Social security who is eligible

Share with facebook. Share with twitter. Share with linkedin. Share using email. Keep in mind While you can start collecting retirement benefits at age 62, your payments are reduced if you claim them before reaching full retirement age. The full retirement age was 65 for many years, but it is currently 66 years and 2 months and is gradually going up to If you file for Social Security at full retirement age, you qualify for percent of the benefit calculated from your lifetime earnings.

You can further increase your retirement benefit by filing as late as age Retirement benefits are just one type of Social Security benefit. There are also survivor benefits , spousal benefits and disability benefits , all of which have their own qualification criteria. How Does Social Security Work? Updated December 23, What are Social Security credits? Is the Social Security retirement age going up? Family Caregiving. Leaving AARP. Got it! Please don't show me this again for 90 days.

Cancel Continue. Thank You. Your email address is now confirmed. Continue to AARP. Earned credits are accrued over a person's lifetime and never expire, so anyone who has left the workforce with close to 40 credits might consider going back and doing the minimum additional work they need to qualify. You can check the number of credits you have so far by opening a Social Security account on the Social Security website and downloading your Social Security statement.

The minimum age to start claiming Social Security retirement benefits is If someone dies prematurely, then dependent children and spouses may be entitled to survivor benefits. Terminally ill patients can apply for Social Security Disability Insurance SSDI , which means they will still receive some benefit from their contributions to the system.

What if you are terminally ill and have reached the minimum retirement age? If you are single, claiming right away may be the most sensible strategy. However, if you have a spouse, postponing may provide your spouse with greater benefits. The Social Security Administration has an online calculator that helps determine benefits for spouses.

If you do not qualify for Social Security payments, then you will need to ensure that you have sufficient income to support your lifestyle in retirement.

Divorced people can be entitled to collect Social Security benefits based on the earnings of an ex-spouse. To get the benefits, they must be single, age 62 or older, and have earned less in benefits based on their own work record than that of their ex. However, if the marriage lasted for fewer than 10 years, then they are not eligible to claim any spousal benefits. Exceptions may be available in all of these countries except Cuba and North Korea.

Immigrants who do not have enough U. These benefits are based on their work credits earned abroad combined with their U. Workers who have not earned at least six U. Federal government employees hired before are included in the Civil Service Retirement System CSRS , which provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefits. These workers did not have Social Security taxes deducted from their paychecks and thus are not eligible to receive Social Security benefits. They may still qualify if they have earned benefits through another job or a spouse.

Most state and local employees have Social Security protection under a federal Section agreement. However, some of these workers—including those who work for a public school system, college, or university—will not receive Social Security benefits if they do not pay Social Security taxes. They generally receive pension benefits from their employers.

Some railroad employees are not covered by Social Security. Workers with at least 10 years of service in the railroad industry or at least five years after have their retirement benefits covered through the Railroad Retirement Board RRB. The RRB is an independent federal agency that administers various employment benefits for railroad industry employees and their families.

Workers with fewer than 10 years of service in the railroad industry or fewer than five years after do not receive retirement benefits through the RRB. Instead, their accounts are transferred into Social Security and they become eligible for Social Security benefits after meeting Social Security benefit requirements.

The most that someone reaching full retirement age in can get in Social Security benefits per month. The tax is calculated and paid each year when self-employed workers file their federal tax returns. Those who do not file tax returns do not pay Social Security taxes, unlike employees whose employers withhold and remit their Social Security taxes from each paycheck. If you have no record of paying into the system, you will not receive payouts.

If you have not reported income and evaded taxes for a lifetime, then you have no right to Social Security benefits. Retired people who immigrate to the United States will not have the 40 U. One way to rectify this problem is to earn six work credits in the United States and receive prorated U. Older immigrants who do not qualify for U.

However, those who have spent little time in the U. Some could qualify for spousal benefits if their spouse qualifies for payments. Some government workers are also not eligible. Fortunately, some people who do not currently qualify can still find a way to do so. Social Security Administration. Department of Labor. Accessed Oct. International Social Security Agreements. Social Security. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for Investopedia.

At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data.

We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Your Money. Personal Finance. Your Practice. Popular Courses. Part Of. Getting Started. How Social Security Is Organized.