[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

If a husband worked and qualifies for SS, the spouse can also collect a spouse benefit (half of the husband's check), even if she never worked. That would be two Government retirement checks. If the husband dies, the spouse can only collect one SS check, but it would be the higher amount.

I had a cousin who benefitted from 4 Government checks: a military retiree check, a spouse SS check, her husband's SS check, and her husband's civilian Government retirement check. And, she never worked a day in her life.

Note that military retirees are allowed to retire after 20 years, and then get a civilian Government job, and collect two Government retirement checks, and a SS check, and if they have a spouse, the spouse can collect a spouse benefit check, plus two survivor checks after he dies.

Right, it's not simple.

I believe if a spouse has worked they can choose to collect their benefits or the spouse benefits, whichever is higher, but they don't get to collect both.

Did your cousin receive four checks with her name on them or were three of those made out to her husband?

The three checks might not be inconsistent. Military benefits could be handled completely and totally separate from SS benefits. The Federal govt has had two retirement plans recently. One of those plans did not require paying into SS while the current plan does. WEP and GPO applied to the earlier, non-SS plan only. With the new plan, the retiree will receive both a pension check and a SS check with survivor benefits applying to both.