Page 1 of 1 [ 7 posts ] 


which would you choose?
Marriage 56%  56%  [ 5 ]
SSI Money 44%  44%  [ 4 ]
Total votes : 9

Tokiodarling21
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 10 Jan 2011
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 134
Location: Eugene,Oregon

05 Oct 2011, 6:01 pm

Ever thought about getting married to that special someone? well, before you give it anymore thought, there's something you should know.
Once a couple gets married, Social Security takes back 75% of their benefits and at $674 a month this is below poverty level if both people do not have steady paying jobs.
The money provided by Social Security is supposed to cover cost of food (if person's food stamps run out or do not have food stamps at all), clothes, utility bills (those not covered by housing assistance), rent, gas (if you can drive) and doctor visits not covered by medicaid

once that money goes down, your benefits drop and you're left with a choice "call off the wedding and keep my benefits or get married and lose my benefits." either way you look at it, it doesn't seem right. I wish there was some way for disabled couples to get married and keep their benefits until they make a certain amount of money. At least that's how I always lost my ssi as a kid when my dad would get promoted :lol:

here is a video of couples affected by the ssi marriage penalty

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPqo0V9BGD8[/youtube]



sgrannel
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 20 Feb 2008
Age: 50
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,919

05 Oct 2011, 6:43 pm

So don't get married. Marriage is a way for the government to keep tabs on things, and now you have to consider the pragmatic choice of being personally committed to someone, without making a legal declaration, for the purposes of keeping your benefits. People do this all the time. If being legally married makes no difference in your relationship, just don't do it. It's nobody's business. If you can share living expenses, then by all means do that, because in this economy you must save all you can.


_________________
A boy and his dog can go walking
A boy and his dog sometimes talk to each other
A boy and a dog can be happy sitting down in the woods on a log
But a dog knows his boy can go wrong


diniesaur
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 2 Sep 2011
Age: 31
Gender: Male
Posts: 758
Location: in the Ministry of Silly Walks

05 Oct 2011, 8:20 pm

The problem with just not getting legally married in a committed relationship is that, as shown in the video, people who present themselves as married also get penalized. Maybe the people can say they're "engaged"?



ValentineWiggin
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 15 May 2011
Age: 37
Gender: Female
Posts: 4,907
Location: Beneath my cat's paw

05 Oct 2011, 9:32 pm

There's no way losing benefits would deter me from marrying-
but then, I'm not significantly-disabled.

It's a real shame people who are have to choose between marriage or survival.


_________________
"Such is the Frailty
of the human Heart, that very few Men, who have no Property, have any Judgment of their own.
They talk and vote as they are directed by Some Man of Property, who has attached their Minds
to his Interest."


CockneyRebel
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2004
Age: 50
Gender: Male
Posts: 118,454
Location: In my little Olympic World of peace and love

09 Oct 2011, 9:52 pm

That's ridiculous. People with disabilities should be able to have the best of both worlds.


_________________
The Family Enigma


glider18
Supporting Member
Supporting Member

User avatar

Joined: 8 Nov 2008
Gender: Male
Posts: 8,062
Location: USA

13 Oct 2011, 9:11 pm

I have been happily married since 1989. I have no regrets about marrying my wife. If I had to do it all over again, I would do it the same way. My marriage to my wife far outweighs any social security benefits issues.


_________________
"My journey has just begun."


EnglishInvader
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Age: 43
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,012
Location: Hertfordshire, UK

18 Oct 2011, 5:26 pm

In the UK, couples living under the same roof (married or otherwise) are penalised, but not to the extent that they are in the US. Their individual claims become one joint claim which amounts to more money than an individual claim but becomes less when divided between the two parties.

My girlfriend and I live separately. We both have our own homes, our own incomes and our own independent lives. I wouldn't trade my independence for anything.