5 Facts You Might Not Know About Social Security
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: July 19, 2018
Most people know at least something about Social Security. For decades, Social Security has been providing valuable information and tools to help you build financial security. Here’s your opportunity to find out a little more, with some lesser-known facts about Social Security.
1. Social Security pays benefits to children.
Social Security pays benefits to unmarried children whose parents are deceased, disabled, or retired. See Benefits for Children for the specific requirements.
2. Social Security can pay benefits to parents.
Most people know that when a worker dies, we can pay benefits to surviving spouses and children. What you may not know is that under certain circumstances, we can pay benefits to a surviving parent. Read our Fact Sheet Parent’s Benefits, for the details.
3. Widows’ and widowers’ payments can continue if remarriage occurs after age 60.
Remarriage ends survivor’s benefits when it occurs before age 60, but benefits can continue for marriages after age 60.
4. If a spouse draws reduced retirement benefits before starting spouse’s benefits (his or her spouse is younger), the spouse will not receive 50 percent of the worker’s benefit amount.
Your full spouse’s benefit could be up to 50 percent of your spouse’s full retirement age amount if you are full retirement age when you take it. If you qualify for your own retirement benefit and a spouse’s benefit, we always pay your own benefit first. (For example, you are eligible for $400 from your own retirement and $150 as a spouse for a total of $550.) The reduction rates for retirement and spouses benefits are different. If your spouse is younger, you cannot receive benefits unless he or she is receiving benefits (except for divorced spouses). If you took your reduced retirement first while waiting for your spouse to reach retirement age, when you add spouse’s benefits later, your own retirement portion remains reduced which causes the total retirement and spouses benefit together to total less than 50 percent of the worker’s amount. You can find out more on our website.
5. If your spouse’s retirement benefit is higher than your retirement benefit, and he or she chooses to take reduced benefits and dies first, your survivor benefit will be reduced, but may be higher than what your spouse received.
If the deceased worker started receiving reduced retirement benefits before their full retirement age, a special rule called the retirement insurance benefit limit may apply to the surviving spouse. The retirement insurance benefit limit is the maximum survivor benefit you may receive. Generally, the limit is the higher of:
- The reduced monthly retirement benefit to which the deceased spouse would have been entitled if they had lived, or
- 82.5 percent of the unreduced deceased spouse’s monthly benefit if they had started receiving benefits at their full retirement age (rather than choosing to receive a reduced retirement benefit early).
Social Security helps secure your financial future by providing the facts you need to make life’s important decisions.
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Tags: retirement benefits, Social Security benefits
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Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
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Estella F.
Are there classes to be informed on
SS . I like to learn though live sessions questions and anwers.
R.F.
Hello Estella. YouTube – Social Security Administration
We post informational videos and public service announcements (PSAs) on YouTube to help increase awareness of our programs and services and drive traffic to online services on socialsecurity.gov.
Lisette Q.
Is this information available in Spanish?
R.F.
Hello Lisette. For information in Spanish, please visit us at http://www.segurosocial.gov or http://www.facebook.com/segurosocial. For Social Security information in other languages, please visit us at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/multilanguage. Thanks!
Larry B.
Can my wife Karen who retired from the feerl Government receive my SS when I die?
R.F.
Thank you for your question, Larry. A pension based on work that is not covered by Social Security (for example, Federal civil service and some State or local government agencies) may cause the amount of your Social Security benefit to be reduced.
Your benefits can be reduced based on one of two provisions. Your own Social Security benefit can be reduced based on the Windfall Elimination Provision.
If you receive a pension from a government job in which you did not pay Social Security taxes, some or all of your Social Security spouse’s or widow’s benefit may be offset due to receipt of that pension. This offset is referred to as the Government Pension Offset, or GPO.
We hope this information helps!
Larry B.
Can my spouse who retire from the federal government receive my ss when I die?
R.F.
