The family dynamic has changed much since Social Security was introduced back in 1935, but there are still many families where one spouse does not work, and therefore does not qualify for retirement benefits based on their own income.
There are several requirements in order to be eligible for Social Security retirement benefits, such as:
- Age: In order to be eligible for Social Security retirement benefits, you must be at least age 62. Other benefits, like survivor benefits or disability benefits may be received at an earlier age, but the Social Security eligibility criteria require you to be age 62 before you can apply for retirement benefits.
- Work Credits: You have to work in a Social Security covered job (i.e., where you contribute to Social Security by means of payroll tax deductions) for a minimum of 40 credits to qualify for retirement benefits. You can gain up to four credits per year; so in effect, you must work for 10 years to qualify for Social Security.
- Citizenship or Residency Status: Many people will be surprised to learn that you do not need to be a U.S. citizen to qualify for Social Security retirement benefits. Employees who pay into the Social Security program may qualify for benefits even if they are not U.S. citizens, however they must stay in the U.S. to actually get benefits.
Then... do spouses qualify for Social Security? Given the Social Security eligibility requirements stated above, most full-time homemakers will not qualify for retirement benefits themselves, unless they were employed for 10 years (40 credits) before they became a homemaker.
However, homemakers are entitled for benefits depending on their spouse's earnings. Social Security spousal benefits enable husbands and wives to collect retirement benefits based on their spouse's earnings if they result in a more benefit than their own. To be more specific, a spouse who has not worked or who has considerably lower earnings than their husband or wife can get up to as much as half of their spouse's full retirement benefit.
Apart from spousal benefits, homemakers may also be eligible for Social Security survivor benefits. Widows and widowers can start receiving Social Security benefits based on their deceased spouse's earnings beginning at age 60 (age 50 if they are disabled). Children of deceased employees who are under age 18 (19 if they are still in high school) can also qualify for survivor benefits. This is very beneficial for families with young children when the main bread earner dies at an early age.
While full-time homemakers that have never worked or who were employed for less than 10 years generally won't qualify for Social Security retirement benefits on their own, as you can see, they may be eligible for benefits depending on their husband's earnings. Note: while this article has assumed that the homemaker is woman, Social Security is gender neutral, so males who choose to stay home to raise the kids can also qualify for spousal and survivor benefits.
Present Condition Regarding Social Security Spouse And Survivor Benefits
When Social Security was established most women did not work. Lower or no earnings combined with a longer life span meant poverty for many women when their husbands passed away. Social Security recognized these challenges and have implemented several changes to the system to help women avoid poverty.
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