You Could Lose Your Benefits If You Didn’t Report Your Marriage to the SSA

Pekic / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Pekic / Getty Images/iStockphoto

It’s wedding month. This means that brides and grooms have to remember to plan for the last minute. But if you’re collecting Social Security retirement, disability or Supplemental Security Income benefits, it’s important to add one more thing to your post-nuptial to-do list. You’ll need to report your marriage — and change of address and/or name change, if either of those occurred — to the Social Security Administration.

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Married couples of all genders may be entitled to Social Security spousal or survivors’ benefits as of November 2021, thanks to a new ruling. However, couples are required to notify the Social Security Administration of any marriages, divorces or other changes to their status.

Social security beneficiaries have a 10-day grace period to report any changes after the end the month in question. Otherwise, they risk losing their benefits.

Failure to report changes to social security can result in severe penalties and ramifications

Failure to report a change to marital status to receive SS benefits could result in a penalty and you may have to repay any overpayments. You could also miss out on any additional payments that you are due.

If you fail to notify the SSA of a change within the prescribed time, SSI or disability benefits, as well as retirement benefits, could be halted or terminated. For the first offense, sanctions can stop benefits for six month and 12-24 months respectively for the second and subsequent offenses.

If you were married overseas, the SSA will confirm your marriage via a marriage certificate, certified publicly record of marital union, or a certified declaration of a religious marriage record.

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What will happen to your Social Security benefits after marriage?

In many cases, there won’t be any change to your Social Security benefits after a marriage or divorce. You will continue to receive your disability benefits in the same amount if you are still collecting them. If you divorce and are currently receiving spousal benefits, those benefits will be continued unless you have been married for less than 10 years.

If you are collecting disabled widow or widower’s benefits and remarry at age 50 or older, your benefits will continue.

Other benefits may stop if you get married, but they will start up again in the event of a divorce, according to the SSA publication “What You Need to Know When You Get Social Security Disability Benefits.”

Why is it important to report a name change/change of address?

You could lose your benefits if both your names change and you fail to inform the SSA. If you continue to receive paper checks, but do not report your change of residence, the check will be mailed back to you. If you do receive a check but the names don’t match, your bank or financial institution may not let you cash it.

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This article was originally published on GOBankingRates.com: Social Security: You Could Lose Your Benefits If You Didn’t Report Your Marriage to the SSA

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