want to marry
I am 78collect SS I would like to ask Jan to marry me,Jan is 72 she has Illinois teacher pension
receives 1/2 late husband pension and his SS, will we lose the last two if we marry?
THANK You
Terry Says
OK, this is complicated — but here are some of the basics.
First, she will not lose her teacher’s pension. That is hers, no matter what her marital status.
Second, I’m assuming she received half of her husband’s SS because she was divorced after being married for at least 10 years, and not remarried.
(If she was a widow, she would have received all of his SS, but slighlty reduced for the WEP — teacher’s pension. And in that case with the Fairness Act, if she were a widow, she would be entitled to ALL of her late husband’s SS — and should apply for that, including a payback of the discounted amount going back to Jan, 2024!)
In either case, if she remarries, she will lose the SS benefit based on her late (or ex) husband’s account.
BUT, she would be entitled to half of YOUR SS benefit, as your spouse — assuming it is larger than any SS she earned on her OWN account for work outside teaching.
So you can’t guess at the amounts. Just to go www.MaximizeMySocialSecurity.com and run the numbers each way, and see what the impact would be on her monthly income if she marries you.
And one other note, you should discuss with your accountant. Depending on your joint income level, your combined taxable income might move you into a bracket that results in a higher monthly Medicare Part B premium for each of you!! Check it out!
