ArcaMax

In the 28 years I've been writing this column, I bet I've written 128 columns about the most common questions I get. However, I suppose not everyone is clipping those columns and pasting them into their Social Security scrapbook, because I keep getting the same questions repeatedly. Here comes column number 129, with answers to some of the questions I am most frequently asked.

Q: I'm 62. My husband is 67 and getting Social Security. Can I file for spousal benefits on his record now and save my own until I'm 70?

A: No, you can't do that. Social Security law has a "deemed filing" rule. It essentially say this: If you file for a Social Security benefit, you are deemed to be filing for all other benefits you are due at the same time. So, in your case, if you did file for spousal benefits, you must file for your own benefits at the same time. You will be paid your own benefit first. Then, if you are due any extra benefits from your husband's account, they will be tacked on to your monthly Social Security check.

Q: I am 60 and not working. My husband recently died. Can I file for widow's benefits now and save my own until I am 70?

A: Yes, you can do that. That "deemed filing" rule I mentioned above does not apply to widows. So you can file for widow's benefits now, and then switch to 100% of your own at full retirement age, or wait until 70 and get about 130%. Or, depending on the money amounts involved, you might be ahead to file for retirement benefits at age 62 (the earliest you can do that), and then at full retirement age, switch to 100% widow's benefits. And FYI: widow's claims cannot be done online. They must be filed in person by calling the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213.

Q: If I die, what will my wife get?

A: The answer depends on several factors. But assuming you die well after your full retirement age, and assuming your wife is over her full retirement age when you die, as a general rule, she will get what you were getting at the time of death. Quick example. You are 85 and getting $1,800 per month. Your wife is 82 and getting $1,200 per month. When you die, she will keep getting her $1,200, and then she will get an additional $600 in widow's benefits.

Q: I took my benefits at 70, so I get an extra 32% added to my retirement rate. When I die, will my wife's widow's benefit be based on my augmented age 70 rate, or on my full retirement rate?

A: It will be based on your age 70 rate. And just to clarify a little further. A benefit paid to a spouse whose husband is still alive is based on his full retirement age rate. But as I just said, a widow's benefit is based on the age 70 rate (assuming the husband waited until 70 to claim his benefits).

Q: I am 62 and already retired. I was planning to wait until 67 to file for Social Security. But someone told me that I should file now because if I die before filing for benefits, my wife won't get any widow's benefits on my record. Is this true?

A: No, it is not true. Assuming your wife meets all the eligibility requirements, she will get widow's benefits whether you were getting Social Security before you died.

Q: I'm already getting my Social Security but I'm still working. Will my additional income and the taxes I'm paying increase my Social Security check?

A: It depends. Your original benefit was based on your average monthly wage using your highest 35 years of inflation-adjusted earnings. If the earnings you have now are higher than the lowest inflation-adjusted year used in your original computation, the SSA will drop out that lower year, add in the new higher year, and adjust your benefit accordingly. But don't expect a windfall. Your benefit might go up by maybe $20 per month for a year of good earnings.

Q: When my father died, why did we have to return his last check?

A: Several rules come into play here. First, Social Security benefits have never been prorated. Second, benefits are always paid one month behind. And third, the law says you must live an entire month to be due a Social Security check for that month.

Here is a quick example. John dies on Aug. 24. The Social Security check that comes in September (the payment for August) must be returned.

That's the downside to the lack of proration. But there are two upsides. One: Let's say John started his benefits when he was 66 and that he turned 66 on June 22. He would get a check for the whole month of June, even though he was 66 for only eight days of the month. Two: If John left a widow, she would get widow's benefits for the whole month of August, even though she was a widow for only seven days of the month.

Q: We would like to talk to you personally about our Social Security situation. We'd be willing to pay you. Can we please call you to discuss this?

A: I'm sorry, but because of the high volume of emails I get from my readers around the country, I simply don't have the time to provide personal service or work on individual Social Security cases.

But for fifteen bucks, I can give you the kind of help that might even be better than a personal consultation. Buy my little Social Security guidebook called "Social Security - Simple and Smart." In that book, you'll find 10 fact sheets that cover just about any Social Security situation you might encounter. Another of my books you'd find interesting is called "Social Security: 100 Myths and 100 Facts." You can find either book at Amazon.com.

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If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has two books with all the answers. One is called "Social Security -- Simple and Smart: 10 Easy-to-Understand Fact Sheets That Will Answer All Your Questions About Social Security." The other is "Social Security: 100 Myths and 100 Facts." You can find the books at Amazon.com or other book outlets. Or you can send him an email at thomas.margenau@comcast.net. To find out more about Tom Margenau and to read past columns and see features from other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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