Retire Early Home Page Discussion Board

[admin]

Very interesting.


http://www.ssa.gov/oig/ADOBEPDF/A-05-08-28110.pdf

intercst

[sgeeeee]

I don't like their thoughts on future considerations. I wonder if SSA decided to tighten the loophole if they would give fair warning first.

Say you start collecting at age 62 in anticipation of withdrawing your claim at age 69, then taking the benefit at age 70... You are age 67 when SSA decides to limit claim withdrawals to those working and collecting reduced benefits because of their work. Do you think they would be obligated to inform you that they are going to change the rule so you could play your withdrawal card before the rule change?

This is not a happy development.


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[Cut-Throat]

[martha]

Interesting information. Thanks. Because it is a policy decision and no need to change the law, I don't know if it matters whether there is a democrat or republican in office. The SSA may simply change its policy.

It is interesting to see that the amount of money involved is small. If I had to make a bet, my bet is that they will change the policy. I also bet that there will not be advance notice.

Or, the report could get lost in the shuffle.

[Cut-Throat]

When all the 'Sages' on Dory's old forum were telling us what Bush was going to do with Social Security, I was a lone voice in the woods that they really did not understand politics. The masses over there were telling us that unless you were 55 (4 years ago), you were pretty much out of luck.

Inertia is a powerful force. Social Security is the only Government program that is running a surplus. Look for it to not change at all.

[sgeeeee]

Well . . . if we are simply making our own WAGs about this, I expect that SSA is likely to change the policy on this particular benefit claim withdrawal loophole. It won't make any significant difference in the SS surplus situation, but it also won't effect very many people (ie. they don't risk p!ssing off a lot of voters). They paid for this study and although the study comes short of making a recommendation, it does imply that they should consider this change. I think that makes it politically difficult for them to ignore the statement.

On the other hand, I suspect that they will announce they are going to do it at least several months before it goes into effect. That also makes good political sense. It insures that they have not misjudged the political backlash or gives them time to modify it if they have. Plus, SSA is a big bureaucracy. It is difficult for them to do anything instantaneously.

At any rate, I still have several years to monitor the situation before it can possibly matter to me. Anything could happen by then.


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