The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1377505
The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, May 26, 2021 B-5 Social Security Matters By Rusty Gloor Will applying for Disability hurt my benefit? Dear Rusty: My husband turns 65 later this month. He has started having health is- sues, so much so that we are thinking about talking to his doctor about Social Security Disability. How would this af- fect him in applying for his So- cial Security benefits? Should we exhaust disability efforts before applying for his retire- ment benefits? Signed: Con- cerned Wife. Dear Concerned Wife: In order to qualify for SS Disabil- ity Insurance (SSDI) benefits, your husband's disability must be considered total and must be expected to last for at least one year. And that will need to be substantiated by medical evidence from his doctor. So, having a discussion with his doctor is the right first step. Since SSDI benefits are based upon your husband's full retirement age (FR A) benefit amount, if he is award- ed SS disability it would have no effect on his FR A benefit amount. In fact, if he is award- ed SSDI benefits, they will au- tomatically convert to his reg- ular SS retirement benefit (at the same amount) when he reaches his FR A. SSDI bene- fits are replaced by SS retire- ment benefits once FR A is at- tained. So, should your husband ex- haust disability efforts before applying for his SS retirement benefit? Provided that his doc- tor will support that he is to- tally disabled and expected to remain so for at least a year, your husband should apply for SSDI online at www.ssa.gov/ applyfordisability. This will establish a base date which will be used to establish a disability onset date, which is what his SSDI benefit will be based upon if later award- ed. You should be aware that it takes sever- al months to receive an ini- tial SSDI deter- mination, and that about two- thirds of all SS - DI applications are denied. But there is an appeals process in place which can be used in the event of an initial denial and if he believes that is an unfair decision. It is also possible for your husband to claim his person- al early SS retirement benefit at the same time he applies for SSDI, so he can get some ear- ly SS income flowing while his SSDI application is being con- sidered. Then, if his SSDI is later awarded, his smaller SS retirement benefit (reduced for claiming be- fore his FR A) will be replaced by his higher SSDI bene- fit, and his higher SSDI amount will automatically be- come his SS retire- ment amount when he reaches his FR A. However, if your husband's SS - DI is not awarded, his reduced SS retirement benefit will be his permanent benefit amount (except, of course, for annual Cost of Living Adjustments). To submit a question, visit our website (amacfoundation. org/programs/social-securi- ty-advisory) or email us at ss- advisor@amacfoundation.org. Youth in grades 7-12 can participate in fun and learn- ing about a wide range of top- ics with the Indiana 4-H Road Show, a series of one-day ses- sions in area counties. Each session will be held in multiple counties around the state. During each session, partic- ipants will hear from campus experts virtually and interact with others at your site while they take part in hands-on ac- tivities at the in-person loca- tion of their choice. To register, go to 4-H Online to select the sessions and sites where to attend. Registrations are due by June 1. Each day's session will be- gin with on-site check-in at 9:00 a.m. (ET). The program begins at 9:30 a.m. Lunch will be at noon, and the program will conclude at 3:30 p.m. Reg- istration is $25 per person for each day, or $100 for 5 days. Please contact Brooke Goble or Alex Mahrenholz at(812) 354-6838 with any questions. June 14: The Bee's Needs & How Plants Grow, Pike Coun- ty June 21: Exploring Robot- ics in Engineering, Gibson County June 23:Community Change Starts with Me, War- rick County June 28: Constructing Your Future, Dubois & Knox Coun- ties July 7: Understanding Our- selves, Daviess County July 9: Game On! , Pike & Knox Counties Pike County Purdue Extension news 4-H Road Show sessions begin June 14 Locally Owned & Operated | Dr. Clint Shoultz 715 S. 9th Street, Petersburg | 812-354-9400 Mon. 8-7 | Tues. 8-noon | Wed. 10-7 | Thurs. 8-5 | Fri. 8-5 SAVE 25% on all non-prescription designer sunglasses SUNGLASSES SALE SUNGLASSES SALE Need prescription sunglasses? These frames take prescrip- tion lenses, too! Need prescription sunglasses? These frames take prescrip- tion lenses, too! Buy 1 pair prescription sunglasses, get the second at HALF PRICE! * *Insurance accepted. 2nd pair doesn't have to be prescription. COACH EYEWEAR Casey's General Store receives a thank you On Monday, May 24, Golden Living Center presented Casey's General Store, on Main Street in Petersburg, with a thank you plaque for donating to the facility during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Store Manager Paula Blaize received the award on behalf of Casey's. Pictured are, (l to r): Sarah Sullivan, Golden Living Center Director of Admissions; Paula Blaize, Casey's Store Manager; and Larry Bottom, Golden Living Center Dietary Manager. Photo by Matthew Haycraft HELP! Journeys McBeth and Uppencamp attend Indiana DAR State conference The Indiana DAR State Conference was May 14-16 in Indianapolis. During the weekend, business ses- sions and special dinners were attended by local Cra- dle of Liberty DAR members Sandy McBeth (left) and Jennifer Uppencamp. Above: Deputy Ja- son McKinney and Sher- iff Kent Johnson hand out workbooks for bicycle safe- ty to children from Learn and Grow Daycare at the recent Trike-a-thon. Right: Rylee Boger rid- ing her trike and the re- cent Trike-a-thon. Above: Kylie Jines, Emma Middleton and Eloise Elliott work on their bicycle safety workbooks that were handed out by Pike County police officers at the Trike- a-thon. Below: Pictured during the recent Trike-a-thon are Huck Stanker and Hattie Sparks getting help from Ms. Brenda Chamberlain on their ascension uphill. Al- so pictured (l to r) in the back are: Eloise Elliott, Apryl Collins and Kabrick Fair. TRIKE-A-THON AT LEARN AND GROW