Social Security Benefits for Widowed Spouse

[bmh]

Old men marry young chicks in the US. I new a young man who had a very rich father in San Francisco, his father married a young woman and got everything when he died. The young man got nothing and was fighting in court but older men do marry young women and they receive the SS because they are citizens so the only difference between those widows is where they happened to be born and that is discrimination if I have eve seen it. Yes the European couples should be under the same rules. They are plenty of gold diggers in Europe too..

People get married for various reasons and the state should have nothing to do with perceived reason. I agree the number of years people are married could enter but where the wife was born is totally wrong.

[Sumofabit]

Ya'all forget to mention that the young woman widowed by old man must be married for ten years to draw benefits when she is is 65.

[bmh]

Is that true for US women marrying a US man and becoming a widow or just for some foreign women who do not live in the US and are married to a US citizen?

[Sumofabit]

10 years for all. If the widow is not a USC, they must live in the US to draw on their deceased husband's account.

[cbviajero]

Ya'all forget to mention that the young woman widowed by old man must be married for ten years to draw benefits when she is is 65.

I was 46,my wife was 30 when we got married ten years ago,she will not be eligible to draw benefits,ever...

I paid into the system both as an employee and as an employer for 30 years.

It's not a fair rule but I've made my own arrangements for my familys well being when I die.

[Sumofabit]

I was 46,my wife was 30 when we got married ten years ago,she will not be eligible to draw benefits,ever...

I paid into the system both as an employee and as an employer for 30 years.

It's not a fair rule but I've made my own arrangements for my familys well being when I die.

Want to share the reason? Is it that she is not a USC?

[cbviajero]

Want to share the reason? Is it that she is not a USC?

Yes,that's the "reason".

[Sumofabit]

Yes,that's the "reason".

That will do it. Move to the US and she can get it when she is 65. Unfair? Hardly.

[cbviajero]

That will do it. Move to the US and she can get it when she is 65. Unfair? Hardly.

You are entitled to your opinion.

The way I see it is that since I paid into the system all those years my spouse regardless of her nationality should be eligible to recieve benefits.

We have no desire whatsoever to move to the US.

[Sumofabit]

I can hear the tea party raise hell if foreigners not living in the US get benefits. I have an opinion and it is aligned with the rule of the S.S. Act.

[cbviajero]

I can hear the tea party raise hell if foreigners not living in the US get benefits.

I can't comment on the tea party without violating forum rules.

[rogerm]

Wouldn't be great if we could work 50 years paying into SSI and when we die just put it in our will to give it to someone else like a personal saving account. That sounds a lot like a IRA 401k not social security.

[bmh]

So it is ok for you Bigd to live abroad but not for the spouse of a US citizen..You make a lot of sense.

[gringal]

I suggest those interested in the Social Security system look up its history and learn what the original purpose of the legislation was. It was never intended to be the sole source of income for the retired. And, if anyone thinks there's been some heavy battles over the recent health care legislation, it's nothing to the screams that were heard in Congress over passing the original Social Security Act. 'Twas the work of the socialist devil for some.

[bmh]

It may not have been the intend but I sure see a lot of Americans living on it.. I am lucky I do not have too but I think that not letting widows have accexx to the widow benefits because they do not live in the US is pretty rotten.

[Sumofabit]

but I think that not letting widows have accexx to the widow benefits because they do not live in the US is pretty rotten.

Only applies to non USCs living outside the US. Get over it!

[bmh]

Like we do?? Oh yes who cares it only concerns Latinos..nice mentality.

[Sumofabit]

Oh yes who cares it only concerns Latinos..nice mentality.

I know a few Filipinas that would disagree.

[Fred Habacht]

If a Mexican retiree, receiving MX SS payments moves out of this country...his benefits will cease after two years and or he can ask for a lump sum payout....

There is no way that a wife/husband leaving MX can have any further payments. The USA is a little tougher by giving no survivor money but does allow it if the survivor moves to the USA to collect it.

I consider it unfair to a non USC but I also don't believe that the USA gives a flying fig what is considered fair.

[AlanMexicali]

If a Mexican retiree, receiving MX SS payments moves out of this country...his benefits will cease after two years and or he can ask for a lump sum payout....

There is no way that a wife/husband leaving MX can have any further payments. The USA is a little tougher by giving no survivor money but does allow it if the survivor moves to the USA to collect it.

I consider it unfair to a non USC but I also don't believe that the USA gives a flying fig what is considered fair.

IMSS can give pensioners payments when living abroad.

Google Translation:

" In the case of public documents issued abroad, they must contain the Apostille or legalization, as appropriate. If the document is written in language other than Spanish must be accompanied by a translation into Spanish by authorized by authorized by the country concerned High Court of any federal entity of the country or expert expert.

• It is the obligation of the pensioners and their survival assigns check at least every six months or for the period indicated by the Technical Board, to continue enjoying the payment of the financial benefit. If survival is not checked in the form and terms outlined in this Agreement, the payment of the pension will be suspended.

