In case you’re wondering how your collecting after divorce affects your ex-husband’s account, it doesn’t. Grant @KelliGrant.money @kelligrant In light of that, I recommend filing online 2 to 3 months prior to your 62nd birthday. Applying for SSDI is a more difficult decision than anyone can imagine. I don't understand if the wife gets 1/2 of what her husband earns only applies to outliving her husband or does she get 1/2 while they are both alive? Certainly, that money went into the Social Security system. Check the details on survivors benefits on the Social Security Administration’s website for more details. And, like many couples today, you decide in your late 30s that you are financially stable enough and ready to start a family. Note that you cannot collect until you are at least 62 years old. Can you even conceive of it? Very personal. All rights reserved. Forgive me, but I do have to politicize this. FAQs. At the last minute, you decide that staying home and raising your child would be the better choice. But really, it can be any life-threatening illness, one that strikes the family's main caregiver -- be it a stay-at-home mother or a stay-at-home father. AARP has a calculator that parses all the variables. The average survival for someone affected by ALS is three to five years." Not by a long shot. – Or, you’ve worked a part-time or temporary job when the kids were in school, but you didn’t work long enough to earn enough credits to qualify for benefits. As long as your husband worked long enough to qualify for benefits, you can apply. Doing the math, my then fifty-two-year-old sister-in-law would not make it to sixty-seven, the time when she could then start collecting her Social Security retirement benefits. I pointed out to them that in my sister-in-law's case, a prognosis of ALS assures her that she won't make it to retirement age to collect her Social Security retirement benefits, money taken from her payroll check for nearly twenty years. Disability Benefits for Stay-at-Home Moms and Homemakers. So, if your husband will get $1,000 each month, you would get $500. amzn_assoc_linkid = "c7234fdacb692d10f2558592b531d185"; (I'm repeating myself on purpose here, to drill it into your head.) But the question is one that deserves an answer. But then, it occurred to me, it is very possibly extremely personal to many other Americans similarly situated. That way, if there are any questions you need to answer, you can take care of them well in advance. If yes, you may be able to collect benefits on your ex-husband’s earnings record, even if he has remarried. Topics Covered in the Book: How retirement benefits, spousal benefits, and widow(er) benefits are calculated, How to decide the best age to claim your benefit, How Social Security benefits are taxed and how that affects tax planning, Click here to … 3 Answers. But "denied" was the stamp left on her claim form. So where does that leave us, the collective us? And yet as I listen to the debates on both sides of the aisle and watch the ads on TV, listen to pundits sift through the rhetoric and try to translate the garbled messages, I hear nothing about the Social Security rip-off, nothing about what our candidates are willing to do to bring fairness to average American families who pay taxes for benefits they will never receive. At least 62 years old? If your husband has died and you are a widow, you can collect survivors benefits beginning at age 60. amzn_assoc_title = "My Amazon Picks"; There are 2 major considerations for determining if benefits are available to you. A counterargument is that stay-at-home mothers do contribute mightily to the economy as consumers and as part of a taxpaying couple. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; Months become years and the new career you've built for yourself -- raising your child(ren) -- pays you in intrinsic dividends beyond your wildest dreams. Yea I feel like as hard and much as we do then we earn it, even without putting money in. More women are becoming stay-at-home moms. Calculate your benefits based on your actual Social Security earnings record. Check out your Social Security Statement, change your address & manage your benefits online today. As everyone has come to know, thanks to the well-publicized Ice Bucket Challenge of 2014 that raised much-needed funds for research, ALS has a 100 percent mortality rate. Communicating once she had lost the ability to speak. I was a stay-at-home mom most of our marriage of 27 years. Honestly, the second option seems less than rational. Indeed, Social Security reports that almost 50 percent of elderly unmarried females who receive Social Security benefits rely on them for 90 percent or more of their income. “Any time a mom pops off her career path, the implications to her future Social Security benefit are significant,” she says. Scratching an itch, removing a stray hair from her line of sight. See it on Amazon. Social Security Made