Social Security benefits
Want to know if I am getting all the SS benefit I should. I know it is based on my SS number but wondered if the following is kept track of:
–different names used. I started working at age16 pt. time under family name. I married in my 20s and had a different last name. Worked full time and often part time to put husband through college in the state of New Jersey. After a few years we divorced. I kept married name. A few years later moved back to IL and married again. Another name. Always was working throughout my life. Got divorced again and kept married name because had a son. Again worked two jobs to put him thru college. I collected social security at age 67 and kept working full time until age 69 when I retired. My salaries (60s-70s)were good (in those days) since I also had gotten a degree too. How can I be sure I am getting all the SS income I am entitled to from all states and names.
Terry Says
You may have had different names and jobs — BUT YOU HAD THE SAME SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER! And that’s how they track you. Those older jobs don’t matter much anyway in the calculation, because they only go back 40 quarters — 10 years if you were working full time — to calculate your benefits. And yes, the two years after you started collecting are included as your benefit is recalculated every year, not only for the inflation adjustment but for earnings.
If you want to see exactly what they are including, you can open an account at Social Security here:
https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/
