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Social Security Benefits For Your Wife — Think Ahead

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Comments

    • I’m with you, Kevin. You won’t have to live in the US for the rest of your lives together, just long enough for her citizenship. That’s the route my wife and I too 14 years ago, we both enjoyed it, she got her citizenship, and we’re already back in the Philippines 8 years now come 02 November 2013.

      Time goes fast when your having fun. And we both agree it was a very valuable beginning to our marriage.

  2. I agree Kevin. There ain’t many things that trump that blue passport. It does puzzle me sometimes how some guys think. When my wife was taking her citizenship classes, she found the information fascinating, and I found it a neat refresher for my old civics courses. One of her classmates was a Korean lady. She asked her husband to help her with some of the information. Things like how a bill becomes law, and who their congress critters were. The husband didn’t know the answers, got angry, and made her drop out of the course. Don’t know if she ever got her citizenship.

    Take care,
    Pete

    • Hi Pete,

      True that. One of the things many ‘true blue Americans” learn if they help someone down the path to naturalization is, how little they actually know about the details of US life and government. I’ve long been of the opinion that the US should have a nation-wide “Citizenship Confirmation Test” for all citizens .. perhaps during the high school years. Just the test that we give to new citizen applicants would be fine.

      There are a LOT of “Billy-Bob” anti-foreigners spouting off about immigration out there whom I wager could never pass the test . Bot then, of course, I might be wrong …

    • Dear sir,

      Greetings!

      I came upon your blog and it seems you know a lot about pension benefits.

      I am writing this on behalf of my cousin (34 yrs old) married to an american who started receiving his pension 3 yrs ago. They both live here in the Philippines for 5 years now and have a son who is 6 yrs old. The son has a dual citizen.

      My question is: Does the son has rights/liability to receive SS benefits per month?

      I just knew this from a neighbor who is married to an american pensioner. Their young daughter receives P50,000 every month. Added that the child has also SS number (I understand that everybody has SS number if you are registered/born as american)

      It would help us a lot if you can share your ideas, opinion and your knowledge regarding this matter.

      Thank you!

      • Hi Beth, thanks for writing in. As far as I can see there are a LOT of Phil-Am couples out there who just don’t seem to even want to bother to see if there are benefits/incomes available to them … or their children.

        Yes every US citizen should have a Social Security number. For those born abroad, getting the child a Social Securit number is normally part of the reporting process. If not, they should start here:

        http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwha013.html

        Likewise others with similar questions should also follow that link, our very own US SSA office here in the Philippines to help US citizens with all these issues.

        You and others should also start here: http://ssa.gov/ Information you receive from the Social Security Administration is likely to be a bit more accurate than some old knao on a blog in the Philippines šŸ˜‰

      • Dear Mr.Dave,
        I am writting to you on behalf of my sister.she was a green card holder and has been residing in the philippines with her us citizen husband for 14 yrs.now.they have never gone back to the us ever since.i soppose she’s not iligible for ss benifits once her husband passes away.am i righ

    • Yes, Subic Bay, I am “betting on the come”. It is always possible Social Security might not exists some time in the future. Ir’s also possible that those not yet old enough to collect Social Security might not live long enough … all of us are dead men, we just don’t know when.

      So your alternative proposed course of action would be?

      One of the very first political controversy in the US I can remember was President Truman firing General MacArthur in 1951. I was 6 years old. My dad, who was normally not political in nature at all, was vociferously opposed to Truman’s action. I wondered why events so far away suddenly got my dad so upset.

      Dad’s response?

      “That son of a bitch Truman has gutted Social Security with his damn W-M-D health care bill (It was the first Obamacare, if you will), and now there won’t even _BE_ Social Security for when you and your brothers and sisters need it.” Gosh, my dad was about as mad as I had ever seen him in my young life.

      That was 62 years ago, and for every year since I have listened to little else but dire predictions of the pending demise of Social Security.

      Some of those predictions came from political demagogues of one stripe or another. Both sides of the aisle have been well represented over the years.

      Some came from very learned people outside politics who did not seem to have a political axe to grind.

      Guess what?

      My dad drew his Social Security benefits until the day he died, despite Truman’s ill-advised health care initiatives and the dire predictions of dad’s day.

      I’m still drawing my SS check and so is everyone else who is eligible and applies. Even Warren Buffett šŸ˜‰

      And the old age pension part of Social Security is still very strongly funded out until at least the 2040’s. (Social Security Disability funding is in trouble, but we aren’t talking about that here)

      So there’s no way either of us can know for sure … life is not about certainties. Ask any poker player who ever had quads busted by a royal flush. In the words of the immortal philosopher, Paul Gualtieri,
      “Nobody knows what the future holds, my friend.”.

      Be well.

      • Well you asked for alternatives, well why not 401K’s and personal savings. I bet that back then they didn’t have the amount of debt we have now and they did not have the spend addicts we now have in congress. So it would not be advised not to place everything upon SS as the coffers are being taken out and used other pork porjects. The SS well is simply going BROKE!
        And if you don’t belive that I’ll sell you a mansion in Hawaii for 10,000 USD.

        • I really don’t know why you are so snarky about this. My article said NOTHING about relying solely on Social Security, I am merely trying to advise people who may not know how to get the maximum benefits for their spouses, something many people don’t know. And this seems to make you angry? So be it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Matthew 7:6

        • Social Security is not going broke. The past presidents have taken out 2.7 trillion usd and used it to support bad projects like Obamacare. They simply place IOUs in the plate and say it will be paid back at some point. President Regan returned allot of money to it which reduced the national debt under the billions he repaid during his presidency. So you are wrong that it is going broke. Sorry about your interpretation. Dave is totally correct; we as retirees and for our families we leave behind when we pass away, must plan as well as possible for the most benefits we can leave to them. I have money invested in land, my Social Security and my military retired pay that can be passed on to them IF I plan well and follow the laws for each one. I am with Dave on his article.

  4. Dave – I may be one of those people who knows less about SS than they should, but I think you missed the biggest benefit of social security regarding having a Filipina wife and whether you live in the US or in the Philippines. That is that if you retire and start collecting SS and if you have a minor child, that child collects the equivalent of approx. half of your SS benefit while you are alive – not after you die. Of course after you die the child also collects and mom gets a piece as the child’s caretaker.

    Or have I misunderstood the benefit?

    • DaveW

      My extensive research on the SS website agrees with you. If you are of retirement age (62 or older) and claim benefits your child dependent under the age of 18 collects approx half of your benefit. If you are married then your spouse regardless of age collects approx half of your benefits also as caretaker of your minor child until the child reaches the age of 16.

