I'm trying to figure out why my mom's SS payment DECREASED at the start of 2021. From what I've read, there was supposed to be a 1.3% INCREASE. Historically, she has seen a small increase every year. Her monthly payment - at least the one that was deposited today (1/1/2021) - dropped by $67 from the previous (Dec 2020) payment. She's not in any kind of special situation - like having wages garnished, dealing with an overpayment or anything like that. Just an elderly widow who has not worked since the 1950's and has been drawing basic SS survivor benefits since she became eligible for that (my dad died 30+ years ago).
She did not have an online SS account, so I set one up for her today (I am her PoA). Online I can see how they calculated the payment. Which is simple - they list the benefit amount, subtract the listed Medicare deduction, and the result is the payment we received. That's all well and good, but I cannot go back to last month (or any month previous) and view the details of how those payments were calculated. I need to look back historically so I can compare the calculation for this month against last months calculation. Did her gross benefit amount go down? Did her deductions go up? She has not been getting SS statements in the mail or in email. I don't know if she should have been or not. When I set up her online account today I made sure to put my email, cell, and address down as her contact information (since she's in a memory care facility). So in the FUTURE I should get all this stuff, but I apparently can't access her PAST information.
I suppose I will call the SS people on Monday. I expect they won't give me the time of day. They will want to speak with her, which will be a real treat since she doesn't have a phone (wouldn't know how to use it now anyway), no email, no cellphone, no computer - I do all her finances and have her Power of Attorney to allow me to do that. Even if they managed to get her on the phone, all's she does is repeat what is said to her, if even that. She cannot answer questions anymore. Somehow I think the SS folks won't give a crap about my PoA, or will impose a government verification process on me that will take 27 years to resolve before they'll even talk with me.
So that's why I'm asking if anyone else has experienced an SS payment decrease, and if they know the reason. If this is a common thing, I can just assume my mom's situation is similar and let things go and just silently accept the lower payment.
She did not have an online SS account, so I set one up for her today (I am her PoA). Online I can see how they calculated the payment. Which is simple - they list the benefit amount, subtract the listed Medicare deduction, and the result is the payment we received. That's all well and good, but I cannot go back to last month (or any month previous) and view the details of how those payments were calculated. I need to look back historically so I can compare the calculation for this month against last months calculation. Did her gross benefit amount go down? Did her deductions go up? She has not been getting SS statements in the mail or in email. I don't know if she should have been or not. When I set up her online account today I made sure to put my email, cell, and address down as her contact information (since she's in a memory care facility). So in the FUTURE I should get all this stuff, but I apparently can't access her PAST information.
I suppose I will call the SS people on Monday. I expect they won't give me the time of day. They will want to speak with her, which will be a real treat since she doesn't have a phone (wouldn't know how to use it now anyway), no email, no cellphone, no computer - I do all her finances and have her Power of Attorney to allow me to do that. Even if they managed to get her on the phone, all's she does is repeat what is said to her, if even that. She cannot answer questions anymore. Somehow I think the SS folks won't give a crap about my PoA, or will impose a government verification process on me that will take 27 years to resolve before they'll even talk with me.
So that's why I'm asking if anyone else has experienced an SS payment decrease, and if they know the reason. If this is a common thing, I can just assume my mom's situation is similar and let things go and just silently accept the lower payment.
