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Recent changes to Social Security are already putting more money into the hands of some retirees, including widows and divorced spouses.
The update has resulted in some people receiving higher monthly benefits and others receiving lump sum payments, while billions of dollars have already been distributed.
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according to social Security Administration (SSA), more than $17 billion has already been paid to millions of beneficiaries.
The increased payments are linked to recent Social Security rule changes that could mean thousands more for widows and divorced spouses. are you eligible?
Who may be eligible
In this case, the new Social Security rule applies primarily to widows and divorced spouses whose spouses worked in public sector jobs, where Social Security taxes were not always paid.
This may arise in situations where one spouse spent his or her career in public service while the other worked in jobs covered under Social Security, leading to differences in benefit calculations.
In the past, benefits in these situations were often reduced if the spouse also received a pension from that job. Education for all campaign. In some cases, those reductions significantly reduce or eliminate spousal or survivor benefits.
With those deductions now removed, some surviving and divorced spouses may be eligible for more benefits than before. According to the SSA, not everyone will see a change, as it depends on each person’s work history and pension.
Why are payments increasing?
Now that those cuts have been eliminated, Social Security is recalculating benefits for some retirees and spouses.
Two changes are taking place due to this. Some people are seeing higher monthly payments, while others have received a lump sum deposit covering the amount already put down.
In many cases, those payments include benefits retroactive to 2024, when the old rules stopped applying.
According to the SSA, the increases could range from a modest bump to more than $1,000 per month, depending on benefits and pensions.
What do we do now
Some eligible spouses have already seen their benefits increased, but not all have been updated yet.
according to a official letterA bipartisan group of senators urged the Social Security Administration to ensure that eligible spouses receive their full retroactive payments, highlighting that some cases may still be pending.
If the payout has not changed, recent benefit statements or deposits can show if any updates have been made. Some adjustments may still be in progress.
Those who may be affected may also contact the Social Security Administration to confirm whether their benefits have been updated, especially since not all eligible cases may be adjusted automatically.