For many people in the United States, especially retirees, Social Security is one of the most important ways to make sure they have enough money to live on.
People who have worked and paid into the system their whole working lives will get monthly benefits from this program. Many retirees do not know, though, that they can get benefits on top of their retirement payments to help them make ends meet.
As people get closer to retirement age, they should know about all of their Social Security options.
Beneficiaries can get other benefits that work with their retirement benefit, whether it is because they have worked for a long time or because of a special circumstance like a disability.
So, people who are not old enough to get monthly payments from Social Security may be able to apply for other benefits that give them extra help.
Read on to learn about the benefits you can apply for before you turn 62, as well as the general requirements you must meet in order to do so.
Benefits that are compatible with Social Security retirement benefits
Before retirement, people can apply for a number of other benefits. This means that retirees can apply for other help without it affecting their main payment.
These benefits are meant to help with certain things that might happen during retirement. Here are some of the most important ones and what you need to do to apply for them:
1. SSDI stands for Social Security Disability Insurance.
For people who can not work because of a serious illness, Social Security Disability Insurance is available.
If a retiree has a disability that is recognized by Social Security, they may be able to get SSDI in addition to their retirement payment. There are some things that person must do in order to be approved:
- Have worked long enough and accumulated sufficient credits in the Social Security system.
- Demonstrate a disability that prevents you from working for a minimum period of 12 months or more.
- Meet SSA medical and verification requirements.
2. Spousal Benefits
If someone you know is getting Social Security retirement benefits, you can also apply for a share of those benefits, even if you do not have enough work history to qualify on your own. Some requirements are:
- The spouse must be at least age 62 to apply for the benefit.
- The amount the spouse can get is a percentage of the retired workerās benefit, which can be as much as 50% if the spouse waits untilĀ full retirement age.
- If the spouse decides to retire before full age, the payment will be reduced.
3. Survivorsā Benefits
If a Social Security beneficiary dies, some family members may be able to get benefits for the person who died. These payments are meant to help the dependents of the deceased financially. Some requirements are:
- The surviving spouse must be at least age 60, or age 50 if disabled, to apply for benefits.
- Children under age 18 or disabled children may also be eligible.
- In some cases, dependent parents of the deceased may also apply for a portion of the benefit.
4. Dependent Benefits
Children of people who get Social Security retirement benefits may also be able to get a monthly payment until they turn 18 or older if they are disabled or in high school. These are the requirements:
- The child must be under age 18, or in high school and under age 19.
- Disabled adult children can get benefits if the disability occurred before age 22.
5. SSI (Supplemental Security Income) Benefits
SSI is for people who do not have a lot of money or resources, and it may work with Social Security retirement benefits. To get in:
- Applicants must be age 65 or older, blind or have a disability.
- They must meet SSAās low income and limited resource requirements.
So, we could get Social Security benefits without having to wait until we were 62 years old. It is important to know all the rules about the payments, though, before we apply for them.
Also see:-Itās not all about Social Security ā Americans can also claim these benefits for higher incomes