Soc Security benefits for 17yr old?

[Jewelsmom]

A friend and her husband adopted their children late in life. Now both are at the age where they can draw their SS benefits. They told me that their minor child will be getting monthly supplemental SS income until she is 18 / or graduates HS this year (I can't remember which). My friend is a joker and said to the SS guy, "yeah, sure, send her $20 or $40 for her troubles." He laughed and told her that her daughter would get $700 a month!
No wonder there won't be any SS left when I get there.

[jodi]

Social security benefits are based on the parent's work history. A lot of the clients I work with receive them (I work with the developmentally disabled). The amount varies greatly from person to person depending on their parents' work history, so the $700 is directly related to how much income your friends had earned over the course of their working lives (and, consequently, how much they paid into Soc. Security). They have paid their taxes all this time - now their child is entitled to collect. Of course, I'm not counting on social security being around for me in 40 years

[getforfree]

So, if the SS won't be there, whan we need it, Why do I have to pay it. 6% is a big chank of my paycheck. It's more than all my other taxes altogether. It's just waste of my money.

[Ima saver]

My friends daughter got married young, right out of high school. After a couple of years, she moved out but she was pregnant. She had a son, got a divorce, and less than a year later her ex husband was killed in a car wreck. Her son has gotten social security of about $500 a month for the last 17 years.
He got more than I will be illegible for, even after working for 40 years.

[rob62521]

Ima, yet what can we do about this unfair distribution?

My mom applied for ssi because her social security was so low. She wasn't eligible for it even though she lived way below the poverty line. Yet I see big SSI checks going to others I work with. And they aren't below the poverty line. Somehow, we need to rethink our system to make it more equitable. My mom worked outside the home for many years, including some of the factories during the war. She eventually became a stay at home mom, but because he hadn't paid into s.s. for so many years before she retired, she was receiving very little.

[Ima saver]

I don't know what we can do. Mine will be low because I never made over $10,000 a year and that is ok. What is bad is that people who have never paid in a bit, can get it too. My boss's wife had never worked and got s.s. for over 30 years and she just saved it cause she didn't need it.

[rob62521]

That's truly not fair. Before I was a full-time teacher, I worked many jobs and paid s.s. and figured it would even out that since I would not be drawing from it, the money would go to someone like my mom. But, I guess it's not that simple or fair. I am not eligible for s.s. because I pay into the state teacher's pension.

[Ima saver]

I think we should pay 6% of our pay into our own retirement account.

[rob62521]

Sounds like a good plan, Ima!

[Ima saver]

I guess someone on here should run for President!!

[jodi]

Originally Posted by rob62521

My mom applied for ssi because her social security was so low. She wasn't eligible for it even though she lived way below the poverty line. Yet I see big SSI checks going to others I work with. And they aren't below the poverty line.

This shouldn't be happening, unless they are hiding some income or assets. SSI is income based, meaning you can't get it unless you make less than x-amount of money (and it's a very low threshhold). Now, plain old social security retirement/disability/survivors benefits is NOT income based, so people can get it regardless of what they make based on their past work history, their spouse, or parent (for minors and disabled). And the SSI checks are not big - they are set federally with a state supplement. Here in NY it's just over $600. I know in other states it can be $700 or more - still not much at all per month.
So where am I going with all this? I have no idea. But if someone works hard all their life and makes a lot of money, does that entitle them and their spouse or disabled child to earn their beneifts, even if they don't need it? Who would decide whether someone "needed" the money or not? And what would be the incentive to work harder and earn more if they weren't rewarded for it when they retire? But then again, what about all us youngsters who can't really expect to ever get a dime from social security, yet have to pay in?
I have no answers but I am certainly trying to save for my own retirement and not depend on SS.

[rob62521]

Believe me, my mom wasn't hiding assets. We were helping her pay her bills. She was one of those folks who basically fell through the cracks.

On her social security, she is one of the unlucky ones who are in the "notch" years which means she makes less than other people because of the year she was born in. I never really understood the reasoning behind that, but both she and my dad were in the notch years and made less than folks who were born a few years later or earlier.

[jodi]

I wasn't implying that your mom was, but maybe those other people were! if they were making that much, they should not be getting SSI. I do know people who get social security and SSI, but they only make a few hundred in social security each month and have less than $2000 in assets. I think the asset limit hurts a lot of people. I worked with a family who didn't make a lot of money, had a severely disabled son, but could not get SSI because they had two cars (needed for work). SSI will exclude the first car and house, but counts the second car and for this reason, the could not get benefits. I can understand your frustration at your mom not getting help, especially when you see others getting it.

[rob62521]

Jodi,

I didn't think you were implying my mom was holding assets. But you are right, I am frustrated when I see others get it and she could not. Thanks for clearing that up.

[debtfreeme]

if your mom was married to your dad for more than 10 years, she can investigate getting hsi benefits, regardless if he is remarried or deceased. She needs to make an appointment with the SS office to investigate this. The only cath, he needs to be drawing SSS.

This is part of my moms retirement plan. She just needs to make it til my dad retires. It does not affect his benefits at all but is an extra provision for those who stayed at home when husbands worked. look into it.

[rob62521]

Thanks for the info debtfree! Will look into it!