Is there a marriage penalty for 2 seniors who receive Social Security and are low income?

Question

I am trying to help a couple in their late 60's find out if one of their social security incomes would be cut were they to marry. They are both low income. The only thing I can find online is regarding tax rates. They no longer have to file income tax. If anyone could help me find this answer I would greatly appreciate it. Thank You.

Answer 1

I always thought the person with the lower benefit would lose that and now get 1/2 her new spouse's benefit. But on the SS web site, it says NO.



So please call SS and tell them what the situation is and ask what the result would be. They change the rules from time to time and they apparently have changed this one. 1-800-772-1213. The representatives are very helpful and they CAN answer your question. Don't bother with the web site, it's very confusing.



From the AARP web site:

"Q. I am getting Social Security benefits based on my deceased husband's record. If I remarry, will I lose my benefits?



A. It depends on your age. If you remarry before you turn 60 (when widows' benefits can begin), you are no longer eligible for your former spouse's benefits unless the remarriage ends. If you remarry after age 60, you can continue to collect your deceased husband's benefits as a widow or you can receive your current husband's benefits, whichever is higher. If you're eligible for benefits based on your own earnings and they are the highest, you will get those. —Expertise provided by Laurel Beedon, January 2006"

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.



RE:

Is there a marriage penalty for 2 seniors who receive Social Security and are low income?

I am trying to help a couple in their late 60's find out if one of their social security incomes would be cut were they to marry. They are both low income. The only thing I can find online is regarding tax rates. They no longer have to file income tax. If anyone could help me find this answer I...

Answer 3

There are senior citizen apartments. Some require you to be 55 or 58 years old and charge you much less than the going market rent. They have a percentage of units that are rent-reduced or affordable for seniors and disabled. These are tax credit properties. There is also a rural housing program under HUD which offers subsidized rentals. Other senior apartments under HUD operate like Section 8 apartments charging you 1/3 of your income for rent and the waitlists for these apartments are a few months. In my area those waiting lists are more than a year long. To get a Section 8 voucher where you pay 1/3 of your income for rent and have more choice you have to apply at your county Housing Authority if it is taking new applications, and once you are on that waitlist it can be 2 - 5 years to get a voucher. A lot of the timing depends on where you are and how much demand there is in that area.

Answer 4

If Social Security is your ONLY income, you have no Federal Income tax liability. The term 'marriage penalty' normally refers to the difference between what a married couple pays in Federal income tax and what the same couple would have paid if they were not married. Under this definition, you have to have a tax liability to have a marriage penalty.