When To Begin Taking U.s. Ss Payments

[chris49]

That is all correct.

There is one major reason for delaying until 66. And it goes like this.

It is possible esp husband and wife both receiving private pensions and SS. If both parties file at 62 they would be in a higher tax bracket and would lose some of their SS.

If one party delayed, they could stay in a lower tax bracket.  Then if the wife was younger and perhaps still working, they would not need the SS at 62. If taken at 66 she could get a higher survivors benefit.

Filipina wives who have not fulfilled the 4 year US Residency requirement are not eligible for survivor's benefits.

However (continuing with additional unsolicited advice)....dependent kids under 18 living in the Philippines also get benefits. And they also get Survivors Benefits until age 18.

[Dave Hounddriver]

1 hour ago, chris49 said:

Filipina wives who have not fulfilled the 4 year US Residency requirement are not eligible for survivor's benefits.

This is something I am curious about.  Y's cousin is married to an American and has been for 5 years.  He does not like to discuss what will happen to her when he passes and he is not a spring chicken.  I know that his wife could move to the US as his widow (when and if that comes to pass) but will she be able to claim any benefits if he dies here and THEN she moves to US and does the 4 year residency?

[Happyhorn52]

Keep in mind that SS is just a giant Ponzi scheme so don't wait to long before collecting. In addition remember that there are less than three workers contributing into the system for every retiree receiving benefits and that ratio will only get smaller as the 76 million baby boomers begin to retire. 

 

http://www.facethefactsusa.org/facts/can-you-put-in-some-overtime-social-security-needs-you

 

[davewe]

2 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

This is something I am curious about.  Y's cousin is married to an American and has been for 5 years.  He does not like to discuss what will happen to her when he passes and he is not a spring chicken.  I know that his wife could move to the US as his widow (when and if that comes to pass) but will she be able to claim any benefits if he dies here and THEN she moves to US and does the 4 year residency?

I think there is a lot of confusion about "survivor's benefits." For that matter the whole system is confusing. Fortunately I have found that calling SS (at least within the US) is easy and they are very helpful.

Survivors benefits mean that your wife can claim your SS retirement benefits 100% when she is at retirement age. She can also take less at age 60. But if you have a young Filipino wife (a rarity I am sure - ) and drop dead tomorrow, she is not collecting from SS unless...

If you have a child and you die, the child will receive SS benefits until 18 or 19. In addition, your wife as caretaker of the child receives a benefit until the child is 16. This is often what people think of as a survivor benefit. 

One of my wife's best friends is a Pinay who has lived in the US many years. Her husband died 10+ years ago. She has not worked for many year but about 6 months ago went out and got a job. Why? Because her youngest child had just hit 16 and the payments to her had stopped.

[chris49]

18 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

This is something I am curious about.  Y's cousin is married to an American and has been for 5 years.  He does not like to discuss what will happen to her when he passes and he is not a spring chicken.  I know that his wife could move to the US as his widow (when and if that comes to pass) but will she be able to claim any benefits if he dies here and THEN she moves to US and does the 4 year residency?

She would not have any mechanism to move to the USA if her husband died.  He would have to process her immigration before he died and that would be difficult also.

As you know Dave, my wife is 26.  Her best chance to go to the USA would be to be petitioned by one of our kids when she is maybe in her 40's. Even then, there are some difficulties.

I think she wont get anything unless through kids under 18, and that cuts off at age 18 also.

[Ram1957]

4 hours ago, chris49 said:

She would not have any mechanism to move to the USA if her husband died.  He would have to process her immigration before he died and that would be difficult also.

As you know Dave, my wife is 26.  Her best chance to go to the USA would be to be petitioned by one of our kids when she is maybe in her 40's. Even then, there are some difficulties.

I think she wont get anything unless through kids under 18, and that cuts off at age 18 also.

https://www.uscis.gov/i-360 

[chris49]

19 hours ago, Ram1957 said:

https://www.uscis.gov/i-360 

OK, there is a mechanism, thanks for posting that.

Now for the practicality. There's a 4 years residence requirement to start receiving benefits.

Benefits start at age 60. Depending on the widows age, she would need to live 4 years in the USA.

There's a filing fee in the US Embassy.

How about a ticket to USA?

Who will meet her on arrival in the USA and who will support a homeless, cashless elderly widow for 4 years?

How about medical care?

Considering all that, I think her petition could easily be denied, unless there is some documented support from the US side.

We have actually looked at that for my wife through the children later on. But nah, Gina says it's easier staying here, living off what I would provide her and maybe a monthly remittance from the children. Similar story across the Philippines I think.

[Ram1957]

We just had a friend go through this process but don't know what she had to go through to get it but the SSA at the American Embassy helped her with the paperwork. She has 2 children from her late husband and they are getting payments from that. The best people to talk to is someone from the SSA at the Embassy. She has never been to the States before. 

[chris49]

15 hours ago, Ram1957 said:

We just had a friend go through this process but don't know what she had to go through to get it but the SSA at the American Embassy helped her with the paperwork. She has 2 children from her late husband and they are getting payments from that. The best people to talk to is someone from the SSA at the Embassy. She has never been to the States before. 

Of course.

She has dependent kids getting Survivor's Benefits. I am still not sure why she would go to the USA with 2 dependent kids and no income.

In our case, as of right now, Gina has 16 more years of benefits for the kids, payable to her as beneficiary. Or if I die the kids get Survivor's benefits which are similar. We think she would be better off in the Philippines.

In the case above, the case that prompted my reply, she doesn't have kids.

[Dave Hounddriver]

1 hour ago, chris49 said:

I am still not sure why she would go to the USA with 2 dependent kids and no income.

Prospects for a better life, better job, another husband, better long term retirement plan, better welfare system and better life for the kids might play out here.