      • I think the spouse collecting as caretaker to your minor child is only after you die. For us this minor child benefit is great because if we do have a child we intend to take most or all of that SS money and save it for education. Whether I live to see my child get to or through college or whether I pass first, I will know that he/she has savings to do it.

        • Dave,
          Hello! My name is Mel, i was married to an american doctor(he was 53 years old then) in az, usa on 10/7/2010, & i was able to convince him to come w/ me & we’ll just live here inb the philippines, plus i promised him that it is possible for him to practice here. We got here on October 29, 2010. But come December 3, 2010 he died at St. Luke’s Hospital (death certificate said:”multiple organ failure due to toxicity”). No! i dont have nothing to do with that. What happenned is a few days back my batchmates surprised us with a welcome party since they came to know of our arrival, i even told off the organizer “why did you guys do this theres no food ready or cooked in the house”, & they just assured me “dont worry we’ll just send jerry (driver) to REYES BBQ & get some, but the sneaky jerry opted to buy BBQ, from a corner store where its way cheaper but the seller used “butcha” or “double dead meat”, my husband was eating his heart out coz the scent of BBQ was something so yummy to him, thats when everything started falling apart. st luke’s emergenvy room, discharge after 5 hours, we go home to be back again a few hours later, this happenned 3x till the 4th time where he finally died, Dec. 3, 2010. Doctor said “foreigner have a different reaction & their immune system is different from us. needless to say a big bulk of the money we took home that we were intending to live on, built his clinic, his review school tuition, etc. went to pay hospital bills, & his funeral expenses. When i initially wrote SSS, about possibility of qualifying for a benefit as his widow, i was straight out told, there will be none coz he only had 36 quarters completed/
          So please in your earliest convenience, please advice. Thank you in advance & God Bless!

          Sincerely,
          Mel

          • Hello Mel,

            Thanks for writing in. I’m truly sorry to hear of your experiences. It was brave of you to share them.
            Sorry to say, though, I know of nothing which will help.

            If your husband had not yet vested in Social Security (40 quarters is on 10 years of paid employment, most men in their 50’s have earned their 40 quarters many times over, but since the Social Security Administration has already investigated and found that you husband apparently had _not_ earned his 40 quarters, there are no benefits due.

            If you can prove, legally, that your husband worked (and paid Social Security) for at least 4 more quarters, you could file a claim for reconsideration based on this fact. But it also seems you were married less than a year before your husband died, so I don’t believe you can claim widow benefits anyway, based on that fact.

            If you are able to clarify things so that you qualify, do remember that you can’t begin to collect Widow’s Benefits until you, yourself, attain age 60.

            All I can say is, I wish you well and hope you have better luck in the future.

    • (Interesting. You’re right I did not know that, thanks. My days of fathering children are long gone, praise the Lord.

  5. Dave,
    I agree that citizenship is the way to go for a number of reasons. However I don’t recommend people plan on having Social Security for retirement. Social Security already pays out more than it takes in. The Ponzi Scheme is already in the first stages of collapse. There are several reasons for this:

    1. Social Security funds cannot be invested like private savings. Therefore there is no means to actually grow the funds. Social Security relies on a growing number of contributors to pay off the those who previously contributed. Bernie Madofff is currently is prison for running this type of scheme.

    2. Advances in health care science has led to more beneficiaries who are living longer.

    3. A skyrocketing cost of living and a punitive tax code has led to smaller families. This translates to less contributors.

    4. Social Security was never supposed to be a sole means of survival in the retirement years. It was meant to be only a stipend to supplement private savings. However lack of personal responsibility and growth in socialist policy has led to people relying totally on the taxpayer for assistance. The program tries to keep up but the money simply is not there.

    5. Social Security was never supposed to be a disability program, SSDI. Thanks to years of fiscal ineptitude in D.C. and a constant loosening of what constitutes disability SSDI beneficiaries are are at a record high and still growing.

    6. Social Security was never supposed to be a welfare program. Yet people who have never paid a dime into the system can collect on SSI.

    7. While it sounds good that a spouse who has never paid into the system can collect a benefit this is one of the reasons the system is nearing bankruptcy.

    My advice is this. Anyone who is collecting Social Security now should enjoy the party while it lasts. Hopefully they have a backup plan if the system collapses before they pass away. Anyone who is not yet collecting benefits shouldn’t count on it being there unless starvation is an option.

    One other thought:
    I agree that the U.S. is quite a country. I too am glad and proud to be American. However I see Social Security as one of the most un-American things ever. America is all about the opportunity to provide for yourself, not to feed from the public treasury through socialist programs.

    • Nothing wrong with healthy socialism. Canada has a healthy government and is a western democracy. Canada taxes people, yet uses the taxes to look after them well. The land belongs to the people and all the bounty there of, not controlled by a few greedy corporations. There should be free health care and free unemployment payments for all citizens. In return all citizens should be taxed. That is tax put to good use, not useless wars.

      • I respectfully disagree with the concept of “healthy socialism”. This is an oxymoron. Socialism has failed everywhere it has been attempted and it always will. Canada and the U.S. are perfect examples of this. The government can’t take care of me as well as I can. Socialism is not intended to make everybody equally successful. It is intended to keep everybody equally “above water”. This is unacceptable for me and it should be unacceptable for you and everybody else as well. I also respectfully disagree with the concept of free health care and free unemployment payments. It is not free. Someone has to pay for it and I vehemently disagree with the idea that someone else is entitled to money that was confiscated from me. I do agree with you about spending money on wars. Of course that assumes your definition of “useless” is the same as mine. I should have stated previously that this is also one of the reasons Social Security is going bankrupt. Thank you for the reply.

        • Nope, it works in Canada just fine. Too much inequality in a society leads to problems. Not all are born equal, and not all are given equal chance in life. The handicapped, the poor, the needy. You confuse healthy socialism with hardline communism, a typical problem for most Americans who never been educated sufficiently about other nations. It works very well in Canada. Canada, most people have a good quality of life, and a good safety net to fall back on. It works excellent in Switzerland, it works well in Australia and New Zealand. All of those nations are western nations, liberal democracies and plenty for everyone. USA on the other hand, has money to throw at wars, have a few elite control things and the end result is this mess. Philippines had it adopted some forms of healthy socialism, like Cuba such as free health care for all, home grown products, controlled low cost of food, rationing systems like China and India a lot would have helped.

          Your fear of Communism should not end up clouding your understanding of a healthy concept of Socialism. Too much “me me me me myself, I want it all”, attitude will be the undoing. I understand the American mindset of being ultra-independent, but in the end, a lawless society without proper governance is not worth it.

