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Social Security beneficiary concerns addressed in recent article

A rising concern among women regarding Social Security benefits was addressed in a recent article. Texas residents may want to research the topic of certain beneficiary concerns that many women have apparently raised. The article focused on issues with regard to former spouses, wives and widows.

According to a 32-year veteran employee of the Social Security Administration, who authored the recent article, issues regarding benefits received in addition to or on top of one’s own benefits can be complicated and confusing for the average person.  The article claims that many women have been given misguided information through unreliable sources. Clarification was offered in the article, pertaining especially to widows who are eligible to receive benefits with  toregard a deceased spouse’s account.

If a woman has earned her own benefits through retirement of paid employment, she is eligible to receive payment when she reaches a certain age. If a woman’s spouse dies when she is past 66 years of age, and she does not receive her own benefit check, then she is typically entitled to 100 percent of her deceased spouse’s benefits. A woman who already receives her own benefits when her spouse dies is eligible for a supplement to be added to her benefits in order to raise the amount to the level previously received by the deceased if it exceeded her own.

Beneficiary concerns can be addressed by Texas residents through legal consultation with a professional who has experience in probate and estate administration matters. Issues of divorce, dual income and a married status each affect benefit eligibility and payments. Future payments of Social Security benefits may be factored in with other assets when planning for the future provision of one’s surviving spouse. It would be prudent to seek professional advice in order to ensure that one is receiving all the benefits to which one is entitled.

Source: tucson.com, “Social Security and You: Benefits for wives, widows, exes“, Tom Margenau, April 11, 2015

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