To be eligible for Social Security retirement benefits, a worker must have accumulated forty work credits by the time they reach the age of sixty-two. That equates to more than ten years of labor.
Having said that, this is something that can only be gained by hard work. Numerous inhabitants of the United States are unable to have jobs for a variety of reasons.
While some may have worked in jobs that were not covered by Social Security or even worked in a distant nation, some have been responsible for the care of their children.
If someone has never held a job before, are they still eligible to collect Social Security benefits? On the basis of their spouse’s record, spouses can be entitled for certain perks. It goes without saying that they will be required to fulfill a number of prerequisites.
When can a spouse receive Social Security payments?
In the event that you have never held a job and your spouse has worked long enough to qualify for retirement benefits and is on the verge of retiring, look into it. The spouse of a worker who has applied for retirement benefits may also be eligible for such benefits.
Your benefit payout will, of course, be determined by the amount of money that the worker makes. According to the Agency, the spouse must be at least 62 years old in order to qualify.
Let us say the worker is 62 years old, but the spouse is 61 years old; in this case, the spouse is not yet eligible.
There are situations in which you may be eligible for Social Security spousal benefits even if you are not 62 years old if you have a child who meets the requirements.
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), a child who is receiving disability payments and is under the age of 16 is considered to be a qualifying child.
How much can Social Security spousal benefits be?
It was established by the administration that the spouse benefit can be as high as fifty percent of the primary insurance amount that the worker is registered for. This will be determined by the retirement age of the spouse at the time of retirement.
However, it is important to keep in mind that spousal payments would be lowered if the spouse begins collecting Social Security benefits prior to attaining the Full Retirement Age.
If you have a child who meets the requirements and you are required to care for them, you will be able to get the entire amount, such that your benefits will not be lowered.
The typical value of the spousal benefit is approximately $910 as of the month of October 2024. It is important to note that payments made to family members do not in any way affect the amount of retirement benefits that the worker receives.