Social Security Benefits

What is it?
Social Security is a federal insurance program which provides benefits for eligible workers and their families regardless of income.
There are four types of Social Security Benefits:

• Retirement
• Disability
• Survivor
• Health (Please see our section on Medicare).

Who qualifies?

• People who have worked and earned enough quarters of credit. A quarter is currently credited to your account for each $920 earned (depends on the year earned) .You can only earn 4 quarters per year

Eligible Dependents

• Children under 18
• Children age 18 to 19 who go to school full time
• Children age 18 or older with a disability which began before age 22
• Spouses and un-remarried ex-spouses who are 62 or older
• Spouses and unmarried ex-spouses caring for the worker’s children who are under 16, or for children who are disabled and entitled to benefits on the worker’s account
• To get full benefits you must be at least 65 years old (67 for some)
• You can get reduced benefits at 62 years of age

What you get
The amount monthly benefits you get depends on how much money you earned and how long you worked

How to apply
Go to your local Social Security office or call (800) 772-1213.