SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS
If you lose a loved one, we are there to help you get through the difficult time. We pay survivors benefits to widows, widowers, and to the dependents of eligible workers. Find out more about how we help protect you and your family.
SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS
Many of our services are now available online, like applying for Social Security benefits, requesting a replacement Social Security card, getting your Social Security Statement, and benefit verification letter.
You can start receiving your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. However, you are entitled to full benefits when you reach your full retirement age. If you delay taking your benefits from your full retirement age up to age 70, your benefit amount will increase.
To find out how much your benefit will be reduced if you begin receiving benefits from age 62 up to your full retirement age, use the chart below and select your year of birth. This example is based on an estimated monthly benefit of $1000 at full retirement age.
There are advantages and disadvantages to taking your benefit before your full retirement age. The advantage is that you collect benefits for a longer period of time. The disadvantage is your benefit will be reduced. Each person's situation is different. It is important to remember:
Even if they have never worked under Social Security, your spouse may be eligible for benefits if they are at least 62 years of age and you are receiving retirement or disability benefits. Your spouse can also qualify for Medicare at age 65.
If your spouse qualifies for benefits on their own record, we will pay that amount first. If the benefit on your record is higher, they will get an additional amount on your record so that the combination of benefits equals that higher amount.
Benefits paid to your spouse will not decrease your retirement benefit. In fact, the value of the benefits they may receive, added to your own, may help you decide if taking your benefits sooner may be more advantageous.
When you qualify for Social Security retirement benefits, your children may also qualify to receive benefits on your record. Your eligible child can be your biological child, adopted child, or stepchild. A dependent grandchild may also qualify.
Benefits stop when children reach age 18 unless they are disabled. However, if the child is still a full-time student at a secondary (or elementary) school at age 18, benefits will continue until the child graduates or until two months after the child becomes age 19, whichever is first.
Benefits paid for your child will not decrease your retirement benefit. In fact, the value of the benefits they may receive, added to your own, may help you decide if taking your benefits sooner may be more advantageous.
If your ex-spouse is eligible for retirement benefits on their own record, we will pay that amount first. If the benefit on your record is higher, they will get an additional amount on your record so that the combination of benefits equals that higher amount.
If your ex-spouse continues to work while receiving benefits, the same earnings limits apply to them as apply to you. If your ex-spouse is eligible for benefits this year and is also working, you can use our retirement earnings test calculator to see how those earnings would affect those benefit payments.
If you and your spouse apply online for retirement benefits at the same time, or if your spouse applies online after you start receiving benefits, we will check their eligibility for benefits as a spouse. If they are qualified, the online application will automatically include a request for spousal benefits on your record.
Fact sheets tailored to your age group and earnings situation accompany your online Statement. The fact sheets can help you better understand Social Security programs, benefits, and how they fit your situation. For example, for younger workers, we provide more information about how you can save for your future; for older workers, we explain how benefits may be taxed and how to avoid a Medicare penalty. We include links in the fact sheets for easier reference and additional information.
Hi, Bob. Unfortunately, your comment is a bit more complex than we can handle in this forum. For your security, we do not have access to private information in this venue. We ask that members in our Blog community work with our offices with specific questions. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Hi, Regina. Thanks for visiting our blog. For your security, we do not have access to private information in this venue. We ask that members in our Blog community work with our offices with specific questions. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Social Security provides you with a source of income when you retire or if you cannot work due to a disability. It can also support your legal dependents (spouse, children, or parents) with benefits in the event of your death.
If you receive or will receive Social Security benefits, you may want to open a "my Social Security" account. This online account is a service from the SSA that allows you to keep track of and manage your SSA benefits. You can also make changes to your Social Security record.
You may not have enough credits from your work in the United States to qualify for retirement benefits. But you may be able to count your work credits from another country. The SSA has agreements with 24 countries. If you earned credits in one of those countries, they can help you qualify for U.S. benefits.
You must report the death of a family member receiving Social Security or Medicare benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) processes death reports for both. Find out how you can report a death and how to cancel benefit payments. In addition to canceling SSA and Medicare benefits, find out what other benefits and accounts you should cancel.
Whether you receive SSDI or SSI, you may be able to work without it impacting your benefits if you earn less than a certain amount. You can find all the details in the booklet Working While Disabled: How We Can Help.
Compare retirement benefit estimates based on your selected date or age to begin receiving benefits with retirement estimates for ages 62, Full Retirement Age (FRA), and 70. You can also input expected future income for inclusion in the estimate.
Estimate of spouse benefits for yourself if you receive a pension from a government job in which you did not pay Social Security taxes. Your benefit may be offset by the Government Pension Offset (GPO).
Your family members may receive survivors benefits if you die. If you are working and paying into Social Security, some of those taxes you pay are for survivors benefits. Your spouse, children, and parents could be eligible for benefits based on your earnings.
You may receive survivors benefits when a family member dies. You and your family could be eligible for benefits based on the earnings of a worker who died. The deceased person must have worked long enough to qualify for benefits.
The calculator provides an estimate of your Social Security benefits, based on your earnings history and age. Our tool also helps you see what percentage of daily expenses your payments can cover, and how you can increase your benefits by waiting to collect. It can also tell you how your retirement earnings will be affected if you keep working after you claim your Social Security benefit.
A free and secure my Social Security account provides personalized tools for everyone, whether you receive benefits or not. You can use your account to request a replacement Social Security card, check the status of an application, estimate future benefits, or manage the benefits you already receive.
The number of credits needed to provide benefits for survivors depends on the worker's age when they die. No one needs more than 40 credits (10 years of work) to be eligible for any Social Security benefit. But, the younger a person is, the fewer credits they must have for family members to receive survivors benefits.
If you are caring for a child under age 16 or who has a disability and the child get benefits on the record of your former spouse, you would not have to meet the length-of-marriage rule. The child must be your former spouse's natural or legally adopted child.
If you are the unmarried child under age 18 of a worker who dies, you can be eligible to receive Social Security survivors benefits. You can also be eligible, if you are up to age 19 and attending elementary or secondary school full time.
If the sum of the benefits payable to family members is greater than this limit, the benefits will be reduced proportionately. Any benefits paid to a surviving divorced spouse based on disability or age won't count toward this maximum amount.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program serves every community in the U.S. and helps millions of Americans buy healthy food each year. In this article, we will share information on how to check your eligibility for SNAP, how to apply, and how you can use SNAP benefits for you and your family.
Benefits.gov allows you to compare your eligibility for over 1,000 state and federal benefit programs. Learn more about how to use the Benefit Finder to connect you to the government benefits you need.
Your Social Security Statement (Statement) is available to view online by opening a my Social Security account. It is useful for people of all ages who want to learn about their future Social Security benefits and current earnings history.
The redesigned Statement now includes a bar graph displaying your personalized retirement benefit estimates at nine different ages, depending on when you want benefits to start. It also includes your earnings history, and information on how to report an error if you find one. 041b061a72