Jane Yamamoto-Burigsay
Courtesy: Social Security Administration
Jane Yamamoto-Burigsay is Social Security’s public affairs specialist in Hawai‘i.
Social Security is constantly evolving to make your life easier. If you are currently receiving benefits from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and are reapplying for benefits — or are assisting someone with their application — a trip to the Social Security office is probably not necessary, even if verification of Social Security benefits is needed.
Because of a data exchange established between Social Security and HUD, most people do not need to contact Social Security for a benefit verification letter. HUD administrators processing a Recertification Application for Housing Assistance can use their Enterprise Income Verification System to verify Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits.
Public housing agencies, private owners and management agents administering HUD rental assistance programs may get registration information about EIV by logging on to the following websites: go.usa.gov/x97mH or go.usa.gov/x97m6.
If you are a new applicant for housing assistance, you can provide your HUD administrator with your Social Security award letter, Cost of Living Adjustment notice, SSA-1099, or other SSA benefit document you should have received at the beginning of the calendar year or when you began receiving benefits, whichever is later.
We created these data exchange agreements to help you get the support you need at the first point of contact, even if that is not with Social Security. If you do need to provide proof of Social Security benefits yourself, we have another way to save you a trip to Social Security. You can obtain an instant benefit verification letter with a personal my Social Security account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.
Jane Yamamoto-Burigsay is Social Security’s public affairs specialist in Hawai‘i.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
GENERAL
Question: My husband and I are both entitled to our own Social Security benefits. Will our combined benefits be reduced because we are married?
Answer: No. When each member of a married couple works in employment covered under Social Security and both meet all other eligibility requirements to receive retirement benefits, lifetime earnings are calculated independently to determine the benefit amounts. Therefore, each spouse receives a monthly benefit amount based on his or her own earnings. If one member of the couple earned substantially less than the other or did not earn enough Social Security credits (40) to be insured for retirement benefits, he or she may be eligible to receive benefits as a spouse. To learn more, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/retirement.
RETIREMENT
Question: I’m retiring early, at age 62, and I receive investment income from a rental property I own. Does investment income count as earnings?
Answer: No. We count only the wages you earn from a job or your net profit if you are self-employed. Non-work income such as annuities, investment income, interest, capital gains and other government benefits are not counted and will not affect your Social Security benefits. Most pensions will not affect your benefits. However, your benefit may be affected by government pensions earned through work on which you did not pay Social Security tax. You can retire online at www.socialsecurity.gov. For more information, call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