Simple: Social Security Retirement Benefits and Related Planning Topics Explained in 100 Pages or Less. “Do stay at home moms get Social Security benefits?” My wife asked me that question a few weeks ago after the topic came up over lunch with friends. Register Log In Spondylitis Association of America Forums Questions About USA Social Security Disability Benefits Can stay at home mom collect disability: Forums Calendar Active Threads Forum Help: Previous Thread: Next Thread : Print Thread: Can stay at home mom collect disability #224065 12/28/11 09:57 PM: Joined: Dec 2011. However, the younger a person is when they died the fewer credits needed in order to collect survivors benefits. We hate spam, too! I suggest visiting this Retirement Benefits Planner page to get a complete understanding of your options. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; According to ALS.org, once diagnosed, the patient survives three to five years, only 5 percent will live 20 years or more. In fact, you're still contributing mightily to the local education system through your residential real estate taxes, even though you're not even utilizing them. In fact, it doesn't matter if you've worked your whole life and then stopped. So I took a different tact with Social Security. But not just a dialogue, because this is a topic that is far too important to be an unobtrusive, nor apologetic, conversation. Of help. A surviving spouse can collect 100 percent of the late spouse’s benefit if the survivor has reached full retirement age, but the amount will be lower if the deceased spouse claimed benefits before he or she reached full retirement age. You've worked. Where does it go? Social Security benefits are based on the amount of income you earned during your working life. And there is no cure. Established yourself in the community. At first, unaware of just how costly a catastrophic medical event would become and just how deeply it would strain the once-balanced family budget, my brother and his wife -- like many Americans in the same situation -- tried to make it on their own. If you think you don’t meet the qualifications to collect Social Security benefits, you are most likely wrong. If the Social Security Administration replies with a letter that states that you are ineligible for benefits, don’t accept that determination so easily. She thought she knew the answer, but after hearing the varied opinions of her friends she was confused. Your DLI depends on the date you stopped working (at a job that pays into the Social Security system through FICA taxes). Maybe, like in the case of my sister-in-law, you've not only decided to raise your child, but you've determined that a home-school option is a far better investment in your child. When a homemaker is a caregiver for a child who is receiving Social Security benefits, the homemaker can collect her spousal benefit regardless of her age. By Melissa Linebaugh, Contributing Author. Imagine you're part of a couple (woman or man, doesn't matter) who had a career for 18 years. However,  the amount could be less than your ex-husband’s. Today is National Voter Registration Day! And, like many couples today, you decide in your late 30s that … Simply put, the money you paid into the system is gone, returned to the "pool" for others to use. There is what is called a "recent work test." Let’s take a look at them in more detail. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; Contact them and tell them that you are applying for spousal benefits – benefits not based on your work history, but your husband’s. To pass this test, you must have worked 20 of the last 40 quarters, which is, more simply stated, five of the past ten years. Plenty of women and men make the decision to forget a career and stay home with the kids. Because it occurred to me that we are in an election year. And, your ex-husband is entitled to Social Security retirement benefits or disability benefits. He still gets his full amount regardless of what you receive from Social Security. Posts: 1. Naysayers argue that because stay-at-home moms don’t earn an income, they don’t contribute to the economy or the Social Security coffers. The information provided here is our opinion and should not be construed as medical or financial advice. If you worked after your divorce, you may qualify to collect Social Security on your own earnings record. Have you applied for Social Security spousal benefits? (The law also gives this benefit to a dependent husband, but we know that nearly all dependent spouses are women.) — Planning. Please read our full policy and privacy terms. Well, if you're a parent, you're not used to asking for help. The Social Security System recognizes her value by giving the homemaker "wife" a check for 50% of her husband's benefit over and above the check he receives. Whether you call yourself a homemaker, a housewife, or a stay-at-home-mom, you are entitled to collect Social Security spousal benefits – even if you’ve never worked outside of the home a day in your life! Relevance. It isn’t easy for stay-at-home parents to qualify for Social Security disability benefits — but help is still available for some. A noteworthy point to mention – when filing, make sure to note that you are filing for spousal benefits. En español | When a Social Security beneficiary dies, his or her surviving spouse is eligible for survivor benefits. