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Antiques Roadshow: My adventures with receiving Social Security before age 65

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Message Jane Stillwater
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Well, I thought I'd go on Social Security early and avoid the rush. Big mistake.

"If you go on Social Security BEFORE you turn age 65," a friend advised me, "you will receive less money per month but you would have to live to age 78 before you would start getting less TOTAL money than you would have gotten if you had gone on Social Security at the full retirement age." Let me get this straight. If I retired at, say, age 62, I would be gambling that I would win the lottery or something at age 78, would actually be receiving more money up to that point and could use all that extra cash now instead of 16 years from now?

"Something like that," said my friend. "Plus if you applied for Social Security now, you would be getting your current paycheck plus some extra cash on the side."

That sounded like a good idea.

It wasn't.

Here's what actually happened. I applied for Social Security early. I continued to work. I received Social Security and a paycheck at the same time. And my Social Security check was less than it would have been if I had waited. I had expected that. But here's something that I hadn't expected: The Social Security money you receive BEFORE the official retirement age ISN'T REALLY YOUR MONEY.

I wish somebody had warned me about that before I became irreversibly in debt to the government. Being in debt to the government sucks eggs. Just ask Mike Tyson!

To receive your Social Security benefits before full retirement age, you are only allowed to earn $12,000 a year. I earned $15,000 last year. My bad.

The Social Security people wrote me a letter. "You earned too much money in 2005. Now you owe US money." So now instead of having extra money, I need to pay money BACK? "That is correct."

But this year I don't have a job and I don't have any income. But I STILL can't receive Social Security. Why? Because if, some time this year, I actually DID get a job, then I would end up owing the government even more than I do now and I'd be even deeper in debt. It's all very Catch-22.

I called the Social Security guys up. They were very helpful and very nice. "Do I have this right," I asked them. "I can't get a job because if I did I wouldn't be able to receive Social Security. And I can't receive Social Security because I might get a job."

"That is correct."

Okay. That's clear. But with no job and no Social Security, how can I pay you guys back? "This is not a problem, Ms. Stillwater. We will deduct what you owe us from your FUTURE Social Security payments."

"You mean that not only are you not giving me money and that I owe YOU money instead, but that I will CONTINUE to owe you money for years to come?"

"That is correct."

And in addition to all that, a friend just told me that once I finally turn 65, Medicare will also deduct $76 out of my Social Security money every month to cover my medical costs.

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Jane Stillwater Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Stillwater is a freelance writer who hates injustice and corruption in any form but especially injustice and corruption paid for by American taxpayers. She has recently published a book entitled, "Bring Your Own Flak Jacket: Helpful Tips For Touring (more...)
 
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