Thank you for your question, Larry. A pension based on work that is not covered by Social Security (for example, Federal civil service and some State or local government agencies) may cause the amount of your Social Security benefit to be reduced.
Your benefits can be reduced based on one of two provisions. Your own Social Security benefit can be reduced based on the Windfall Elimination Provision.
If you receive a pension from a government job in which you did not pay Social Security taxes, some or all of your Social Security spouse’s or widow’s benefit may be offset due to receipt of that pension. This offset is referred to as the Government Pension Offset, or GPO.
We hope this information helps!
David B.
I just got a notice from the Social Security office indicating that I’ve been paid too much, because I had made too much income last year. So in there infinite stupid wisdom they took a whole month’s check from me instead of allowing me to make payments over like 4 or 5 months to pay it off like they did last year. So how am I supposed to get through this month now that I’m $1,000 short plus I still owe another $400 that’s going to come out of my next check to do this better you say you’re so concerned about your people but when it comes to this you don’t give a damn
R.F.
We wish we could be more help David, but for security reasons we do not have access to personal records in this blog. Your local office will be able to assist you.
If you agree that you’ve been paid too much, and that the overpayment amount is correct, you have options for repaying it.
If you’re receiving Social Security benefits, we’ll withhold the full amount of your benefit each month, unless you ask for a lesser withholding amount, and we approve your request. For more information and to learn about appeals and waiver rights, read our publication on “Overpayments“.
If you still have questions, or need further assistance, you should call our toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213. Representatives are available Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Generally you will have a shorter wait time if you call later during the day or later in the week.
Margaret K.
My husband passed on. Oct 20. 2016. He was in The Navy 10 plus years. Is there any benifits. That I. Can get He was not in the navy when he passed on. Thankyou
V.V.
Hi Margaret, We are very sorry for your loss. Generally, there is no reduction of Social Security benefits because of military benefits. However, Social Security survivor benefits may affect benefits payable under the optional Department of Defense Survivors Benefit Plan. You may want to check with the Department of Defense or military advisor for more information on military benefits.
If your husband worked long enough under Social Security, there may be benefits payable to survivors. You may be eligible for reduced widows benefits as early as age 60 (age 50 if disabled) and at any age if caring for the deceased’s child who is under age 16 or disabled and receiving benefits on the deceased’s record. Survivor benefit amounts are based on your husband’s earnings. The more he paid into Social Security, the higher the benefits would be. The benefits will not be established automatically, you will have to contact us. For additional information, visit our Survivors Planner.
TERRENCE C.
Mr. Borland-
Items 4 and 5 of this edition of the publication are very difficult for many of us to follow. Perhaps if they included some specific samples?
Thank you.
R.F.
Thanks for your comment, Terrence! We value your thoughts and will use your suggestions to explore how we can further improve the services we offer. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!
TERRENCE C.
Mr. Borland-
Items 4. and 5. of this are difficult for us to understand. Perhaps a couple of specific examples might help?
Thank you.
Jeanne P.
Why are the GOP so intent upon terrorizing us with threats to steal our social security? Is this actually going to happen?
Paula M.
I have received several phone calls and messages in my voice mail that I have to contact the ASA because my Social Security # has been compromise, I am retired now and don’t know what is.going on.
My email address: rotca55@yahoo.com
The phone calling me, 951-777-0733. Thanks
V.V.
Hi Paula, thanks for reaching out to us. Social Security Administration (SSA) employees occasionally contact citizens by telephone for customer-service purposes. An SSA employee may call you in limited situations, such as if you recently filed a claim or have other Social Security business that is pending. In only a few limited special situations, usually already known to the citizen, an SSA employee may request to confirm personal information over the phone. If you have questions about any communication—email, letter, text or phone call—that claims to be from SSA, please contact your local Social Security office or call us toll free at 1-800-772-1213. Representatives are available to speak with you from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday to verify its legitimacy (TTY number at 1-800-325-0778).