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; Bought a home. We will never give away, trade or sell your email address. Your Social Security retirement benefits are tied to your husband's. Moms get 16 percent less in Social Security benefits Published Wed, Oct 25 2017 8:30 AM EDT Updated Wed, Oct 25 2017 9:26 AM EDT Kelli B. Is My Wife's Social Security Spousal Benefit Half My Retirement Benefit At 66 Or 70? Neither could my sister-in-law just two short years ago. As I sat down to write this piece, the last thing I wanted to do was politicize my sister-in-law's plight. Because it's personal. Note: If you remarry your benefits generally end unless that marriage later ends in divorce, death, or annulment. Social Security benefits tend to be a bit more complex for divorcees. We made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote! Tap here to turn on desktop notifications to get the news sent straight to you. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "wildernesscat-20"; Rebel Retirement, All Rights Reserved,©2020, Rebel Retirement Privacy Policy, Affiliates Disclosure, and Disclaimer. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; So I have to politicize this. If you’ve been a housewife raising a family, worked temporarily outside of the home, or made money with your husband, but did not earn credits to collect Social Security benefits, you can apply for and receive spousal benefits. Paid taxes. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "rebelretirement-20"; The Social Security Con: How Stay-at-home Moms (or Dads) Lose Their Social Security Disability. amzn_assoc_asins = "1501144766,149293304X,1119375738,0997946512"; The first thing you’ll want to do is open your own social security account. For example, if your husband is collecting $1,200, your check should be around $600.00. However, for whatever reason, you didn’t reach the 40 credits you need in order to collect at retirement. Please read our full policy and privacy terms. The latter of the two alternatives leaves Americans who will one day experience a catastrophic medical event but who have left the workforce to raise a child (or care for an ailing parent), in effect, paying twice for coverage, coverage that should not be denied them by their hard-earned tax dollars in the first place. Say, "I am a disabled person. As I stated earlier, the last thing I wanted to do when I sat down to pen this article was to politicize ALS or any other disease that renders primary caregivers helpless and, as a result, without proper benefits. Without a doubt, the topic of disappearing/reallocated/absconded benefits becomes deeply personal for any family who learns that they are left out in the cold by a system-indeed our government-that takes our money via the FICA contributions in our paycheck and then tells us we don't qualify in a time of true need. But it's not until we discover a crack in the system that we can repair it. If you think you don’t meet the qualifications to collect Social Security benefits, you are most likely wrong. The second choice Americans have, the more prudent one, is to accept that you have given away your hard-earned money without protest (because we can't) to Social Security, funds over which you have no control, and purchase a private long-term disability policy. That's right. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? 4 months ago. And I need help." Social Security benefits, though, can’t be used to pay for a caregiver that you hire, it would simply be a way to help support you financially should you take on the responsibilities as a caregiver. Accept that you have given away your money and then accept what is, in effect, a double-payment because you are forced to pay for a private long-term disability policy. Furthermore, if you are a widow, or are divorced, you are entitled to Social Security benefits as well. Once you’ve done that, it makes filing for Social Security spousal benefits a breeze. However, there are a few things you need to consider before applying. However, in a relatively short period of time, caregivers were required to help my sister-in-law manage her activities of daily living -- dressing, grooming and eating. Social Security for Stay at Home. With a few tweaks and cuts to the family budget, it occurs to you that you can afford to stay home. You are a provider, the one who gives the help, not the one who asks for it. Typically, a person needs to earn wages from a job or self-employment for at least 10 years or earn 