Social Security: What Every Woman Needs To Know
When do I become eligible for benefits?
- As a worker: You must work and pay Social Security taxes for at least 10 years , and be at least 62 years old.
- As a spouse or divorced spouse: You must be at least 62 years old. If you are divorced, you must have been married to your ex-spouse for at least 10 years and currently be unmarried.
- As a widow: You must be at least 60 years old . If you are divorced, you can claim the survivors benefit if you were married at least 10 years and are currently unmarried .
If I qualify for more than one benefit, can I receive the total amount of both?
No. You will receive the benefit amount that provides you with the higher monthly benefit, but you do not receive both benefits added together.
When can I receive Social Security retirement benefits?You may receive full benefits at full retirement age. Full retirement age is increasing gradually until it reaches age 67 for those who were born 1960 or later. See the chart below.
| Year of Birth |
| 67 |
What happens to my benefit if I claim early?
If you start your benefits early, your benefits are reduced permanently. Your benefit is reduced about one-half of one percent for each month you start your Social Security before your full retirement age. For example, if your full retirement age is 67 and you sign up for Social Security when you are 62, you would only get 70% percent of your full benefit.
What happens to my benefit if I delay claiming it?
Can I work and still receive my Social Security benefit?
You May Need To Do Some Planning With Any Employer Health Insurance
Eligibility for employer-offered group health insurance is one of the primary reasons many people under age 65 stay in, or return to, the work force. If you’re 65 or older and already covered by Medicare, check with your employer’s human resources department about how their insurance coverage would work with your Medicare. In short, Medicare could help pick up the tab for expenses not covered by your group plan, but the rules vary depending on how many employees your employer has. For more information, read “Medicare and Other Health Benefits: Your Guide to Who Pays First.”
If you have private health insurance, compare your benefits and coverage with plans offered by a new employer. Although group plans tend to be less expensive than individual policies, you could be better off keeping your individual policy rather than canceling it and hoping you can get your old coverage and rates back later.
Important Things To Know About Social Security Benefits
Now before we dive into how this may impact Medicare decisions, there are three things to keep in mind.
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How Much Can You Earn While Collecting Widows Benefits In 2020
The Social Security earnings limits are established each year by the SSA. For 2020, those who are younger than full retirement age throughout the year can earn up to $18,240 per year without losing any of their benefits. After that, youll lose $1 of annual benefits for every $2 you make above the threshold.
Can I Work Full Time At 66 And Collect Social Security
When you reach your full retirement age, you can work and earn as much as you want and still get your full Social Security benefit payment. … In addition, as long as you continue to work and receive benefits, we’ll check your record every year to see whether the extra earnings will increase your monthly benefit.
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Already Enrolled In Medicare
If you have Medicare, you can get information and services online. Find out how to .
If you are enrolled in Medicare Part A and you want to enroll in Part B, please complete form CMS-40B, Application for Enrollment in Medicare Part B . If you are applying for Medicare Part B due to a loss of employment or group health coverage, you will also need to complete form CMS-L564, Request for Employment Information.
You can use one of the following options to submit your enrollment request under the Special Enrollment Period:
Note: When completing the forms CMS-40B and CMS-L564
- State I want Part B coverage to begin in the remarks section of the CMS-40B form or online application.
- If possible, your employer should complete Section B.
- If your employer is unable to complete Section B, please complete that portion as best as you can on behalf of your employer without your employers signature and submit one of the following forms of secondary evidence:
- Income tax form that shows health insurance premiums paid.
- W-2s reflecting pre-tax medical contributions.
- Pay stubs that reflect health insurance premium deductions.
- Health insurance cards with a policy effective date.
- Explanations of benefits paid by the GHP or LGHP.
- Statements or receipts that reflect payment of health insurance premiums.
Some people with limited resources and income may also be able to get .
My Husband And I Are Retired He Just Turned 65 And Is Now Covered By Medicare But I Am 62 And I Dont Have Health Insurance As The Spouse Of A Medicare Beneficiary Can I Enroll In Medicare During The Medicare Open Enrollment Period
No. Although your husband now qualifies for Medicare, you will not qualify for Medicare until you turn age 65. If you do not have health insurance now, you can consider signing up for health insurance coverage through a Marketplace plan. If your household income is at least 100% of the federal poverty level , you may qualify for premium tax credits to reduce your cost of a Marketplace policy. If your household income is at or below 138% of poverty , you might be eligible for Medicaid if you live in a state that has expanded its Medicaid program.
