with no problem whatsoever, and got exactly what I thought I should get. I will encourage you again to go to your local SS office in person.

I do understand that the uncertainty involved is at best troublesome. But I'm sure it also adds to your personal financial insecurity, and that is very difficult.

I do hope you keep us informed on this. Especially if you can finally figure out what went wrong and how others of us could avoid similar problems.

[marybourg]

16. I know exactly how much I should be getting-

the same amount my DH was getting when he was alive. I was on his account and getting half. The most straightforward of situations. Unfortunately, in my case, they seem to be unable to apply the simple rule. For months. Even after an appeal. To which they never responded.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

17. I apologize for my poor reading skills.

And I am so sorry you are going through all this hassle. My own relatively brief dealings with Social Security have been slightly tedious, but not complicated.

[marybourg]

19. Thank you . Problem finally corrected. After nearly 4 months.

[marybourg]

18. Problem corrected.

Thanx to all. Finally - after nearly 4 months- Social Security sent a corrected statement of benefits. The takeaway from this: if a problem with a federal agency doesn’t get cleared up in a reasonable time, go to your congresspersons office for help. Even if she/he is a publican.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

20. Hooray! Hooray!

And yes, constituent services are really the most important thing a Congressperson does.