• When inspecting survival, will be given a voucher, through which the maximum date should perform the following test shall survival. For pensioners residing abroad, survival checking will be done through the Mexican consulates. The boarding of foreign nationality, applying international convention signed between Mexico and the country where transfers its registered, check survival as determined in that instrument.

• The pensions granted under the Social Security Act of 1997, paid by insurance companies, survival checking will take place in the terms established by the pensioners sign contracts with your insurer.

• The procedures may be submitted at the Family Medicine Unit or Sub secondment from 8:00 to 15:00 hours or extended hours to determine the Delegation.

• All procedures are free and are available on www.cofemer.gob.mx

• This procedure was published in the Official Gazette of October 23, 2014, through ACDO.SA2.HCT.270814 / 185.P.DPES Agreement, the Mexican Social Security Institute.

• Complaints or allegations: The Phone 01800 623 23 23 from anywhere in Mexico.

Have you failed to comply with any of the requirements? Yes ( )

"Their corresponding rights are safe to submit the application once all and each of the requirements""

http://www.imss.gob.mx/tramites/imss01002

[gringal]

Just a small sideways comment about the "fairness" of benefits. I think the "flying fig" fits, and when you consider the matter from the point of view of the U.S. Congress, things look a bit different. There is zero advantage to the U.S. in providing advantages of any kind to expats or their families. When a couple moves to Mexico upon retirement, it's a loser for the Treasury. The expats get their SS checks and spend the money in the Mexican economy.

The only advantage to the U.S. Treasury is that we also don't run up costs under Medicare since we can't use it in Mexico. So maybe it is "fair" or not, but it works for the Treasury, an entity not known for kindness.

[AlanMexicali]

Technically it is not their money, It is contributions a worker makes to his personal fund when working for 40 years or more [not by choice but by law contributing to the SSI fund] and when you die soon after retiring they get to keep the rest which could be substancial in many cases. The SSA is only handling the money people put into their coffer not giving out tax money from the US Treasury.

[tycobb1020]

Just a small sideways comment about the "fairness" of benefits. I think the "flying fig" fits, and when you consider the matter from the point of view of the U.S. Congress, things look a bit different. There is zero advantage to the U.S. in providing advantages of any kind to expats or their families. When a couple moves to Mexico upon retirement, it's a loser for the Treasury. The expats get their SS checks and spend the money in the Mexican economy.

The only advantage to the U.S. Treasury is that we also don't run up costs under Medicare since we can't use it in Mexico. So maybe it is "fair" or not, but it works for the Treasury, an entity not known for kindness.

Far from "zero", there would be a great advantage to having Medicare pay for expats care in Mexico. The cost to Medicare would be dramatically less than in the US. I live here in Mexico and I do use Medicare . . . I just return to the US for major medical issues and, as often as I can when traveling, prescriptions. I just have my doctor send prescription refills to a pharmacy near my hotel, wherever I am at the time. Medicare does pay for the first 60 days of foreign travel. And I also spend money that benefits the US economy . . . I fly US airlines, buy US products here in Mexico, shop at US owned stores here in Mexico and on and on. The problem is not Congress is not "kind" . . . the problem is there is no strong lobby for expats.

[Joco]

Technically it is not their money, It is contributions a worker makes to his personal fund when working for 40 years or more [not by choice but by law contributing to the SSI fund] and when you die soon after retiring they get to keep the rest which could be substancial in many cases. The SSA is only handling the money people put into their coffer not giving out tax money from the US Treasury.

Social Security is sort of like a Ponzi scheme. The money a retiree is collecting is paid by current workers. The money you paid was paid to people who were collecting benefits paid then by current workers.

It is this way because when SS started people who qualified collected benefits but they never paid any SS taxes. The current workers paid the benefits.

Illegals in the U.S. pay about $3 billion in SS that they will never collect but you are receiving now. SS will lose a lot of money if all illegals are kicked out.

http://www.itep.org/immigration/

http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/high-school/top-10-myths-about-immigration

Undocumented immigrants pay income taxes as well, as evidenced by the Social Security Administration's "suspense file" (taxes that cannot be matched to workers' names and social security numbers), which grew by $20 billion between 1990 and 1998.

[Mainecoons]

Far from "zero", there would be a great advantage to having Medicare pay for expats care in Mexico. The cost to Medicare would be dramatically less than in the US. I live here in Mexico and I do use Medicare . . . I just return to the US for major medical issues and, as often as I can when traveling, prescriptions. I just have my doctor send prescription refills to a pharmacy near my hotel, wherever I am at the time. Medicare does pay for the first 60 days of foreign travel. And I also spend money that benefits the US economy . . . I fly US airlines, buy US products here in Mexico, shop at US owned stores here in Mexico and on and on. The problem is not Congress is not "kind" . . . the problem is there is no strong lobby for expats.

BINGO!

We do the same. A knee operation for my wife that ran over $60K there was $15K here.