          I prefer NZ/Australia/Canada/Swiss/Norway/Finland systems any day as opposed to violence ridden, petty minded conflict ridden attitude of USA, where narrow minded nationalism coupled with anger and guns and partisan politics rule the roost. We need to get off this dependence on USA and its currency.

        • When you end up broke and have no money, you will be wishing for free health care. Free health care is the universal right of all human beings. Your duty towards your country , is towards your countrymen. People can loose jobs, people can loose their health. So what you want them to do? go sell their bodies or starve in streets ? It is this form of selfishness that is going to rip the Americans into a civil war eventually. You may have “earned” that money, it goes towards your own safety net. Taxes are your duty towards your nation, your own tax money will come back to help you. Its not about “giving my money to help someone else”, it is about “giving my money to fund free health care so I can benefit, giving my money for free social security net, so I can have a safety net to fall back on”. Simple. It has nothing to do with robin hood. You completely mix healthy socialism with Communism.

        • Nothing will go bankrupt, if you stop invading other countries, and manufacture your own goods, and don’t allow a few corporations to control your country. It is not the fault of Social security or free health care. Remember, finally this entire earth and its resources belongs to God, and God can dispense it freely to whomever He chooses, and the role of the state is to administer it freely and all who are its legitimate citizens. End the stupid wars, invasions, military bases, wasteful SUVS that guzzle oil, learn to conserve, learn to save and learn to live a healthy life.

          • Oh!!! I’ve struck a healthy left wing, liberal nerve!!! Lighten up, dude. Let me be more clear about this. I am addressing Social Security RETIREMENT only here. I’m not discussing the entitlements that have been incorporated into the system over time. I’m not discussing other welfare programs. I’m not discussing health care, military or anything else for that matter. Try not to lose focus on this. I think Social Security should be optional. I think when people become adults they should make the decision whether or not rely on the government to manage their retirement savings or go it alone where they can be much more prosperous. After all, Social Security was sold to the public as an individual retirement account for those who pay into the system. So if the money a person pays in is intended to be saved exclusively for that person and paid exclusively to that person then it shouldn’t make a difference if people are allowed to save it themselves. After all, this is money nobody else was suppose to receive anyway for any reason. I would think if you really care about people having a solid retirement then you should care enough to let them do what works for them as individuals. So the question remains, why does anybody care how people save their own retirement money? Simple. Politicians want people enslaved to the government. This is how they get votes. This is how they stay in power. Remember, the AARP is the largest political lobby in the U.S. The politicians don’t want to empower citizens to provide for themselves and be successful. The politicians want to redistribute everybody’s retirement savings and keep retirees at an equal level of “just getting by” because it allows them to influence retirees in a fashion that furthers their political careers. If they cared about the retirees they would take the chains off of them and there would be no need for the AARP. I don’t know about you but I would rather have freedom than be enslaved to the government. Freedom just works better.

            I really wish we could meet face to face and discuss some of these unrelated issues you’ve brought up. I think it would be very entertaining for me. We are obviously on different parallels. I will never see the world your way and you will never see the world my way. But the discussion is terrific. Isn’t it great that brave people have sacrificed to give us the right to have this discussion? I can only hope it will continue for future generations.

            I’ll leave you with a parting thought. God save us from those who would save us.

            Once again, thank you for the reply.

            • Jeff, you do realize that there is NO legal requirement to join the Social Security program, do you not? Even if you were “forced” into the system before you were of legal age to enter into a contract as you stated, you still had the option to not participate in a “socialistic” program which you find distasteful when you came of age unless you wanted to. There are employments out there – in state and local governments, for example – that have their own retirement and disability systems outside of Social Security. Up until 1983, Federal employees did not participate in Social Security. I was one. As a last recourse, you could also have claimed exception to the automatic FICA deductions (“confiscate” – your word) from your wages based on religious grounds. It’s the law.

              Not to stray from the main topic, I agree with the premise that one should not count on Social Security alone for their livelihood at retirement. For some, it’s enough if they live in places like Casper, Wyoming, or in developing countries like the Philippines, but what kind of a life is that?

              • Straying from the subject reply:
                Actually SS and Medicare tie into each toher called FICA. It’s automatically taken out.
                FICA taxes are those arising from the 1937 lawā€”the Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA). These taxes include contributions to both the federal Social Security and Medicare programs, and must be paid by all American workers, whether they are employed by a company or are self-employed. The way in which the payment is made varies but anyone employed for pay owes FICA taxes.

                http://definitions.uslegal.com/f/fica-taxes/

              • John,

                I hear what you are saying but I’m not believing any of it right now. You say there is no legal requirement to join the Social Security program. You may be correct but most people are enrolled shortly after birth by parents. Further, try to do anything in America, like get a legitimate job, without a Social Security number. Why? Because it is a taxpayer ID. Try to get credit. Try to get anything for that matter. Don’t just tell me I can opt out. Please provide the details so I can actually do it. I realize employers have retirement and disability systems but participation in these programs does not get you out of paying FICA taxes. You also claim I can opt out of FICA deductions based on religious grounds. Again, don’t just tell me this. Please provide the details and give me some contacts so that I can actually do it. I appreciate your attempt at advice but you are offering nothing substantial here. Many people have told me, “It can be done”. But I get the deer in the headlights look when I ask “exactly how, please provide details”. I seriously hope you don’t have the deer in the headlights look right now because I want to opt out. If you have some real information that will help me lets get in contact and talk about it.

                Thank you.

              • Jeff, do you really want to opt out of Social Security now after having contributed into it up to this point in your life? Everything I said can be found in the internet (no deer in the headlights look here). Obtaining SSN for a child at birth is routinely done by the parents, but does NOT obligate the individual to participate in Social Security in the future. I agree, though, that in this day and age, if you are a U.S. citizen living in America, having a SSN is a must-have for identificaiton purposes and for filing the federal income tax. As regards to exemption from FICA deductions from your wages, that may be a tough nut to crack unless you are a member of a religious group like the Quakers and Amish. LOL

                See IRS Publication 517 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p517.pdf and IRS Form 4361 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/f4361–2011.pdf

                What I do wish to happen is for Congress to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) of Social Security. The provision holds that an individual may not receive two FULL pensions from the Federal government. I receive the full OPM annuity (pension) based on my 40 years of Federal service. In addition, I receive monthly Social Security benefits, but is reduced due to my OPM annuity. I am by no means greedy, but just like everybody else, I paid into Social Security on jobs I’ve held on the side for many, many years.