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Your Social Security Benefits Could Be Taxable
Your modified adjusted gross income matters here. As your MAGI increases above a certain threshold , a greater percentage of your benefits is subject to income tax, to a maximum of 85%.
For details, see IRS Publication 915, “Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits,” or consult with a tax advisor.
How Much Do You Need To Retire At 62
The amount you need in order to retire depends on many factors that are specific and personal to each individual. To determine it, you need to go over your lifestyle goals, look at your health, estimate how much you’ll get from Social Security, and more. If you want to retire at age 62, come up with your target amount for retiring at the full retirement age of 67, determine how much you’d need per year, and then add that amount for each year you want to bump up your retirement.
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When Can I Enroll In Medicare
If you begin receiving retirement benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board at least four months before you turn 65, youll most likely be automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B.
If you dont receive retirement benefits at least 4 months before your 65th birthday, you can manually enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B during your Initial Enrollment Period.
- Your Initial Enrollment Period begins three months before the month that you turn 65 years old. This enrollment period includes the month of your birthday and continues for three more months for a total of seven months.
- During this time, you may sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B. You may also enroll in a private Medicare plan during your IEP, such as a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D.
The best time to apply for a Medicare Supplement Insurance plan is during your 6-month Medigap Enrollment Period that begins the month you are both 65 years old and enrolled in Part B.
For questions about your Medicare eligibility, contact Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE . You can also use the online Medicare Eligibility & Premium Calculator.
Can I Draw Social Security And Disability
Yes, you can apply for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits. If you qualify, you may be able to receive up to $1,200 per month for up to 24 months. To qualify, you must meet certain requirements, such as having worked long enough to earn credits toward retirement, and being unable to work due to a medical condition.
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You Can Pay Back Benefits You’ve Already Receivedand Boost Your Future Benefit
If you’ve taken Social Security benefits early at a reduced rate, you have the option of paying back to the government what you’ve already received and restarting benefits at a later date with a higher payout. Keep in mind that you will need to repay the gross amount of your benefitwhich includes any withholdings for Medicare premiums and/or income tax.
For example, say you chose to receive benefits at 62 and nine months later decided you wanted to return to work. You could stop receiving Social Security by withdrawing your application for benefits, pay back the benefits received, return to work, and then defer your benefit up to age 70, when you could restart your benefits at a higher level. The option to pay back Social Security is limited to the first 11 months’ worth of benefits, and the SSA allows repayment only in the first year after you start to receive benefits.
Once you reach full retirement age, another option is to voluntarily stop benefits at any point in time before age 70 to receive delayed retirement credits . Benefits will automatically restart at age 70 at a higher amount, unless you choose an earlier date.
Take note that when you withdraw your application or stop your benefits after full retirement age, you must specify if your Medicare coverageif you have itshould be included in the withdrawal.
How Do I Get Full Medicare Benefits
Youâre entitled to full Medicare Part A and Part B benefits as soon as youâre eligible for Medicare. Part A and Part B make up Original Medicare.
So how do you sign up for Medicare? In many cases, youâre automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B, as described above.
What happens when youâre eligible for Medicare and youâre not yet receiving Social Security benefits? In that case, youâll need to sign up for Medicare yourself â it generally wonât happen automatically. You can typically apply for Medicare through the Social Security Administration . If you worked for a railroad, you can sign up through the Railroad Retirement Board .
If youâre interested in benefits beyond Original Medicare coverage, you might want to check out:
- Medicare Advantage . Medicare Advantage gives you another way to get your Medicare Part A and Part B coverage, but plans often include extra benefits, like prescription drug coverage.
- Medicare Supplement insurance. This is available from private insurance companies. It works alongside your Medicare Part A and Part B coverage.
- Stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. These plans may help cover your prescription drugs.
You can learn more about your Medicare coverage choices by entering your zip code on this page, or by calling eHealth to speak to a licensed insurance agent.
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Make Sure You Enroll On Time And Be Careful With Your Hsa
Both Medicare and Medigap have specific enrollment periods, and if you miss them you could be hit with late-enrollment penalties. However, you may be able to enroll after age 65 without penalties if, for a period after you reach age 65, you receive employer coverage. Pay close attention to Medicare enrollment periods if you have retiree health insurance from a former employer or are under COBRA. These types of coverage do not allow you to defer enrollment past age 65 without penalties and may leave gaps in your coverage.
