Do you pay into Social Security at work?

[jojo9610]

I don't think that Wikipedia article is correct. My husband began teaching in Texas in 1990. He doesn't pay into SS and we don't live in any of the three counties that are exempt.

 

[Cindy B]

As Cindy said,

SS benefits are much more complex then many people think and people can get benefits for a multiple reasons.

For example, my MIL started collecting widow SS retirement benefits at age 60 on her husbands account. When she reaches full retirement age, she will get a higher benefit collecting on her account, so she will switch over.

Also, if you don't pay into SS then you may not be eligible for disability benefits. While a homemaker can collect retirement on her spouses account, she can't collect disability payments if she's disabled (unless she falls into a VERY narrow category of being a widow of a person on disability when they died and she became disabled within 10 years of the person's death.. very rare)

Yes, that is rare, but I saw a case example of that just so I could understand that process! Somehow I get all the tricky and rare stuff-- its the throw it at the new girl syndrome.

 

[MrsPete]

Well, to be technical that wiki section was directly lifted from the Social security procedure manual (POMS). I know that because I cross referenced it at work! (Yes, you all know where I work now!)

As for your situation, many people get Social Security retirement (RIB) confused with either SSI or disability. They are three separate accounts or trust funds but still operating under the SS realm. I know nothing about SSI so don't ask me anything about it. If your mom collects under the program but didn't pay out, they she could have qualifed as a spouse of SS claimant, the divorced spouse of a SS claimant, paid out with having children in care of a deceased SS claimant or other situations like that. There are many scenarios which it could be and without knowing the situation I can't say exactly. Disability is very tricky and confusing but the qualifications are "less" than regular retirement questions.

OR it could be that some people opted for Social Security to be taken out. Case in point, older federal workers had a choice to either stay in the CSRS retirement system that didn't take out SS. If they didn't take out SS from their check, they forfeited the right to get SS checks later . However, some decided to go to FERS- the new program-which does take out SS. Now it is mandatory for all new employees be under FERS, hence SS taken out.


As for other social security questions: feel free to look at www.socialsecurity.gov. Many questions or concerns can be addressed there.

What I know for certain: My mom, a person who should fall into one of this excerpt's "doesn't have to pay" categories" -- a state worker who was hired in 1982 or 1983 -- DID pay into Social Security while also paying into the state retirement plan, and she IS drawing on her own Social Security account now. It is not disability, it is not a spousal account. It's hers. She was not exempt, as this Wikipedia source claims she should've been.

 

[Cindy B]

I don't think that Wikipedia article is correct. My husband began teaching in Texas in 1990. He doesn't pay into SS and we don't live in any of the three counties that are exempt.

Where does he teach? Does he teach in those counties? Is the headquarters or the building in those counties? Did he begin in one of those counties and moved to this county? Is the department of education for his district located in those counties? THere is a one day employment thing that happened in Texas which affected some teachers but that was a long time ago.

Texas and Ohio Teachers systems are complicated. I don't see Texas as much as Ohio-- and even Ohio is rare for me.

If you feel like some light reading (haha) , heres the Social Security Act about voluntary coverage from certain states.

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/OP_Home/ssact/title02/0218.htm


If you have any questions, I would suggest you contact your local field office.

 

[Cindy B]

What I know for certain: My mom, a person who should fall into one of this excerpt's "doesn't have to pay" categories" -- a state worker who was hired in 1982 or 1983 -- DID pay into Social Security while also paying into the state retirement plan, and she IS drawing on her own Social Security account now. It is not disability, it is not a spousal account. It's hers. She was not exempt, as this Wikipedia source claims she should've been.

The key word is SHOULD. Look at the hire date. If she paid in and is getting checks now, that is a good thing! Many people dont get checks and call up all suprised or they send a letter or an application in and wonder why they get denied. The check payment could be from wages PRIOR to hire date from the state or municipality. I've seen that happen a lot! I just remembered something else that an old timer told me. Some municipalities/states didn't take out SS until they had to-- which makes sense. WHen the cut off date occurred, these municipalites basically "fired" everyone and then "rehired" them as the date of hire the cutoff date so they could now take SS out.