              • John,
                Thank you for the information you provided.Ā Ā It will give me something read through later.Ā Ā That thing you mentioned about WEP was very interesting to me. This adds to the list of reasons I feel FICA taxes and participation in the program should be optional.

                Thank you for the reply.

              • John
                You have only stated the warnings of our founders when the Federal Gov or Employes there of are exempt from the same laws WE The People Must follow , Read up on Ben Franklin words on this matter . Really Read his words close your eyes and imagine 2014 . . Comparing oranges to apples . Freedom is in danger as we speak . While Evey Conservative Economist agree some safety net is necessary , IE : or else I’m starving and going to Rob you .. since there is 2% of the world that is rich , it is their job with their hired Governments to spread the propaganda .. class ware fare , yes yes , while you work at ford make decent money , have debt up to your neck , pick up the drum of the Evil welfare queens , and give power to the true elite . if that make seance .

            • You live in a society, democratically elect Governments can do what the people have elected them to do. There is nothing you can do, anarchist. If you don’t like the way governments or a nation run, you are free to ship out and find the forest to live your “wild free life”. It is better to be “liberal”, than a right wing gun trotting uneducated lunatic. If you are that patriotic, go find an American woman and marry her. Yeah we can talk face to face, all we want, and what you going to do? take your gun and shoot me in the face? NOTHING you can do, if I am “liberal” or “leftist”. No use explaining to a person what “taxes” do. No one forces you to submit to the system, but let the rest of us have a system that works for us. Shape up or ship out. The world has changed.

            • “Brave people died to give us the right to have discussions” – That same applies to Canada, New Zealand , Australia, Finland , norway. They all are built on freedom. Get it hotshot? U.S of A is not the only “free” nation on earth, or is it really free ?

              • Tarsier,
                What is with all of this hostility?Ā Ā I’m just trying to carry on a conversation about Social Security which is the subject of this article.Ā Ā I explained my position.Ā Ā I thanked you for your replies. You, on the other hand, will not extend the same courtesy. You have failed to address to the topic.Ā Ā You keep going on unrelated tangents and now you have lowered yourself to childish name-calling.Ā Ā I’m still willing to discuss my legitimate concerns about Social Security with you or anybody else.Ā Ā I understand you are on the liberal end of the spectrum and disagree with some of my views. That is life.Ā Ā I can accept it.Ā Ā However if you want to be a part of this conversation you need to control your anger, focus on the topic and offer something more intelligent than childish name-calling.Ā Ā Who knows, we may actually find some common ground if you try but as of now you have lowered yourself to a point where I can’t take you seriously.

                Once again, thank you for your reply.

    • Correct in some aspects , However – If you take the same monies that were forced to be saved or invested in the social security act , instead of 1200 a month , if you privately invested the same it would have came to a a grand pay out of 4000 a month .. When you here these battles in America over the bank rupturing system it is only because our Elected Officers have chosen to Steal our money to pay for their over bolted egos and promises for votes , then it simple turns into class warfare at that point .

  6. Jeff,
    Social Security needs to be revamped for sure, especially the SSI and SSDI. But Social Security Retirement Benefits are paid for by the working American Citizen, taken out of there paychecks. They have earned there monthly check at retirement age. There is nothing un-American about that. I have a retirement pension and I hope to be able to collect Social Security when I turn 62 because I paid into it.

    • Papaduck,
      I understand your point about collecting because you paid into it. However I don’t see it as people willingly paying into it. Here is the way I am looking at it. Social Security was not a option for me. I was forced into the system before I was of legal age to enter into a contract. Once the money is confiscated from me it is no longer mine. It belongs to the public. Congress gets to determine how much if any of this money I will receive and when. No matter what the SSA has already stated I will get back less than what was taken from me. I’ve already stated the reasons for this. Social Security is the worst “investment” a person can make for their future. It is just another example of how the American people are on the losing end of the politicians’ winning propositions. Thanks for the reply.

    • America cannot go broke, they own the printing press. This is confirmed by the government buying Treasures each month if China does not. This will work until the investors call in the notes i.e. Argentina, Brazil, Germany, then inflation hits and your cost of living adjustment is one year behind. It happened to a modest degree in the late 70s early 80s, now thankfully those who know the system is on a frail foundation are going along with the scam and the rest of us are too ignorant or benefit too much too care. Pray the system last till we and our families are gone.

    • The reason the US is going broke is because of all the illegals and all those the government keeps bring over and giving them FREE money and medical. They get benefits the People of the US can’t get. The Federal Reserve is not a bank of the US government, it’s a banksters (as in gangsters) banking and has nothing to with the US government. The Federal Reserve charges the US interest on the money they let the US print until it’s paid back. Just like when you have a loan from your local bank/credit union. https://www.quora.com/How-do-banks-create-money

  8. Dave…

    I brought my wife to the states last month on an IR-1 visa. After about 3 weeks she received her 10 year green card. . My question is this….How long must we stay in the US for her to become eligible for MY social security benefits? I was under the impression we had to live here together for 5 years. After reading your article I am now thinking in our situation that timeline may only be 3 years, or when she becomes a US citizen she is qualified.

  9. Dave,

    Wow, I have been away for while….SEE what gets started by a simple clear and to the point article.

    Where did all the Einstein dudes come from all of a sudden?

  10. Hi Dave. I’m Henry, a US Citizen and 27yrs old that receives SSI due to my seizures. I want to marry my 22yr old philippine girlfriend, but don’t know if my SSI will get cut off due to me getting married. Is this true that my SSI will get cut off due to me getting married? And once we married, will she also receive SSI as well?

    • @ Henry

      Thanks for writing. I can’t really answer your question, because I don’t know if you are talking about living in the Philippines after your marriage or living in the US. I makes a WORLD of difference.

      SSI is NOT payable outside the US. So if you plan on moving here and living off your SSI, you had better think of a different plan.

      As far as your benefit changing when you marry, and/or any possible benefits for your spouse? I would suggest this is the wrong place to ask. Here you get a lot of unqualified personal opinion and hearsay. At your Social Security Office or at http://www.ssa.gov/ you can get factual answers. It’s important in your situation that you get the facts.

      • Hi Dave,
        I’m a widower of an American who died 4 years ago. If I had just read your blog about the widow visa and SSA benefits before my husband died I would not have a problem that i am having now. But it is too late to regret now. I cannot apply for widow visa anymore since it is only good for 2 years after your husband died. What I would like to know from you now (im needing fro your brilliant ideas), I wanted to apply to SSA for young spouse benefit. I am still 34 years old and I have a child who is still 11 years old. My child is receiving SS benefit until now. I emailed SSA regarding my case and they said that it’s possible to get a young spouse benefit since I am eligible for it but, there’s a BUT, I NEED TO GO TO THE US AT LEAST ONE FULL MONTH CALENDAR in order to receive this benefit.
        My questions are: Is this true that I need to have records that I have been in the US before receiving young mother benefit? And if it is true, what would be the visa that i can apply to enter USA?

