Social Security and You: Estimating benefits

Question: I retired from employment with the state of Texas, and I receive a pension from that work. I did not pay into Social Security while I worked for the state. I have also worked and earned my credits for Social Security retirement. How can I get an estimate of my Social Security retirement? I know it will be affected by my pension from the state.

Answer: You can get an estimate by using the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) Online Calculator. This calculator allows you to estimate your Social Security benefit if you have a pension from work not covered by Social Security.

If you work for a federal, state or local government agency, you may be eligible for a pension based on earnings not covered by Social Security. If so, then the benefit estimates you have received before may not have been adjusted for such a possibility. By using the WEP Online Calculator , you will need to enter all your past earnings taxed by Social Security. You also need to enter the monthly amount of your pension that was based on work not covered by Social Security. The WEP calculation produces smaller benefit estimates than a non-WEP calculation. You can learn more about noncovered pensions and WEP by going to our website at www.socialsecurity.gov/gpo-wep/. Remember, the WEP does not affect benefits for your survivors.

Q: Can creditors such as credit card, mortgage or auto loan companies garnish Social Security benefits to pay a debt?

A: No.

If a creditor other than the federal government tries to garnish your Social Security benefits, inform them that such an action violates Section 207 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 407). Section 207 bars garnishment of your benefits. It also can be used as a defense if your benefits are incorrectly garnished.

Our responsibility for protecting benefits against garnishment, assignments and other legal processes usually ends when the beneficiary is paid. However, once paid, benefits continue to be protected under Section 207 of the act as long as they are identifiable as Social Security benefits. By the way, Supplemental Security Income payments cannot be levied or garnished.

There are a few circumstances where the federal government can garnish Social Security benefits. This includes the enforcement of child support or alimony obligations under Section 459 of the Social Security Act. The Internal Revenue Service also can levy against benefits to collect unpaid federal taxes according to Section 6334(c) of the Internal Revenue Code. The IRS can collect taxes due by levying up to 15 percent of a monthly benefit until the debt is paid. Also, other federal agencies can collect money from benefits to pay a nontax debt owed to that agency according to the Debt Collection Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-134).

Who Is Eligible For Social Security - News


Social Security and You: Estimating benefits
Social Security and You: Estimating benefits

This calculator allows you to estimate your Social Security benefit if you have a pension from work not covered by Social Security. If you work for a federal, state or local government agency, you may be eligible for a pension based on earnings not



GAO Recommends Retirees Invest in Annuities, Delay Taking Social Security

Nearly 73% of Americans who become eligible for Social Security took benefits before age 65 from 1997 to 2005. Only 14% took benefits the month they reached full retirement age, which varied from age 65 to age 66. This means that nearly half passed up



AP Exclusive: Fuzzy math in health law formula
AP Exclusive: Fuzzy math in health law formula

That's because part or all of their Social Security benefits would not count as income in figuring out whether they can get federal subsidies to help pay for coverage until they become eligible for Medicare at 65. "There is an equity issue here," said



Find Out Early If You Qualify For Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits

An aging population is one factor in the growing numbers of workers who experience a disability and wonder if they are eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, according to Allsup , which represents tens of thousands of people



Social security set to cover foreign workers
Social security set to cover foreign workers

Holders of valid permits eligible for benefits, report Shan Juan, Li Jing and Peng Yining in Beijing. Foreign workers in China will soon be covered by the country's social security program, according to the Social Insurance Law, which will take effect




Applicants wait longer for Social Security disability benefits ...

Sometimes a workplace accident can cause a serious injury for a person. If the injury is severe or the medication or treatment isn't working, the person may not be able to return to work for a long period of time. In some situations, the worker may be eligible for social security disability benefits .

But now, a report from Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a research group, is showing that there has been an increase in the number of pending Social Security Disability appeals this year. What does this mean for applicants?

For people unable to work and in need of Social Security benefits, this means a longer period of time before their appeal is heard. Some believe that the growth of appeals is due to the high number of unemployed individuals given the economic downturn.

With the increase, the Social Security Administration has set a goal to reduce the wait time. This could prove difficult as more appeals are being filed and the number of pending cases continues to increase. Given this information, the agency is projecting the goal will be reached in 2013. For the hundreds of thousands of Americans waiting for their appeal to be heard, that means more time without these types of benefits.

Social Security benefits are meant for people who are severely injured and are not capable of performing work because of their disability. Many beneficiaries are elderly or disabled. These benefits are not limited to those who were injured on-the-job; in order to qualify for the benefits, the injury must fulfill the requirements.


Who Is Eligible For Social Security - Bookshelf

Social Security, Medicare & Government Pensions, Get the Most Out of Your Retirement & Medical Benefits

Social Security, Medicare & Government Pensions, Get the Most Out of Your Retirement & Medical Benefits

Indeed, your income and assets must be so low that many people with no income other than their Social Security retirement benefits are not eligible for SSI. ...

Case management in health care

Case management in health care

Persons who are eligible for Social Security retirement benefits or who have civil ... Persons who are eligible to collect Social Security benefits as a ...

Social security, promise and reality

Social security, promise and reality

Between 1940 and 1950 only about a third of men aged 65 and over were eligible for social security benefits [table 1.3], and benefits were low and declining ...

The Social Security Answer Book, Practical Answers to Over 200 Questions on Social Security

The Social Security Answer Book, Practical Answers to Over 200 Questions on Social Security

A He must work and earn sufficient quarters in order to be eligible for Social Security benefits on his own account. If he is a minor child of a retired, ...

2004 Medicare Explained

2004 Medicare Explained

[U 201 ] Social Security Retirement and Railroad Retirement Beneficiaries The most common group of ... If an individual is eligible for Social Security at ...

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