I KNOW I Should Know This... BUT I Don't. My Question Is About SS

[ChiciB1]

and who is entitled to get it. I have a sister who never worked, she lives in Texas and is the only family member I have who isn't a Democrat, one who LOVED "The Idiot," is a very Christian (maybe fundamentalist) type and thinks Rick Perry is great. Sooooo, here's my dilemma. She's 4 years older than me and just last year was able to get Medicare, she was married for many years, but got divorced and got a nice settlement and a monthly income. So she HAS income and she has savings, but is she eligible for Social Security too?

We do get along very well as long as we don't talk politics, and it IS possible to do this because we actually love each other even though I'm actually a LIBERAL type Boomer and at the very least an agnostic too. I talk with her about once a week on the phone and I did want to ask her if she gets SS, but since Perry has called it a Ponzi scheme I don't want to "go there" with her. There is NO WAY she will change her mind about Perry, which is really crazy in and of itself because she really isn't stupid. Other than the obvious here.

So, again... is she eligible for SS? If she is then perhaps I will say something to her because then she's might be a bit stupid! I could look this up, but I'm sure many here already know the answer.

Thanks in advance.

[Raven]

1. I believe that if you have been married to someone eligible

for SS for 10 years or more and then are divorced you are eligible for SS benefits based on the status of your sponse.

[loyalsister]

2. That's a hard one

Someone else would know details. But, if she has a SS# you should be able to look it up and find out.

[ChiciB1]

5. Well, I'm Glad To See I'm Not The Only One Who Doesn't Know This Answer...

Actually she has been divorced for over 10 years and I don't know the inside story about her settlement. I know they made very good money and it was a long drawn out nasty divorce, but I've never asked. She's doing a lot better financially than I am, but as I said her EX made at least 6 figures when they divorced.

He was her only husband and they had been married for over 30 years, so I KNOW that comes into play. I also know that a divorced woman can get part of her ex's SS if it's more than what she gets, but that's a little different.

I may end up having to ask her. YIKES!

[Sal Minella]

11. I believe she can collect one-half of the amount her husband's

SS check is/would be.

I was married for more than ten years, and qualified for one-half of the amount of his SS retirement check.

I have also been informed that, in the event of his death, I would be entitled to the full amount of his SS check.

But he's safe, because I don't know where he is . . . (jk).

(the husband still gets the full amount of his SS whether the ex-wife collects on his contributions or not).

[izquierdista]

3. You need to have 10 years of contributions

The way they figure it, if you have contributed to Social Security for 40 quarters, you will be entitled to benefits when you reach the appropriate age. Housewives, self-employed, cash under the table workers are out of luck, unless they paid FICA tax on their income tax return.

[CC]

17. *Wives married for more than 10 years

before divorce and wives still married get wife benefits and Medicare. Wife's(spouse) benefits is 1 half of the husband. Oh and if the wife is much younger and the couple has kids under 16 the wife can collect benefits for each child. I know a couple where she is 41, he is 68 and the oldest kid is 12. He gets his retirement and a check for each minor dependent.


* actually spouse more than wife though when it was passed wives was what they were thinking about.

[CC]

4. If she was married for

11 years before divorcing she is entitled to wife's benefits & medicare. You can find all kinds of great answers here www.SSA.gov You might want look up the whys, how etc. before you say anything to her. Oh and being a right wing she will tell you she earned it if for no other reason that for staying married over 10 years.

[ChiciB1]

7. NOW You're Getting Into The Area That I Want To Avoid. I Know How She

thinks and your thoughts may not be far off the mark. And she was married to him for a long time.

[CC]

18. After reading more of your posts

if her ex has a pension she will most likely get half of it, specially if they were married 30 years.

[WinkyDink]

6. Spousal benefits:

http://www.socialsecurityretirementincome.com/social-security/social-security-eligibility-2/

[ChiciB1]

9. Thank You... I Think The Answer Is Right Here! Now, I Need To Make

a decision. I mean REALLY!! Get Government out of my life, but GIVE ME MY SS! This "could" get sticky!

[INdemo]

8. Duplicate post

[valerief]

10. She IS stupid. She really, really IS stupid. There's no other explanation

for liking Perry and his ilk.