        I really need your smart ideas about this matter. I hope you can help me.

        • Hello Lucy,

          Thanks for writing in but I have no ideas which can help. In fact the reason I wrote this article is that in my 8 years of living here in the Philippines I have seen the same or very similar situations as yours over and over and over again.

          Husbands do not give thought as to how their wives and children will be cared for after they have gone.

          Wives do not give thought (perhaps because it’s too painful) to how they will be supported if their husband dies.

          So far as I know, what you were told about having to reside for a period of time in the US is true. I certainly don’t know any way around what the law says.

          Is this law discriminatory towards Filipinos and other foreigners? Yep, I would say so. But it is the right of every nation to write laws the way their constitution and law makers decide to … Just as there are dozens of Filipino laws which are discriminatory towards non-Filipinos. It’s a fact of life we all have to live with.

          It won’t do much good for you, but in the others of other wives and husbands who read this, I say again, those of you who marry Philippine citizens and then ignore the opportunity of bringing your spouse to the USA … Because you “can’t see any benefit to it” as many have told me), just remember, you are making a decision involving your wife and children which will live on long after you, yourself, die and can no longer make decisions. Be sure you are leaving the legacy you would WANT to leave behind when you depart this life.

        • I have the same situation…a young widow with minor child receiving pension…and i have the same question…but can I go to US and tell the immigration of my purpose of going is to have a-one-full-calendar-month requirement to claim SS pension?

          • No, you cant tell them about because they wont give you a visa for that. What we can do is to wait for our kids to reach 21 yrs old and have them go to the US and they will petition for us. Once we have an entry to the US thats the time we can claim for spouse benefit.considering that we should not remarry.

  11. Hello Dave
    I have a couple of questions to which I have not seen any answers here yet.
    I still live in the States collecting my SS (not SSI) which is deposited directly into my Bank of America account every month.
    Question #1: When I move over there, hopefully at end of year, how will I be able to collect this money there?
    Question #2: If I adopt kids, will they be able to collect my SS upon my death?
    Thanks for answering.

    • Hello Heinz,

      Thanks for contributing. I don’t know how to answer either question, though, with the information you’ve shared.

      1. You state your.benefits are _not_ SSI … which is good, SSI can not be paid overseas. But you don’t state what your benefits _are_. SSDI, SS Retirement Annuity, or ???

      2. The children you are asking about … are you planning to adopt in the Philippines? And, again, what they might be able to collect depends on what benefits you are talking about. In _general_ minor children receive an monthly allowance upon a parent’s death until the finish school ,,, but there are a LOT of rules and “gotcha’s” involved.

      I’m happy to try to help with the simple stuff, but seriously you should research this for yourself on http://ssa.gov/

      First, because they are the experts, I’m not.
      Second, because the answers to those questions in your specific case may be different from what they will be in someone else’s case.

      To answer these questions properly, you need to share a lot of personal info that you should NOT (IMO) share on a public, non-secure site like this one. Go to the source, I’m sure you’ll be glad you did.

      Be well

  12. ..and how about me as a young widow, never been to US, having a 5yr old son receiving SS benefit from his deceased US dad, what do I get? without accountable for spending my sons benefit for our living.

  13. Hi Dave,

    I am hoping you can maybe shade a light on my querries. My former husband is now retired and collecting SSA benefits living with his new wife in the Philippines. I have an 8 yr old child who collects under his record but not me since I divorce him in a foreign country back in 2010. My question is: according to Philippine Law article 25 we are still married since Philippines does not recognize divorce especially acquired by a Filipino citizen abroad. Do I qualify to collect benefits under his record as a spouse caring for a minor child under the age of 16? Especially I am told by the Philippines that my former husband second marriage to his current wife is nullified and void? What is my recourse on this matter? By the way, I am dual citizen ( Phil & US)

    Este

  14. Hello Dave. I am a filipina wife to a retired USAF military. I had never been to USA. He wanted me to quit my job. I am concerned to my welfare as to what I found out that his former wife of will recieve a surviving spouse benift. They been married for 25 years prior to his divorce. My question is well I received any benefit from him? If I will quit my job what assurance will I get from him? We bought a house but 15 years to pay. My age is still 35 years old.

    • Hi Amba, thanks for writing in. You are quite correct in giving this a lot of careful thought because as it stands right now, you have virtually nothing in your future unless your husband has life insurance or other private investments that would come to you upon his death..

      As a retired military man he has substantial surviving spouse benefits which, as you already know, are going to go to his former spouse. This is pretty much locked in law, there’s nothing for you as “spouse number two”.

      Upon his death there will be social security widows benefits to which you would be entitled, BUT and there are two important “buts”.

      1. As a Philippine citizen living outside the US, you are entitled to these benefits but they will not be paid to you, ever, unless you become a US citizen or a US Legal Permanent Resident (Green Vary).

      2. Secondly, you become entitled to the widows pension upon his death but you can not collect a dime,even in the US, until your 60th birthday.

      So think through any life changes carefully, because we hope your hubby lives a very long life, but we are all on a direct route to the cemetery and the “Widows Gap” between now and your 60th year can be very hard to bridge.

      And if you don’t become a US citizen between now and then, the “Gap” continues forever. Since you are already working, re-read the article. Taking my wife to the USA (where she worked, always, full-time) was the smartest investment she and I ever made. She does not po\plan to ever go back to the US at this pint in our lives, but she will get all her benefits when I die and she always has the option to return. Makes me sleep better in case some day I don’t happen to wake up … I know she won’t be left destitute as thousands of Filipina “second souses” are every year.

      Godspeed.

  15. I am 60 years old and been married for 6 years to my retired american husband .I have never been to USA my husband just came back from there also.No I just want to enquire that can i get my own social security here in US Embassy since my husband is going back again and what we are planning is if I alone can get in there .

    thanks so much,
    vangie

  16. Good day Dave,

    I am a Filipina, 37yo who married an American citizen but was recently deceased at age 74yo.
    My husband came to the Philippines in 2009 and we were married soon after at a Civil wedding. We were living off his pension which was just enough to cover our daily expenses and bills until he became sick and got hospitalized.
    I was left with the hospital bills and funeral bills and loans as well. I would like to know if I can ask for assistance to get widow’s benefits so I can pay for all of these?
    We don’t have any children.

