What is the $16,728 Social Security bonus secret? (2024)

FAQs

What is the $16/728 Social Security secret? ›

Have you heard about the Social Security $16,728 yearly bonus? There's really no “bonus” that retirees can collect. The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a specific formula based on your lifetime earnings to determine your benefit amount.

Social Security doesn't randomly award money to people. And there's no way to legally trick Social Security into giving you more money. Instead, Social Security benefits are paid out according to a specific formula used by the Social Security Administration, which is based on your lifetime earnings.

One must either be over the age of sixty-five, blind and/or disabled. Additionally, they must have a limited income and resources as the program is need-based and aims to assist beneficiaries to cover basic costs for food and shelter.

If you cannot use our online services, we can help you by phone when you call your local Social Security office or our toll-free National 800 Number. You can find the phone number for your local office by using our Office Locator. We are here to help.

You must be enrolled in Original Medicare and pay your Part B premiums without state or local financial aid to be eligible for the giveback. Only some Medicare Advantage Plans offer this benefit, and in select service areas.

If you become disabled before your full retirement age, you might qualify for Social Security disability benefits. You must have worked and paid Social Security taxes in five of the last 10 years.

If you've worked and paid Social Security taxes for 10 years or more, you'll get a monthly benefit based on that work.

For example, if you get $36,000 a year ($3,000 a month) from Social Security and have no other income, your combined income is $36,000 divided by 2, or $18,000. None of your benefits are taxable if your income is below $25,000 for a single filer or $32,000 for joint filers.

The $2000 stimulus checks as direct deposit will be an icing on the cake when the amount will be getting paid to them along their social security pension amounts. This is one-time payment that the eligible seniors will about to get in 2024.

Can I get a tax refund if my only income is Social Security? ›

You would not be required to file a tax return. But you might want to file a return, because even though you are not required to pay taxes on your Social Security, you may be able to get a refund of any money withheld from your paycheck for taxes.

But even if you never worked and therefore don't have an earnings record, you're not necessarily out of luck. If you're married (or were married) to someone who's entitled to Social Security, you can collect spousal benefits equal to 50% of your husband or wife's benefits at full retirement age.

Have you heard about the Social Security $16,728 yearly bonus? There's really no “bonus” that retirees can collect. The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a specific formula based on your lifetime earnings to determine your benefit amount.

Social Security income can be taxable no matter how old you are. It all depends on whether your total combined income exceeds a certain level set for your filing status. You may have heard that Social Security income is not taxed after age 70; this is false.

The full retirement age is 66 if you were born from 1943 to 1954. The full retirement age increases gradually if you were born from 1955 to 1960 until it reaches 67. For anyone born 1960 or later, full retirement benefits are payable at age 67.

The maximum Social Security check

Your maximum benefit if you file at full retirement age – between 66 and 67 – is $3,822 per month. Your maximum benefit if you file at age 70 – the age when extra benefits stop accruing – is $4,873 per month.

If you've been married multiple times, your current and former spouses could be eligible for Social Security benefits based on your earnings record, subject to certain requirements.

In many cases, a surviving spouse can begin receiving 1 benefit at a reduced rate and allow the other benefit amount to increase. If you will also receive a pension based on work not covered by Social Security, such as government or foreign work, your Social Security benefits as a survivor may be affected.

The brief's key findings are: An unconventional strategy allows individuals to use early Social Security benefits like a “free loan,” paying back the principal while keeping the interest. If this strategy were widely adopted, it would cost Social Security $6 billion to $11 billion per year today and more in the future.