 

[Dotsie]

My DH is a police officer and does not pay into social security. After he retires (he'll have his 20 in 7 years) he's going to have to get another job to gain enough quarters.

 

[eliza61]

I agree that Social Security is going to be around for a long time, BUT that doesn't mean it'll be worth much of anything. I expect that those of us who've saved for our retirement will receive way less than what we've paid in, and everyone will receive progressively smaller benefits.

I don't know anyone who says that they expect(ed) Social Security to "fund their retirement". Instead, most people seem to think that it either won't be there, or it'll be worth about enough to go to McDonald's occasionally in retirement. That doesn't seem to translate into "and so I'd better take care of things myself", but I don't know anyone who really thinks the program's going to take care of things.

Social security was never intended to fund a retirement. The problem we have now is that so many people end up relying on Social security.

Remember in 1970 we were a nation of savers. Anyone here remember when you got a toaster for opening up a savings account? Up until the 70's very few people had bank credit cards, sure a lot of households had sears cards (sears use to sell every thing) or JC Penny's but not much more. Save for a rainy day was a mantra. The personal saving rate was 14%

Cut to 2010. not even a full generation later. We are now a negative saving nation. Not only that, we have become credit card junkies.

So whether or not you can feed some one on social security (and I agree with you, it couldn't keep a bird alive for long) is probably secondary.
It's not going any where because we simply have no other choice but to keep it.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11098797/

This is from 2006 but it's still pretty accurate.

 

[Cindy B]

My DH is a police officer and does not pay into social security. After he retires (he'll have his 20 in 7 years) he's going to have to get another job to gain enough quarters.

A lot of people do that!

 

[creativeamanda]

Not everybody. Teachers, Federal and State workers have always been exempt.

Not true. It varies by state. I teach in SC and I pay state retirement and Social Security. Dh and I (also a teacher in SC) have paid it for over 15 years.

 

[runwad]

My DH is a police officer and does not pay into social security. After he retires (he'll have his 20 in 7 years) he's going to have to get another job to gain enough quarters.

I thought they closed some loop hole so you couldnt do this? My DH is a county worker and pays into his retirement plan which is PERS. He did work as a teenager and in college and needs to work another 5 years to be eligible for ss but I was told that is double dipping and they passed something so you can't do that anymore. Cindy do you know anything about that? We live in Ohio.

 

[ctinct]

Interesting. I am employed as a therapist in a school system, and I do not pay social security taxes. I wish I did. Here is the reason---it takes ten years to become vested in the pension plan here. If I leave before that, I will only get MY contributions back, not the money the city is currently also setting aside to fund the pension. It would not be a whole lot of money. And even though I do have enough quarters to qualify for SS benefits, it was from working part time years ago. In addition, although I could collect on my ex's benefits eventually because we were married more than 10 years, he also will have little in the way of social security, as he was a firefighter and did not pay into ss for many years. According to our divorce agreement, I am entitled to a lump sum portion of his pension, which should have been paid to me a few years ago when he retired, which reminds me I need to get off my butt and get a NEW lawyer. I am funding a Roth, but when all is said and done, i am getting not a whole lot from anywhere. I supposedly will have a pension from the old part time job, except they sent a letter out last year that thjey were in financial trouble. I think I would prefer the "guaranteed" (I don't think the government will let it fail, but I do think my kids are going to pay way more than current employees) SS income over the shaky set up I have now.

 

[carter_amy]

My husband works for the railroad and they do not pay SS. They pay into a railroad account. Once he retires, he will not be eligible for anything but that. Then once I retire, I will get SS plus 1/2 the amount that he gets from the railroad. I guess they figure they should compensate the spouses for the crazy schedule they have to work.

 

[jojo9610]

Where does he teach? Does he teach in those counties? Is the headquarters or the building in those counties? Did he begin in one of those counties and moved to this county? Is the department of education for his district located in those counties? THere is a one day employment thing that happened in Texas which affected some teachers but that was a long time ago.