    Thank you in advance for your time and God bless!

    Widower Lee
    [email protected]

    • Sorry to hear of your loss. It is too bad you and your husband didn’t read this article long ago and make your plans, because now, I’m afraid, you are left with very little.

      You can begin your quest here:

      http://manila.usembassy.gov/us-agencies2/the-social-security-administration-division2.html

      But as a Philippine citizen and only 37 yo, I don’t believe you can expect much. Widows pensions don’t kick in until the widow is age 60, and essentially widows benefits can’t be paid to non-US citizens who reside outside the USA.

      This is the main reason I wrote this article. To try to make some of my fellow Americans and their Filipina wives realize that planning for how the young wife will be able to live _AFTER_ the husband dies _HAS_ to be done _BEFORE_ he dies.

      A lot of people seem to think they are immortal, but the truth is _none_ of us gets out of this life alive. Smell the coffee, guys, please.

      Godspeed.

  17. Do Filipino widows have to pay Philippines taxes on OPM annuity (CSRS retirement), if married to an American who has died.

    • Hi Jim Bryant,

      The answer to your direct question is no, she does not. But a much more important question is, how would she get paid in the first place? Non-US citizens getting paid directly overseas is very problematically. Better figure out, for sure, if your widow would even have any income to pay taxes on.

      • So I am assuming that Filipino widow/spouse would not have to pay Philippine taxes on OPM survivor benefit annuity. Right now, I have OPM deposits made directly to my BPI dollar account and have had no problems. Wife has a dollar account with my minor American citizen son (my name not on account) for SSS checks due to my age.
        Question: does Filipino widow still have to file a yearly Philippine tax form, even if do not pay taxes on the OPM annuity (she has no other source of income within PI)?

        • Hi Jim,

          So far so good if you have the deposits going the way you mentioned. In most cases SSA will not send to a joint an account or one not in the recipient’s name. Also OPM informed me they would _NOT_ deposit directly to a Philippines bank, I guess some things have changed.

          Back to your Philippine taxation question, the answer is an unequivocal, no or maybe. See:
          http://www.bir.gov.ph/index.php/bir-forms/income-tax-return.html
          I’m “assuming” my wife won’t have to pay Philippine income tax on the survivor benefits she may get from me, but I’m not sure.

          You may want to seek a ore authoritative source than some old guy who whiles away his time on the web.

          My bottom line is, I really don’t care, as long as my wife has an income .. which many will not … and she’ll get a tax credit on her US income tax (which she’ll have to pay anyway), it is really a non-issue to me.

          Hope you can make some sense out of the Philippine “requirements” page, because to me it can be read several different ways. Godspeed.

          • What OPM does is run the deposit thru Bank of NY and Bank of NY sends it to the PI bank. Thus they are, supposedly, not sending directly to your PI bank account.

  18. True – SSA will not send to joint accounts, except when one is a American minor child – then both Filipino citizen wife and American minor child can both be on foreign bank account and receive SS checks for minor child (not wife). OPM sends my OPM retirement checks to my PI dollar account (not joint) and have I done it since 2008 with no problems. I will check PI tax code and see if I can decipher. Appreciate the info..

    • Thanks for the clarification on the deposits, Jim. I didn’t want to appear pedantic here, but people come to me all the time with this “direct deposit to Philippines Banks” question and the answer is the US DoD and other federal pension accounts do NOT deposit directly to Philippine banks. They will deposit to US banks which are directly affiliated with several Philippine banks (BPI and PNB are two that I know of), and then automatic transfers can be set up to move it to the bank’s Philippine-based counterparts.

      Since the effects pretty much the same to the recipient, why do I raise the issue? The issue is that under FATCA this type of auto transfer to or from overseas is of huge government interest. Maybe this means nothing. But then again ….

      And also remember that while your wife collects the benefits of your children with no problem under this arrangement, the day the oddest child turns 16, she herself gets no further benefits, and when the children “age out” she then gets nothing, until her 60th birthday.

      When she turns 60, if still a Filipino living in the Philippines, she still gets nothing. She joins a huge “club” of widows based here who are “entitled” to widpws benefits but not “eligible” to draw those benefits. The US government has practiced this blatant racial discrimination against foreign spouses in the Philippines for years and years no, and nobody seems to care. To me it is nothing less than theft. Two spouse living in the Philippines. One has a US passport and gets paid, the other has only a Philippine passport and never gets paid, even though their American spouses worked and paid into Social Security side by side. Racially-based theft of funds that both widows are entitled to. Sad.

      That’s one of the reasons I stated in my first comment that whether ot not she is forced to pay Philippine income tax on her benefits may well be the very least of her worries. The real issue is the question of whether she’ll have any benefits to potentially pay taxes on.

      • To follow up on my question on OPM Spouse Annuity (Filipina married to American who is receiving a USA Govt OPM retirement check) & PI taxes after death of spouse/husband. I went down to the BIR ā€“ Bureau of Internal Revenue Davao. Regional Office: Revenue Region No. 19 DAVAO CITY and presented the question on American/ā€™Filipina Govt Spouse Annuitiesā€™ and ā€˜Filipina Spouse PI tax liabilityā€™ after death of American spouse/retiree. Consulting with a BIR attorney, I was shown the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 Republic Act No. 8428 [Title II / Tax on Income / Chapter VI Computation of Gross Income] SEC. 32. Gross Income. Key is Item (B) Exclusions from Gross Income – (1) Life Insurance. and (6) Retirement Benefits, Pensions, Gratuities, etc.- Above does pertain to Filipina citizen spouse upon death of her American husband who is receiving US Govt retirement/annuity benefits AND legal spouse has been designated as beneficiary of a US Govt Surviving Spouse Annuity on an official US OPM form [Spousal Survivor Annuity Upon the Death of an Employee]. OPM Retirement Annuities are, naturally, not exempted from USA taxes. Site for the Philippine RA 8428 Sec. 32 can be found at: http://www.chanrobles.com/legal6title7.htm#.VPjYx-FEyT9
        –Question: are their any offices or person in Davao City that does American tax forms (1040A/1040)?

        • Hey thanks a lot for that info, Jim. IU appreciate it and I am sure many others will have that same question over time. It’s a bit of good news for the widows.

          • Yes, they still need to pay taxes to US….if and if she/they receive $24thou.annually, (if i am not wrong about the figure as it is stated on our annual report form).
            Or it states there:
            Compute blah, blah…(if tax-excempted)
            Total income exceeds…$24thou
            Then u pay the tax.

