There are 3 categories in which social security
administrations can offer advantages to the citizens which are in case you
become disabled, retirement and the last one in case of death. Information
regarding social security advantages and criteria is available on the website
of SSA website. For many years the age of receiving SS benefits is 65 for
people who are born after the year 1938 it is also gradually elevating until a
person reaches at the age of 62. On the off chance an individual wish to
receive the SS benefits early, then the age requirement is 62. At the age of
62, the benefits are also reduced if they retire at the age 62. The individuals
have a choice of retiring at the age of sixty-two and the full age of
retirement. To qualify for receiving the benefits of social security you must
be earning SS credits while they are working and are also paying their SS
taxes.
Social security credits
As mentioned earlier to receive the benefits you need to
earn a credit which is the credits gathered during their work history and this
is what is going to determine their eligibility to receive SS benefits. These are the credits which are counted for the
eligibility for disability, retirement and survivors benefits as well. Each
year the earnings amount is also increased a little bit. The credits are recorded
even if the individual switches his/her job. Credits are also counted in case a
person is not working for a while. For
the SS coverage, there are special rules for specific work type. In case of self-employment the credits are
similarly obtained however there are certain rules which apply to their
earnings. In case a person is working
for the military the familiar rules are applied as for the civilians. But
military personnel get additional credits under specific conditions. There are
special rules applied in case of
- Farm work
- Domestic work
- Individuals working for the church
- Church controlled organizations
These are the individuals who do not pay social security
taxes but can still gain SS benefits because they fall under certain
categories. On the other hand, there are work types where social security is
not counted.
Helpful social security benefits
Retirement benefits
The majority of the federal employees who are hired before the
year 1984, however since the date first January 1983 all the employees of the federal
have paid for the Medicare insurance as a part of the SS tax. There are others as well who are affected
like railroad works that have completed their ten years of the complete
service. Employees of the local federal
and few states chose not to participate and also fail to qualify and the
children younger than 21 who assist their parents in the household task. Individuals can also choose to delay their
retirement and get added credits at the time of receiving social security
benefits. Their benefits get elevated depending on the year they are born. This
will increase their benefits automatically till they reach the full retirement
age 70 years. To receive social security
retirement benefits you just need to complete your work years. In case you
decide to work even after the retirement still you are going to receive your
full social security benefits.
Disability benefits
There are 2 different ways by which social security
disability benefits are delivered to an individual which are
- Through SS disability framework
- Supplemental security income framework
SSA also pays to the people who are disabled and cannot work
due to their disabilities. They might be suffering from any medical conditions,
handicap or physically impaired. The benefits can last for at least one year or
in case of the death. To qualify for the disability benefits there are strict
definitions stated by the federal law. There are other benefit categories like
short-term disability, the partial disability which does not come under the
social security benefits, but other programs. To be eligible for the benefits
individuals needs to meet the criteria for earnings. You need to meet two
different earning tests to fit in with the disability benefits.
- “Recent work” is the first category which is based on the age of an individual at the time of the miss-happening and getting disabled.
- “Duration work” is the 2nd test that shows the individual has worked enough under the social security.
Must Read: Complete Social Security Disability Guide
It is important for the disabled individual to apply for the
SS disability benefits as soon as possible. The reason is the long haul
procedure of receiving benefits. The application takes a long time to process,
typically three to five months. At the time of applying for the SS disability
benefits and sending application make sure that you meet all the basic
requirements. This will also minimize the chances of getting your application
rejected.
In case you meet all the requirements SSA will forward your
application to the disability determination services office. This is the agency which takes decision for
the social security administrations; they take the assistance of the disability
experts and doctors to consult with your doctors about your condition. There are many facts which are
considered. They are also going to
gather evidence from the offices of the doctors, hospital, medical
institutions, clinics where the individuals have received their treatments to
gather all the imperative information.
Survivor’s benefits
A part of the SS taxes also goes towards the survivor's
insurance for the families of an individual.
The value of the SS survivors insurance is more than the life insurance. To earn the social security survivor benefits
one needs to work and obtain credits similar to the retirement benefits. To be eligible for such benefits an
individual just need to complete ten years of working. Under special circumstances, families are
paid with the benefits in case the individual has worked for a year, half or
three years just before their death.
To know more about
the social security benefits, application procedure, age criteria and
eligibility visit the website of the social security administrations.
