Congrats on your remarriage! If you’re 65 or older and getting Social Security benefits (SSI), did you know that your new union might impact those benefits?
Recently, ConsumerAffairs dug into what's involved in getting spousal SSI benefits. Now we find out what happens if you remarry. Here’s what we learned:
SSI
Your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments might change, depending on your spouse's income and resources. If both of you receive SSI, your combined payment may be adjusted to a couple's rate – and, it could either mean less or more than what you were getting individually, depending on a couple of factors.
The federal benefit rate (FBR) for a couple is 1.5 times the FBR for an individual. This is based on the assumption that couples save on living expenses. However, the maximum couple's benefit is less than the sum of two individual benefits.
As of January 1, 2024, the federal benefit rate is $943 for an individual and $1,415 for a couple. Some states may supplement the federal benefit with additional payments, like California, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont, as well as the District of Columbia.
But, the truth is that the calculations go much deeper than that. For example, “combined income” includes earned income (wages, self-employment), unearned income (pensions, investments), and in-kind support (free food or housing).
The possible negative impact here is that if the couple's combined income exceeds the SSI income limit, their benefit amount will be reduced or they may be ineligible altogether.
Regarding living arrangements, there’s also a dividing line. If a married couple lives together, they are generally considered one household for SSI purposes. This means they receive a lower SSI benefit rate compared to two individuals living separately.
However, if they live apart – like one spouse is in a nursing home – they may be considered two separate households for SSI. This could potentially result in higher individual benefit amounts.
Surviving spouse or divorced surviving spouse benefits
The agency says that if your situation includes a deceased spouse, that can change what you receive in SSI, too.
If you remarry before age 50, you might as well forget getting SSI because you’re not eligible for survivors or disability benefits as a surviving spouse unless your later marriage ends by divorce or annulment.
Moving the clock ahead another 10 years or so and you remarry between the ages of 50 and 59, Social Security rules say that “You may be able to get benefits as a disabled surviving spouse (or disabled surviving divorced spouse) if you were disabled and unable to work when you remarried and your remarriage occurred after age 50," the agency states.
"If you remarry before you reach age 60 and that marriage ends, you may be able to get benefits on your previous deceased spouse’s record. Your benefits may begin the first month in which the later marriage ended if all entitlement requirements are met.”
When you hit 60 and remarry at that point or later, “You may be eligible for survivors benefits on your deceased spouse’s record or benefits on your new spouse’s record,” according to the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Changing gears to divorced spouse’s benefits, the way SSA says it should work is, if you remarry, benefits paid to you on your former spouse’s record stop completely.Also, they would like you to report your new marriage to avoid being overpaid.
The bottom line
As you can see, this is a can of worms. A small can, but still, it can be confusing.
If you’re thinking about getting remarried and SSI is something you – or the person you’re marrying – has been receiving, you should contact the SSA or a qualified benefits advisor to understand how your specific income and living situation will impact potential benefits. The number to call is 1-800-772-1213.
And you might want to get ahead of this, too. The Social Security Administration periodically reviews SSI payments to ensure that recipients are still eligible and receiving the correct amount and taking a proactive stance could certainly help make things easier.