  19. We’ve been married for 3 yrs already & I am a green card holder .my husband & I thinking that I won’t apply for u.s citizenship for me because we’re thinking to retire in the Philippines.I am the main beneficiary of my husband’s sss & etc. He wants to ask if I can still claim his sss even I’m not a u.s citizen & all his insurances & pension plans ? Thank you ! We appreciate you.

    • Hi Ann,

      As a Filipina who lived more than 5 years in the USA you would be able to claim whatever is due to you. But there’s no way I can answer a question like this, properly:

      claim his sss even Iā€™m not a u.s citizen & all his insurances & pension

      What insurance does he have, what pension, paid by whom, etx. This all has to be answered individually, benefit by benefit. You and he owe it to yourselves to sit down right now and get an answer, from each source he thinks you’d be able to collect from, and find out directly from that source.

      After he’s dead? Well it’s too late then, diba?

      But in my opinion you are already in the US, already married more than 3 years, and thus are ready for US Naturalization right now. Why you would not take up US citizenship, even though you _plan_ to retire in the Philippines, seems short-sighted to me. Plans can change. Circumstances change. Once you _have_ citizenship though, well that won’t change. Being a dual … USA/{Philippine citizen is the best of both worlds for securing you future, because none of knows now just what our future will be. Godspeed.

      • I was thinking exactly the same thing as you, Dave, but didn’t really want to step in. No reason not to get the US citizenship, as it is there for the asking in Ann’s case!

  20. My plan is to retire in a few months. I have SSI and 2 other pensions coming in sept. My plan was to live in the Phillippines and get married there. Then apply for her to come to the US so we can visit. I had not thought about what happens after I die. So SSI won’t recognize her as my spouse for survivour benifits? I will only be getting 2,200 a month, of that 1500 is SSI.

    • Hi Jack,

      Apparently you didn’t read the actual article we are commentingon herte, or the many informed comments. Let me repeat a couple things already asked and answered here:

      1 SSI is NOT payable outside the US. So if you plan on moving here and living off your SSI, you had better think of a different plan.

      2..It’s not a matter of your widow being recognized after your death, it’s the matter that no widow get’s benefits on her own until she reaches age 60. That’s what the whole articles is all about, the so-called “Widow’s Gap” which leaves young widows destitute after their older husbands die.

      3. Even is she qualities for some benefit based on your SS, she can’t collect here in the Philippines as a Filipino. She has tyo have lived 5 years in the USA or have become a naturalized US citizen … 3 years. Otherwise she’ll never get a visa and she’ll never collect, even after she is 60.

      Best regards ….

  22. To sum it all up that a young Filipina widow who never been to US and even until she is 60yrs.old , can never receive SS pension from her late US spouse.

    Then the question?
    Can she go to US for the purpose of claiming SS pension and honestly tell the US embassy about it while applying for what-visa?

  23. question? i am 62 receiving ss. wife is 42 philippine. is a dual citizen. if we adopt philippine children, when we move there in nov. can they collect on my ss record. Thank you for any info…

    • Hi Al, thanks for writing in.

      Minor children (up to age 18, 19 if full time students), are entitled entitled to Social Security benefits based on the retired parent’s record. If there are children under 16, one parent is also entitled to a parental care allowance until the oldest child turns 16.

      This applies to natural and adopted children. The only “catch” to consider is it is very hard to adopt children here for American citizens and the process takes 2 years or more … but persevere and it will happen.

      You wife is also eligible to collect survivor benefits based on your record after she reaches age 60. (even if you are already dead).

      Since your wife is already an American citizen and I assume after adoption you intend that the children become US citizens, there is no problem at all in living in the Philippines, in fact Social Security will even make direct deposit payments to the Philippines.

      Godspeed.

  24. I and an American expat, and I have had a Filipina partner, living in the Philippines now for 10 years…and we are just now both getting legally clear of previous marriages to be able to marry. I am already collecting my SS benefit. I am pleased to find your blog-site, since there seems so little experience based knowledge that is reliable. I am encouraged that it appears she will be eligible for SS benefits, if we follow through on the effort to obtain US citizenship. We also have a plan to do a “legal” adoption here, and have found that to pave the way, it is necessary to follow the lengthy, drawn-out processes that the Philippine Government and US Embassy have prescribed. My experience here is that, in most matters, it is prudent for expats to “bite the bullet” and follow the course, rather than seeking “shortcuts”, “fixers” and “facilitators”. In dealing with such people, it is definitely buyer beware. Finding a trustworthy Filipino to avoid expat exploitation is far more secure and provides more reliable results! Thanks again for your site….

    • Thanks for the kind words, Greg. It’s Bob Martin;s site, I just wrote a few articles for him over the past years. I wish I could just make a vaccine from the words you spoke about doing it the right way and have it available for injection to give to all those who have contacted me with schemes and dreams to continually take shortcuts and “beat the system”. It’s always a bad bet.

      Also just for the casual reader who hasn’t been in the Philippines very long, it’s not only trustworthy Filipinos who are hard to find. In my 10 years I’ve been approached and (sadly) actually scammed several times by fellow Westerners. Not long ago a good friend came to the Phils for the first time, got talking to a New Zealander guy right in the hotel he was staying at, and the next morning emailed me in a panic abut the dire circumstances the Kiwi had told my friend he was in, headed surely for Immigration Jail and deportation, unless my friend came up with a “magic” $2000 USD for the Kiwi fellow which would be used to “fix” things at Immigration and save my friend from jail.

      What a crock, and what a fairy tale without even the benefit of “Once upon a time”, LoL. Godspeed.

  25. hi good day..
    im rose i have american husband died last month im filipina.im in philippines now but im not american citizen.i just green card holder but it was expired now.just wanna ask if i stell can get binifits from him?and just wanna know what need to do?cuz cant go to america now bcuz my green card is expired now

    thank you

    • @ Rose

      Thanks for writing in. Having a Green Card has nothing to do with the question of Social Security payments to Filipinos overseas. As the wife of a US citizen you are entitled to a widow’s annuity if:

      1. You are age 60 or older.
      2. You have (legally) resided in the USA, with the same husband you are claiming benefits from) for 5 or more years.

      If you are not age 60 or if you have not resided 5 or more years in the USA, then sorry, you can not get paid from US Social Security.

      Authoritative information is available here:

      http://manila.usembassy.gov/offices-agencies/social-security-administration.html

    • as far as i know, you can petition yourself to go to the US two years from the time your husband died. you can also go to the SSA office in the US embassy to show your entry in the US cause i think if you have stayed in the US for one full month, you can apply for spouse benefit.

