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Your Social Security Questions Answered

Read answers to reader-submitted Social Security questions from Martha Shedden, NARSSA’s Co-Founder and Chief Learning Officer, and her team of experts. Submit your own question to Martha here.

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If I remarry someone younger than me and not at FRA, how will it impact our Social Security income?

Full question: I am currently widowed. I am still working, but would like to know if I retired at full retirement age and remarried a person that is not of retirement age, how it would impact Social Security income both now and in the future? Hi there, Re-marriage and Social Security can be complicated. You…

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Can I collect my Social Security to make up the difference between my benefit and my survivor benefit?

Full question: My husband is in hospice. When he passes, I will be able to collect his railroad pension, but no longer mine. Can I collect my Social Security to make up for the lost? Hi there, I am sorry about your husband. Railroad retirement benefits and Social Security benefits are similar. There are a…

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Can I collect Social Security from my ex-husband?

Full question: Can I collect my ex-husband’s Social Security at 72, even though we were married for 17 years and I started collecting disability early and then when I became age to get my Social Security it switched over? Hi there, If you were married for at least 10 years, you could be eligible for…

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Will my Medicaid waiver payments reduce my Social Security benefits?

Full question: For caring for my adult disabled child in my home, I receive Medicaid waiver payments designated as “difficulty of care payments” under notice 2014-7, which are excludable from my gross income for both income taxes and FICA. If I begin to collect early retirement benefits before my FRA, do these payments above $19,560…

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I have two disabled children. Am I eligible for ex-spousal benefits?

Full question: I am 61 and divorced. I’m caring for our 2 disabled sons by myself. My ex-husband has remarried and moved 2,000 miles away. He hasn’t retired yet. I’m not working. Am I qualified to claim any of his Social Security on behalf of my sons? Hi there, If you were married for at…

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Am I eligible for ex-spousal benefits as sole caregiver of our disabled child?

Full question: I am the full time caregiver of our disabled 21 year old – we were together for 13 years, married for 9.6 legal and 3 years common law, divorced in 2008 and he has not helped or seen disabled child since. He has just retired – 21 year old disabled daughter is receiving…

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