40 credits. how do they get it if they never worked? I am confused on Social Security benefits. In addition to survivors benefits, you may qualify for a one-time payment of $255.00 if you were living with your husband at the time of his death, or were receiving benefits on his record. Retirement Estimator. Anonymous. Answer Save. As a spouse, you don’t have to personally contribute to Social Security in order to receive a spousal benefit from Social Security (otherwise there would be no benefit for a stay-at-home mom… You're a provider. And it will become very personal to Americans who will find themselves similarly situated when a member of their family, too, receives a devastating diagnosis like ALS. Believe me, for an individual who has enjoyed a healthy, full life, participating in her community, energetically raising her child -- basically engaging in all her activities of daily living without a struggle -- it was a hard pill to swallow. Do I get any Social Security retirement benefits if I get divorced?” Even though you have not been in the workforce nor built up any Social Security retirement benefits of your own, you are entitled to Social Security retirement benefits if you were married at least 10 years as of the date of divorce. She is not eligible to collect that money until she's sixty-seven. Your Social Security benefit at FRA is based on an average of your monthly income, taken from your highest-paid 35 years of working. Choosing to be a homemaker is a perfectly honorable decision, but if a stay at home spouse becomes disabled they might have a hard time qualifying for social security disability benefits. A year where we are all being bombarded by campaign ads and robocalls trying to persuade us to choose a candidate. However, absent any response from our leaders, the answer, to me, sounds something like this: "Well, you can watch your family member suffer and die, along with your assets, so that, in the end, you are left heartbroken. As long as your husband is collecting retirement or disability benefits from Social Security, you can file to receive social security spousal benefits as well. Liquidate your assets. How many of us can utter that phrase, "I need help"? Americans who work hard and pay into a system that we believe is for our future benefit? amzn_assoc_asins = "1501144766"; – Maybe, you and your husband owned a business, you earned a salary and paid into your Social Security account. Are you unmarried? Whether you call yourself a homemaker, a housewife, or a stay-at-home-mom, you are entitled to collect Social Security spousal benefits – even if you’ve never worked outside of the home a day in your life! In the end, there are two choices, as I see it. Remortgage your home. Social Security Number . But the numbers from a 2014 Pew Research study do show that the number of women who are becoming stay-at-home moms … Suck money from your retirement account. So asking for help, walking into the Social Security office to file a disability claim, is a humbling experience. You may have paid nothing into a Social Security account, or maybe you’ve contributed very little. So you're not just a caregiver to your child, but you're his/her teacher. Social Security Disability benefits evaporate. Of all those things your family needs every day. It is a bold question, a pointed question. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; Perfect! Women are more likely than men to outlive their spouse. See also: 9 Ways to Retire on Social Security Alone. Upon her husband's death, the widow receives the full benefit that her husband had been receiving. Receive Rebel Retirement inspiration to your inbox when we publish our monthly newsletter. Can you do that? This site provides articles of general information/and entertainment on retirement including money, lifestyle, health, and overall well being. What needs to happen, as I see it, as I hope you see it, is a non-rhetorical question posed to our elected officials; that is, a question that requires an answer to the American public as a whole: "What do you suggest I do with my incapacitated family member who paid into Social Security who, in the end, is denied the ability to collect money that the government has reallocated/absconded with/redistributed?". Is that stay-at-home mothers do contribute mightily to the family budget, it doesn ’ t the! Credits needed in order to collect Social Security account, or annulment provider, the a! 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Here to turn on desktop notifications to get a complete understanding of your income..., `` I need help '' does n't matter if you remarry your benefits based on the you! To mention – when filing, make sure to note that you can apply, I recommend filing 2. Working ( at a job or self-employment for at least 62 years old hard and pay into a that! Outlive Their spouse stay-at-home Moms ( or Dads ) Lose Their Social Security ’ re wondering how collecting.