My 82-year old mother received a letter yesterday stating they were cutting her SS benefits from around 1500+ down to around 1000+. The letter said:
“We changed your monthly benefit to $x,xxx.xx as of May 2018. We found that your prior amount was incorrect. We cannot pay you monthly benefits at this time".
My mother has been retired for 17 years and the amount she was getting has not changed in that time (except for the yearly raises that come once in a while). She has made financial decisions (bought a different house that is easier to take care of but involved a small mortgage) based on that income. She has no other income other than SS and has not worked since retiring. She lives paycheck to paycheck.
Questions:
• Why out of the blue her she was investigated and had her benefits reduced so drastically
• Does this mean she likely won’t get an August benefit? September benefit? Ever?
I realize that some of these questions can be answered by the SS office but wanted other's take on this since I am completely new at this SS thing.
She is 82 years old, disabled, on 24-hour oxygen and requires around the clock care. She has had 3 heart attacks and one stroke in the last two years. It is very difficult to take her for doctor visits and that is chore. Her main doctor does in-home visits. I say this because the letter has a “If you disagree with this decision” section that states on how to appeal the decision. I’m not sure how to appeal a decision when they don’t state the decision specifics. My mother’s only assets are a 59k house that she still owes around 50k and the house contents. No savings or other assets. She doesn’t even own an automobile any more. I realize that this info I’m giving is seemingly irrelevant and won’t be used in any final decision but I’m taken back by how the government can be so insensitive to seemingly arbitrarily cut off a woman’s income that she has a right to because of some vague decision made and not give any details. Even if is found (which I doubt it will be) that she has been given the wrong benefits for 17 years it wasn’t her fault in any way shape or form but rather the fault of the person at the SS office who awarded the amount.
More questions:
• My mother is not able to travel to a SS office. How can we appeal if she can’t travel?
• The local SS office never answers their phone. Ever. What should I do?
• Will filing an appeal delay the changes they are describing?
Thanks for any and all help! Advice is greatly appreciated.
“We changed your monthly benefit to $x,xxx.xx as of May 2018. We found that your prior amount was incorrect. We cannot pay you monthly benefits at this time".
My mother has been retired for 17 years and the amount she was getting has not changed in that time (except for the yearly raises that come once in a while). She has made financial decisions (bought a different house that is easier to take care of but involved a small mortgage) based on that income. She has no other income other than SS and has not worked since retiring. She lives paycheck to paycheck.
Questions:
• Why out of the blue her she was investigated and had her benefits reduced so drastically
• Does this mean she likely won’t get an August benefit? September benefit? Ever?
I realize that some of these questions can be answered by the SS office but wanted other's take on this since I am completely new at this SS thing.
She is 82 years old, disabled, on 24-hour oxygen and requires around the clock care. She has had 3 heart attacks and one stroke in the last two years. It is very difficult to take her for doctor visits and that is chore. Her main doctor does in-home visits. I say this because the letter has a “If you disagree with this decision” section that states on how to appeal the decision. I’m not sure how to appeal a decision when they don’t state the decision specifics. My mother’s only assets are a 59k house that she still owes around 50k and the house contents. No savings or other assets. She doesn’t even own an automobile any more. I realize that this info I’m giving is seemingly irrelevant and won’t be used in any final decision but I’m taken back by how the government can be so insensitive to seemingly arbitrarily cut off a woman’s income that she has a right to because of some vague decision made and not give any details. Even if is found (which I doubt it will be) that she has been given the wrong benefits for 17 years it wasn’t her fault in any way shape or form but rather the fault of the person at the SS office who awarded the amount.
More questions:
• My mother is not able to travel to a SS office. How can we appeal if she can’t travel?
• The local SS office never answers their phone. Ever. What should I do?
• Will filing an appeal delay the changes they are describing?
Thanks for any and all help! Advice is greatly appreciated.
Retirement Benefits: Received Letter Benefits Were Cut by 33%
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