Salinas, CA Guide To Social Security Survivor’s Benefits

 

After the death of a loved one, it can be difficult to deal with bills, insurance, and Social Security.  Of the 5.7 million people awarded Social Security benefits in 2019, 886K were survivors of deceased workers.  In total there were 3.9 million widows and widowers receiving benefits in 2019.  You should report to the Monterey County Social Security office when a spouse dies.  Their number is 1-800-772-1213.  Unfortunately, you cannot report a death or apply for survivors benefits online.  The calculation is that if your deceased spouse was taking Social Security, your benefit will be the greater of your benefit or your spouse’s benefit.  If you are not yet collecting Social Security and you’re at least 60, the best way to maximize your benefits are to collect the survivors benefit at your current age and then switch to retirement benefits starting at age 70.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/retirement/2021/01/20/social-security-covid-understanding-how-survivors-benefits-work/4221795001/

Monterey, CA Senior Veterans Being Shunned By VA Again

The Veterans Administration (VA) is once again under fire, this time after reports surfaced that a bottleneck at the national archives is delaying benefits claims for 32,00 military veterans.  COVID-19 has shut down the National Personnel Records Center, for months.  After briefly reopening at low capacity, it has once again shut down except for limited emergency requests.  A veteran must get a certified copy of their service record in order to file a claim for benefits, and they are currently unable to do so.  Veterans who left the service after 2000 likely have digital archives that can be accessed easily.  However, older veterans need to get a photocopy of paper records.  That means an archivist must sift through 60 million records and try to find the proper documentation.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/older-vets-cant-get-benefits-because-of-covid-19-bottleneck-11610112128