Also note that once you are enrolled in Medicare, you’re not permitted to make contributions to a Health Savings Account . If you enroll in Medicare after reaching age 65, Medicare will backdate your enrollment by six months . To avoid an IRS penalty, make sure you stop contributions to the HSA in time.
Reason #: Retire Early If You Are Ready To Focus On A Financial Goal
Maybe you arent quite financially ready to retire early. Should this hold you back? Absolutely not. Especially if you are ready to focus on a financial goal.
Most Americans are unprepared for retirement and may need to continue working during their 60s and beyond. However, dont let past mistakes of lack of planning and saving hold you back now!
Set a goal to retire early, start analyzing your finances and design a plan to get out of the workforce as soon as you can. The sooner you make an effort to retire early, the sooner you will be able to do it.
The NewRetirement Planner makes it easy to get started. Try different scenarios and find your path to retirement as early as possible.
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Can A 62 Year Old Widow Get Medicare
When can I receive Medicare benefits? Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people age 65 and older. Generally, individuals are automatically eligible for Medicare if they are 65 years old and have 40 quarters of work credit in Social Security covered employment, or their spouse is eligible for Medicare.
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What If Im Not Automatically Enrolled At 65
If your Medicare enrollment at 65 is not automatic, but you want to enroll, here are some more magic numbers.
3 and 7.
To start taking advantage of Medicare at 65, you need to sign up during the three months before the birthday month you turn 65. Those are the first three months of your seven-month Initial Enrollment Period.
Unless your birthday is on the first day of the month, your Initial Enrollment Period includes the three full months before turning 65, the month you turn 65, and the three months after you turn 65. If you were born on the first day of the month, IEP is the four months before your birth month, along with your birthday month and the two months after.
If you sign up during one of the months before your 65th birthday, your coverage will begin on the first day of the month you turn 65 .
Are you eligible for cost-saving Medicare subsidies?
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Medicare Eligibility Age Chart
Most older adults are familiar with Medicare and its eligibility age of 65. You can qualify for Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B by:
- Being age 65 or older
- Living with a qualifying disability
- Living with certain health conditions, like end-stage renal disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Individuals under 65 and already receiving Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board benefits for 24 months are eligible for Medicare. Still, most beneficiaries enroll at 65 when they become eligible for Medicare.
The Presidents Proposal For Medicare At 60
Besides a proposal to offer a public health insurance option similar to Medicare, President Biden has mentioned the importance of lowering the Medicare eligibility age to 60. This was part of his health care reform platform during the presidential race.
Currently, the age at which one becomes Medicare-eligible is 65. Individuals under 65 can obtain Medicare if they collect SSDI for 24 months or are diagnosed with ALS or ESRD.
Lowering the eligibility age by five years aims to provide healthcare to those who retire early, are unemployed, or lack health benefits through their employer. Additionally, qualifying U.S. citizens over 60 would have an extra health care option. As the market is more difficult for older job seekers, the President says providing this safety net is necessary.
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If A Nonworking Spouse Is Older Than You And They Meet The 40 Quarters Requirement
If your spouse is older than you, theyll qualify for Medicare benefits at age 65.
You may be able to receive Medicare benefits slightly earlier if youre at least 62 years old, married to someone who is age 65, and also worked for 40 quarters and you paid Medicare taxes.
If you dont meet these requirements, you may be able to qualify for Medicare Part A, but youll have to pay the Part A premium until youre age 62.
If you didnt work or meet the 40 quarters requirement, you may have to wait until age 65 to receive coverage under your spouses benefits.
What Are The Typical Age Requirements For Medicare Coverage
The typical Medicare age requirement is 65, or younger if you qualify for disability benefits. In addition to meeting the age requirement of 65, you must also be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident before you are eligible for Medicare.
Most people who are 65 qualify for premium-free Medicare Part A because they have worked for at least ten years and have paid Medicare taxes. Medicare Part A helps cover hospitalization, skilled nursing facility, home health care, and hospice costs. If you are not eligible for premium-free Part A because you have not worked and paid Medicare taxes, but are a citizen with permanent residency and are 65, you can pay premiums to have Part A coverage. If your spouse has worked long enough to qualify for premium-free Part A, your Part A premiums will be free after your spouse turns 62.
When you meet the requirements for Part A, you also qualify for Medicare Part B which helps cover medical out patient costs such as doctors visits, urgent care, durable medical equipment , some preventive care, and more. If you have Part B, there is a monthly premium you pay, which is $148.50 for 2021, and an annual deductible of $203.
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