About Social Security and Medicare…
Benefits for the elderly, the disabled, their families, and the deceased are all provided by Social Security. People who are 65 or older, or who have been disabled and receiving Social Security payments for at least two years, are eligible to enroll in Medicare, a separate program administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that helps pay for a variety of medical services and supplies. Since both programs are based on your Social Security-covered earnings, you are eligible for both. It’s important to remember that long-term care is not covered by Medicare, so looking into private insurance is a good idea. Please visit Medicare’s website or call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227 if you have any questions (TTY 1-877-486-2048 if you are deaf or hard of hearing).
Retirement –
Full retirement age for those born before 1938 is 65. The retirement age for those born in 1960 and later will gradually rise to 67 due to a law change in 1983.
Some people leave their jobs before they reach the official retirement age. To receive reduced benefits, you can retire as early as age 62. You can increase your benefits by continuing to work past your full retirement age and taking advantage of credits for delaying retirement.
Disability – Disability benefits can be received after six months if you meet the following requirements in the event of a disability before you reach full retirement age:
- a sufficient number of credits from previous earnings (depending on your age, you must have earned six to 20 of your credits in the three to 10 years before your disability); and
- a state of being so severely impaired physically or mentally that you are unable to work “substantially” for a year or more, or are expected to die within that time frame.
For faster processing of your disability claim, please indicate whether or not you are currently serving in the armed forces or are a recently discharged veteran.
Family – Your current or ex-spouse, any children under the age of 22, and any adult children who were disabled before the age of 22 are all eligible to receive benefits if you receive disability or retirement. They may each receive up to about half of your total benefit.
Survivors – After your passing, your loved ones may be eligible to receive the following benefits:
- your spouse if they are 60 or older (50 or older if they are disabled, or any age if they are caring for children under the age of 16), and
- your children if they are under the age of 19 and either not married, still in school, or disabled before the age of 22.
Even if you and your spouse have since divorced, your former spouse may be entitled to a spousal benefit in the event of your death.
Extra Help with Medicare
Help with Medicare prescription drug costs is available for people with low incomes and few assets. Extra funds can be used to cover things like monthly premiums, yearly deductibles, and co-pays for medications. Visit Get Financial Assitance with the Expenses You’re Likely to Have With Your Medicare Prescription Drug Plan or dial 1-800-772-1213 for more information or to apply (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
