The Shadow
Question: My wife doesn’t have enough work under Social Security to qualify for Social Security retirement benefits or Medicare. But I am fully insured and eligible. Can she qualify on my record?
Answer: Yes. The question you’ve raised applies to husbands as well as wives. Even if your spouse has never worked under Social Security, she (or he) can, at full retirement age, receive a benefit equal to one-half of your full retirement amount. If your spouse will receive a pension for work not covered by Social Security such as government employment, the amount of his or her Social Security benefits on your record may be reduced. For more information, take a look at the fact sheet, Government Pension Offset, Publication No. 05-10007 at www.socialsecurity.gov.pubs/10007.html.
Your wife is eligible for full spouses benefits at her full retirement age, or reduced spouses benefits as early as age 62, as long as you are already receiving benefits.
For more information, visit www.socialsecurity.gov and select the “Retirement” tab.
Question: I recently received my annual Social Security Statement in the mail, and I noticed my taxes are only “estimated.” How did you calculate the amount?
Answer: The Internal Revenue Service collects your Social Security and Medicare taxes. At Social Security, we do not keep a record of those taxes; we record only your earnings because your earnings are what we use to calculate your benefits. To estimate the total tax amounts we show on your Statement, we multiplied your reported earnings for each year that you worked by the tax rate for that year. We then added all the years together.
If you had both wages and self-employment earnings in the same year, we estimated the taxes for that year as if the total amount was wages. If you had both Social Security earnings and government earnings that qualified for Medicare in the same year, we estimated the combined Medicare taxes you paid. To learn more, visit the Statement page at www.socialsecurity.gov/mystatement.
Retirement
Question: My cousin said he applied for Social Security retirement benefits on the Internet. Can you really do that?
Answer: Yes you can! Applying online is the easiest, fastest, and most convenient way to apply for retirement benefits. There’s no need to fight the traffic to visit an office or wait for an appointment. Our website makes it simple, allowing you to apply for retirement benefits in as little as 15 minutes. You can get started now at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyonline.
Question: What is the earliest age I can begin receiving retirement benefits?
Answer: The earliest age you can begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits is 62. If you decide to receive benefits before your full retirement age, you will receive a reduced benefit. Keep in mind you will not be able to receive Medicare coverage until age 65, even if you decide to retire at an earlier age. For more information, go to www.socialsecurity.gov.
Disability
Question: My brother had an accident at work last year and is now receiving Social Security disability benefits for himself, his wife, and daughter. Before his accident, he helped support another daughter he had by a woman he never married. Is the second child entitled to some benefits as well?
Answer: Even though your brother wasn’t married to the second child’s mother, the child may qualify for Social Security benefits. Someone should file an application on the child’s behalf. If she is found to be eligible, both children would receive equal benefits. Learn more by reading our online publication, Disability Benefits, at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10029.html.
Question: I understand that to get Social Security disability benefits, my disability must be expected to last at least a year. So do I have to wait a year before I can apply for benefits?
Answer: No. if you believe that your disability will last a year or longer, you should apply for disability benefits as soon as you become disabled. It can take about three to five months to process an application for disability benefits.
If your application is approved, your first Social Security disability benefits will be paid for the sixth full month after the date your disability began.
For example, if it is determined that your disability began on January 15, your first disability benefit will be paid for the month of July. However, Social Security benefits are paid in the month following the month for which they are due, so you will receive your July benefit in August. For more information about Social Security disability benefits, refer to Disability Benefits (Publication No. 05-10029) at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10029 html.
