If you were to survey a group of random Americans and ask them what they know about the Social Security program, most would say it’s a program that offers income in retirement. True, Social Security is a major source of income for people over 65 yet there are important facts about Social Security that most people don’t know. In addition to retirement benefits, the Social Security program provides disability, survivor, and family benefits, as well as Supplemental Social Security Income benefits to those who qualify.
Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, offers support to workers who become disabled or blind and are unable to work, or limited in their ability to work. You must have worked for at least 5 of the last 10 years and your condition must affect your ability to work for a year or more, or be deemed life-threatening, to be eligible for disability payments.
A family member of someone who qualified for Social Security benefits then becomes disabled, blind, or dies, may be eligible to receive Family benefits. The benefits are intended to help with education costs and stabilize a family’s financial future after a hardship. Spouses, ex-spouses, children under the age of 18, and some grandchildren may be eligible.
If you lose a family member who paid Social Security taxes before they died, you may qualify for Survivor and Medicare benefits. This includes spouses of 9 months or more, ex-spouses who were married for at least 10 years, children under the age of 19 and currently in school, caregivers of the children of the deceased, and dependent parents aged 62 or older.
One important fact to highlight, while SSDI is an earned benefit of the Social Security program Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, is not based on work history. SSI provides monthly payments to people who have limited income and resources when they become disabled or blind. Therefore, SSI does not provide Family or Survivor benefits. Depending on how many years a person worked, a spouse or child of a person who received SSI payments then died may qualify for Social Security survivor benefits.
If you have questions, the ssa.gov website is a helpful resource for pre-retirees and retirees to prepare for retirement, apply for retirement benefits, and learn about the various benefits available. You can create your own login then access your work history, income, and Social Security benefit estimates.