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YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY | Davenport, Iowa Office

By Pam Shaw
Social Security District Manager
Davenport Social Security Office

PLAN YOUR RETIREMENT WITH SOCIAL SECURITY

Social Security benefits factor into the retirement plan of almost every American worker. If you are covered under Social Security, you should know how much you might receive in future benefits.  These monthly payments are likely to be an important part of your retirement income.

We base your benefit payment on how much you earned during your working career.  Higher lifetime earnings result in higher benefits. If there were some years you didn’t work or had low earnings, your benefit amount may be lower than if you had worked steadily or had higher earnings.  Even if you never worked and did not pay Social Security taxes, you may be eligible for benefits from a spouse’s record. You must be at least 62 years old, and your spouse must already be receiving retirement or disability benefits.

Our Retirement page at www.ssa.gov/retirement is a great place to start mapping out your retirement plan.

For example, have you considered:

• When is the right time for you to start receiving your
  retirement benefits?
• What documents you may need to provide Social Security for your retirement application?
• Which factors may affect your retirement benefits?

You can use your personal my Social Security account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount to get an instant estimate of your future retirement benefits. You can also see the effects of starting your retirement benefits at different ages.

You may also be wondering about:

• Benefits for a spouse or children.
• How work affects your benefits.
• If you will have to pay taxes on your benefits.
• Medicare.

You can learn more at www.ssa.gov/retirement. Please share this information with your loved ones to help them prepare for their retirement.

SOCIAL SECURITY’S PLAIN LANGUAGE MAKES THE GRADE

Social Security achieved the highest score of any federal government agency on the Center for Plain Language’s 2022 Federal Plain Language Report Card.

Our policies and programs can sometimes be complex and difficult to explain. That’s why we always strive to use plain language that is clear, easy to understand, and useful.

The Center evaluated 21 Executive Branch agencies, including all 15 cabinet-level departments, and graded each between an A+ and F- for writing quality and organizational compliance.

Social Security received an A+ for organizational compliance and an A for writing quality. This is an improvement over last year’s high scores of A+ and B.

“An excellent model to follow is the Social Security Administration’s ‘Contact Us’ page, the only one to earn an A+,” the Center said in its key findings.

“The web page is clear in its intended purpose to provide information readers seek,” the Center said. “The page has clear and concise language and the reader is addressed directly,” it noted.

The Center also cited “excellent use of links, colors, fonts, sizing, bolding, bullets, and imagery to highlight important information.”

In addition, the Center recognized our Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request page as an excellent model for other agencies. The 2022 Plain Language Report Card was released on January 10, 2023, at www.centerforplainlanguage.org/2022-federal-plain-language-report-card.

To learn more about Social Security’s plain language efforts, please visit our Plain Writing page at www.ssa.gov/agency/plain-language.

QUESTION AND ANSWER

Question:

Can I delay my retirement benefits and receive benefits as a spouse only? How does that work?

Answer:

It depends on your date of birth. If you were born on or before 01/01/1954 and your spouse is receiving Social Security benefits, you can apply for retirement benefits on your spouse’s record as long as you are at your full retirement age. You then will earn delayed retirement credits up to age 70, as long as you do not collect benefits on your own work record. Later, when you do begin receiving benefits on your own record, those payments could very well be higher than they would have been otherwise. If your spouse is also full retirement age and does not receive benefits, your spouse will have to apply for benefits and request the payments be suspended. Then you can receive benefits on your spouse’s Social Security record. If you were born on or after 01/02/1954 and wish to receive benefits, you must file for all benefits for which you are eligible. Social Security will determine the benefits you are eligible for and pay you accordingly. For individuals born on or after 01/02/1954, there is no longer an option to select which benefit you would like to receive, even beyond your full retirement age. Widow(er)s are an exception, as they can choose to take their deceased spouse’s benefit without filing for their own. For more information, visit www.ssa.gov.