  26. hello!i just wanna ask some of your golden ideas…i am married to american he is now 57 and Iam 32, his been going back and forth to the USsince he dont have plans to bring me there…we have 2 kids and both in school ages 7 and 3, were married last 2019 and now im bothered of my kids future,they both have US PASSPORT…so now my question is what benefits can i get for my children if somethings happen to my husband i am just a housewife…thanks and god bless!

    • if your husband is a retiree and has ss pension, you can go to US consul or embassy to apply your kids for child benefits. make sure your kids have their own ss number. if your husband dies, his ss pension will be divided proportionally to your kids.

  27. HI GOOD EVENING.. MY NAME IS DALE CYRUS JEREZON ORAT. MY GRAND MOTHER LOURDES FIGURACION ORAT, IS A FILIPINO WHO WAS ABLE TO GET A GREEN CARD IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. SHE WORK IN THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AT THE AGE OF 50 AND RETIRE AND CAME HOME IN THE PHILIPPINES AT THE AGE OF 80 YEARS OLD AND SHE RECEIVING PENSION FROM AMERICAN GOVERNMENT WHILE SHE HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES. SHE PASSED AWAY TWO YEARS AGO, NOW MY QUESTION IS WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS ENTITLED TO HER FAMILY? WHERE DO WE INQUIRE IF IT WAS ALREADY CLAIMED OR NOT? BECAUSE ON OUR PART, BEING THE ELDEST SON OF HER DECEASED SECOND SON (my father died earlier than my grandmother), WE WERE NOT ABLE TO RECEIVE ANYTHING, NOT A PENNY. RUMORS, IN WHICH I WANT TO CONFIRM THAT THE SAID BENEFITS WAS ALREADY COLLECTED BY ONE OF MY FATHER’S BROTHER WHO IS RESIDING IN THE U.S., PLEASE HELP US..

    • It has to be the sons or daughters or spouse of the decedent for continued ssi and it has specific requirements. Did you GMA become a citizen? Was she receiving SSI ( Social Security Insurance ). If she was a citizen then her husband or children could get SSI IF, husband has spent 5 years living in the US or US territories Then he gets her benefits until he passes. For a child UNDER 18 has to reside in the US or one its territories to meet the requirement and then they get SSI until 18 or 21? Not sure the max. Probably 18.

      If there is no husband ( deceased ) and there are no sons or daughters of the mom under 18 then the only thing that can be claimed is “Death Benefit” and that comes to about $250.00 US which is about 11250 PHP. Again this can only go to husband or children as far a I know. But that is it. Nothing else. You should contact either the US embassy in Manila or Cebu or the SSI office in the US directly. You may wish to browse their website first to be prepared to answer a lot of questions about the decedent who was working in the US. If she was not a US citizen not certain that anything is granted even for death benefit.

    • As far as I know you aren’t entitled to anything from the US government. A spouse might have had a claim to her social security or other pension, but not a grandchild. This is how it works for American citizens in America as well.

      • Grandchildren _are_ entitled to benefits under certain conditions, Bradley and Dale. The place to find out is:

        Social Security will pay benefits to grandchildren when the grandparent retires, becomes disabled, or dies if certain conditions are met. Generally, the biological parents of the child must be deceased or disabled, or the grandchild must be legally adopted by the grandparent.
        Kids and Families – Social Security

        https://www.ssa.gov/people/kids/

  28. @ Dale,

    Thanks for contributing. Your questions are way too complicated for me to answer, I’m no expert on Social Security benefits. My suggestion (and a suggestion to all with similar questions), contact the soured, the Social Security Administration itself. Gte authoritative answers not opinions and rumors:

    https://ph.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/social-security/
    Phone: (632) 301-2000 ext. 9
    Fax: (632) 708-9723 and (632) 708-9714
    E-Mail: [email protected]

  29. Greetings!

    I am Herminia Castillo a widow of a US Army from Philippines, I would to know the requirements in claiming my retirement benefits. Presently, I am living in the Philippines and I have no Idea how to claim my Benefits and where to stay in the US. Please help.
    Thank you .

    • Hi! U can petition your self and have a greencard snd start living in the us with your relative. Im sure you getting some pension coming from your hubby that u can use here to live everyday life. Just go to us embassy and apply for self petition coz as far as i know u cannot get social security if your are not a greencard holder nor citizen.

    • self petition for widow is allowed for two years from the time your husband died. you cannot receive a spouse benefit if you have not stayed in the US for at least one full month calendar.

    • for additional info. you can also claim for benefits as a Us military wife from the US veterans office.

  30. If I’m married to a 28 year old Filipina and I’m collecting SSI is my wife in the philippine considered a dependent that I can collect on .?

    • SSI is a benefits that can be collected if you reside in the US. You have to bring her to the US and speak to SS office.

    • John,

      SSI is a very complicated program and I don’t feel competent to give advice on this. I would suggest you visit your local Social security office and get a reading from someone who knows.

  31. Hi Angie! What about the payment for Petition? Is there any way you can pay after the said pension will be claim?

  32. My question is about receiving SS benefits for my future Filipina wife. I know there is a residency requirement of 5 years, but is that a total of 5 consecutive years or 60 months total. Second, Social security is fine with me being a California as long as I am paying rent on a physical California address, such as the 1/16 acre of dirt, sand, and cactus I currently rent for $25 a month. It matters not to them where I get my mail or that I sleep in a nice house, with all my utilities and a maid for less than $450 a month in Tijuana. Will this same living arrangement also work for her five years as she plans to work in San Diego as a med tech if we can get her a green card. We’ll also cross the border at least once a week to go to the movies and or pick up mail.

    • Bradley,

      The residency requirement is 60 months total time (and I believe they count in full month increments, in other words partial month trips don’t count.

      So far as trying to scam SSA by renting something you don’t live in in order to collect benefits? Totally up to you but sure sounds like fraud to me … stiff pealties involved. Beware.

      • It is within the letter of the law. I am not gone from the state for more than 30 days and have PHYSICAL ADDRESS within the state. My I can show rent receipts and other means of proof such as debit card purchases made in San Diego. Where I would run into trouble is if I didn’t declare I was not in residence after 30 days out of the state as California pays part of my benefits. By Informing them I am considered immediately eligible for benefits again as soon as I come back into the state. You are right that the penalties are stiff, and one of them for not telling them within the given time is you are ineligible for 30 days after you arrive back in the state.

  33. My wife has been in the US on her green card for 1 year she is working now she is 60 years old and I am 80 if I die before she gets her US citizenship will she get my survivors benefits when she gets her citizenship and turns 62 or 65,