Texas and Ohio Teachers systems are complicated. I don't see Texas as much as Ohio-- and even Ohio is rare for me.

If you feel like some light reading (haha) , heres the Social Security Act about voluntary coverage from certain states.

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/OP_Home/ssact/title02/0218.htm


If you have any questions, I would suggest you contact your local field office.

He teaches in Bexar County which isn't close to any of those counties. He has never taught anywhere close to those counties. He started in Webb County in Laredo in 1990 and didn't pay into SS there and then in 1994 we moved to San Antonio. He doesn't pay into SS here either. I work for the State of Texas and started in 1994 and I do pay into SS as well as to the state pension plan.

 

[torinsmom]

Not everybody. Teachers, Federal and State workers have always been exempt.

Teacher in NC here, and I pay SS and pay into a retirement plan.

My mom and dad are both receiving Social Security at this time, and both still working. I look at it as my SS withholding is helping my parents, whether it helps me or not.

Marsha

 

[snoopybabe]

Not everybody. Teachers, Federal and State workers have always been exempt.

I'm a teacher and I've always paid into SS. They don't give you a choice.

 

[MrsPete]

The key word is SHOULD. Look at the hire date. If she paid in and is getting checks now, that is a good thing! Many people dont get checks and call up all suprised or they send a letter or an application in and wonder why they get denied. The check payment could be from wages PRIOR to hire date from the state or municipality. I've seen that happen a lot! I just remembered something else that an old timer told me. Some municipalities/states didn't take out SS until they had to-- which makes sense. WHen the cut off date occurred, these municipalites basically "fired" everyone and then "rehired" them as the date of hire the cutoff date so they could now take SS out.

Nope. She worked a total of two years when she was young, then she stayed at home for quite some time, returned to work in the early 80s, and worked until just a few years ago. You may be well informed about Social Security as a whole, but I'm not wrong about what's going on in my own family. We talked about it when she retired, and I know what's going on with her situation.

 

[MrsPete]

Social security was never intended to fund a retirement. The problem we have now is that so many people end up relying on Social security.

Which makes no sense: No one seems to think Social Security is seriously going to support anyone, yet the majority aren't saving on their own. So people are SAYING one thing, yet DOING another thing altogether.

 

[simba20]

My husband is a teacher is GA and some counties here do have SS and others don't. The one we live in now does not. Most are getting away from it.

He does have money going into a state teachers pension plan -- TRS (Teacher's Retirement System). State employees are also TRS eligible (my MIL works for the Board of Regents).

We also do a 403(b) plan and a mutal fund (just started) with our funds.

He also worked when he was in high school and college, part-time jobs that paid into SS, so he's close to the required quarters he needs for benefits. I tease him about when he's older, getting a part-time job when he's over the coaching thing, so he can get some benefits.

 

[simba20]

Social security was never intended to fund a retirement. The problem we have now is that so many people end up relying on Social security.

Remember in 1970 we were a nation of savers. Anyone here remember when you got a toaster for opening up a savings account? Up until the 70's very few people had bank credit cards, sure a lot of households had sears cards (sears use to sell every thing) or JC Penny's but not much more. Save for a rainy day was a mantra. The personal saving rate was 14%

I am 33, but can remember when Blockbuster stores first opened and you had to have a credit card to set up a rental account. Finally in 1987, my parents got their first VCR and I begged for them to get a Blockbuster account so we could rent movies. Sadly, they could not get a Blockbuster account because they did not have a "major" credit card. Sears and JCPenny, yes, but VISA and MASTERCARD they did not.

My mom did not get her first VISA/MASTERCARD until 2000. I kid you not!

 

[muscarello4]

I teach and so does hubby. Neither of us pay in to S.S. We both have TRS (Teacher Retirement Service). We did pay in the S.S. before we started teaching. We'll NEVER see that money thanks to the "Windfall Elimination Plan". Oh, I'm gonna get such a windfall on teacher retirement. PUHLEEZ!