[ChiciB1]

12. Yes, She REALLY Is! I Can't Understand It At All Either. There Were Six

of us girls and we grew up in the military and never really had much. Back then, the military was a bit more Democratic, as my father was the one who introduced me to The Democratic Party way back when. I can only assume it's because she married someone who had money and she was his "follower" in so many things.

But, when she found out about a very long time mistress, she actually didn't waste any time in ridding herself of him. THAT was smart, but THAT was also anger working! She made out quite well too!

[mysuzuki2]

13. right from the horse's ass here (retired SS worker)

if she was married for over 10 years and is currently unmarried, and is at least 62 and her ex is at least 62, she can receive a divorced spouse benefit. He does not himself have to be drawing a benefit.If he is deceased, she can receive as early as 60. Her finances are unimportant, except for earned income. The divorce settlement is not important. A divorce settlement cannot alienate a right to SS benefits.

[ChiciB1]

14. Thank You Very Much... I'm Thinking I'm Going To Ask Her If She Want

to give he SS up. This probably isn't going to be one of our "better" talks.

Thanks a LOT!

[DURHAM D]

15. And Medicare

She only gets it because she was married for over 10 years.

[ChiciB1]

16. A Point I WASN'T Aware Of... Thought Everyone Was Entitled To Medicare... n/t

[CC]

20. If you don't pay anything in at all

ever you don't qualify for retirement or Medicare. If you have a disability you can qualify for SSI but that is a whole different thing. I grew up listening to stories of irate Posse Comitatus members that obviously changed their minds about the govt. once they hit 65. Some govt. employees enjoyed explaining how SS works to them though there was an element of fear too.

[ChiciB1]

23. Had To Log Off Yesterday, But I Do Need To Tell You That She IS Getting

Medicare, this much I DO know. Wasn't sure about SS, but am going to ask her about it tomorrow when I call her.

And NO, she has NEVER worked other than a short time after school when she couldn't have made more than $.50 an hour. She has told me about getting Medicare because she needed to buy a Supplemental for her meds.

Thanks again to all, I AM going to make sure we "have a talk" because this Perry freak is so very scary!

[CC]

24. She will still get the wife

benefit. I might of gotten confusing there when I went off track to those that pay nothing in ever and are not the spouse of a covered person.

A good thing to remind her of when she is complaining about how much supplemental insurance cost is to imagine if she had to pay for full coverage, if she could get it at all. Perry and the whole GOP scares me. I don't think the country can survive a second round of Bush type tax cuts and deregulation. Seems each time the GOP takes control it gets harder for the next Dem to fix the mess they leave.

[DURHAM D]

21. Nope. But she is because of her marriage.

Actually 40 quarters of work qualifies you for Medicare Part A. If she didn't have 40 quarters she can buy in but it is expensive. 40 quarters of work then allows you to BUY Part B. Depending how long she has been on SS the amount taken from her SS check for Part B is between $90 and $115. If one has not worked 40 quarters they can buy into Part B also but it is also very expensive. But, she doesn't need to worry - her ex-spouse qualified her for these two items.

I think you mentioned that her ex made good money. If her ex is receiving the max then her half is about $1150 a month.

As a person who can not marry I find this spouse add-on system very offensive. All these people (mostly women) who never worked getting good cheap benefits just seems wrong. Also, if her ex has been married to more than one woman for 10 years each then all of them get SS & Medicare off of his one income. The entire SS system is weighted in favor of the non-working spouse couple. People that are disadvantaged by this system are single men, single women and working couples in that order.

[Cleita]

19. Everyone who worked the right amount of months

in certain calendar times as set out by the SS Ad. or who had a spouse who did, even a divorced spouse is eligible for it. It was to keep from having poor, elderly widows and underage children from starving when the main wage earner in their lives died. If she is eligible for SS but doesn't want it, no one will twist her arm to apply for it.

[JoePhilly]

22. "Go there" regarding Perry and SS ...

You can "back into it" if you have to ... here's an approach ...

Tell her you are interested in Perry as a candidate (which is not a lie). And when doing so, send her 3 or 4 links on Perry a few of which are positive endorsements.

But make sure ONE of these articles describes Perry's intent regarding Social Security.

With that done ... the door is now open.

If she responds and only references the positive articles, say "thanks" ... "btw ... what do you think about the other one?" ... in reference to the one on his desire to kill SS.

Good luck.