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Is anyone familiar with the CSRS system? This question came up with a friend recently.
Husband is retired under the CSRS system, elected survivor benefit plan, therefore his wife should be eligible to collect a survivor benefit at his death. Wife has worked most of her life and has therefore earned her own social security benefit. He payed no social security, thus she will receive no social security spousal benefit. She is under the impression that once she collects this survivor benefit from CSRS, it will reduce (eliminate) her own social security benefit. However, I am not sure if this is the case.
I found one very, very brief article with no citations that suggests that reductions to social security based on CSRS service apply only to the CSRS retiree, not to the spouse.
http://www.fedsmith.com/2015/01/14/social-security-and-csrs-survivor-benefit/
However, again, it is a very brief article, and has no citations to confirm.
Where can I look for more information on this topic? Everywhere I look seems to discuss reduction of a social security spousal benefit, not someone's own benefit. Thanks!!!
Husband is retired under the CSRS system, elected survivor benefit plan, therefore his wife should be eligible to collect a survivor benefit at his death. Wife has worked most of her life and has therefore earned her own social security benefit. He payed no social security, thus she will receive no social security spousal benefit. She is under the impression that once she collects this survivor benefit from CSRS, it will reduce (eliminate) her own social security benefit. However, I am not sure if this is the case.
I found one very, very brief article with no citations that suggests that reductions to social security based on CSRS service apply only to the CSRS retiree, not to the spouse.
http://www.fedsmith.com/2015/01/14/social-security-and-csrs-survivor-benefit/
However, again, it is a very brief article, and has no citations to confirm.
Where can I look for more information on this topic? Everywhere I look seems to discuss reduction of a social security spousal benefit, not someone's own benefit. Thanks!!!
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