Quote:
Originally Posted by retiredguy123
Personally, I think the spouse benefit should be eliminated. If someone doesn't pay into the system, they should not get a check. The way the current system works is that a worker can be married 4 or 5 times, and as long as each marriage lasts at least 10 years, all of the ex-spouses are entitled to a check, even if they never worked at all. Some ex-spouses, who never worked, are receiving a check that is higher than a fulltime worker who worked for 30 or 40 years.
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You’ve got that right.
I have a good friend,Mary, who never worked a day in her life. She receives SS from her ex-spouse. He married two more times. When George died all three wives received an increase in benefits, to George’s amount.
Mary’s next relationship was with Bill. He was a retired teacher, and received his benefits through the State Teachers Retirement Plan. Although they weren’t married, Bill named Mary as beneficiary.
Upon his death, she began receiving his full amount.
I had a 33 year career as a teacher, and because of WEP/GPO I could not collect my deceased husbands SS. Mary never worked a day in her life, she collects two monthly checks, and her retirement income is more than double of mine.
This is some of the inequality that the SS Fairness Act addresses.