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Eligibility
Requirements for Social Security Programs
by: Mark Dacanay
United States Social Security is a social
insurance program that is funded through payroll taxes called
Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA).
The main part of the program can be abbreviated as OASDI or
Old Age, Survivor, and Disability Insurance.
There are different requirements for social security
eligibility in each program. Here is a general guideline to
know your eligibility on each social security program.
Social Security Retirement Eligibility
• If a person is born in 1929 or later, said person should
have worked at least 10 years to be eligible.
• If the person is born before 1938, the full retirement age
is 65. For people who were born between 1943-1954, the full
retirement age is 66 because of higher life expectancies. It
will increase to 67 for those born after 1960.
• A person can start getting his/her retirement benefits as
early as 62, although the amount that will be received will be
less compared to what can be received if you start at the full
retirement age.
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Social
Security Survivor Eligibility
• Normally, it is the funeral director that
informs social security of a person’s death. The
funeral director should be furnished with a copy
of the deceased social security number.
• If the deceased worked long enough, the family
members may be eligible to get some social
security benefits.
• If the deceased was receiving social security
benefits, family should return the benefit
received during the month of death and any
subsequent benefits. |
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Social Security Disability
Eligibility
• If said person is working and is earning an average of
more than $980 a month, he/she are not considered disabled.
• If said person is not working, the condition should
interfere with work related activities. If it does not, then
said person is not considered disabled.
• If the condition of said person is in the “list of
medical conditions” kept by social security then he/she is
automatically considered disabled. The list refers to
conditions that are so severe that it automatically grants
disability to the applicant.
• If the condition is severe but not on the list, it should
be determined of it interferes with the work you did previous
current condition.
• If it is proven that said person cannot perform previous
work, then it will be investigated if said person can adjust
to another work. Medical condition and age will be factors as
is education, work experience and other transferrable skills.
If proven that said person cannot adjust to a new work, the
claim will be approved.
If it can be proven that he/she can adjust, the claim will be
denied.
Social Security Medicare Hospital Insurance Eligibility
• Most people aged 65 or older and are citizens or permanent
residents of the United States are eligible if:
- Said person is receiving or is eligible to receive Social
Security benefits.
- Said person is receiving or eligible to receive railroad
retirement benefits.
- Said person and his/her spouse have worked long enough in a
government position where Medicare taxes were paid for.
- Said person is a dependent parent of someone who works in a
government position where Medicare taxes are paid for.
• If said person does not qualify, he/she may get Medicare
hospital insurance by paying a monthly premium.
• For people younger than 65. He/she may be eligible if:
- Said person has been entitled to Social Security Disability
Benefits for 24 months.
- Said person receives a disability pension from railroad
retirement board and meets certain conditions.
- Said person has Lou Gehrig’s disease.
- Said person has worked long enough in a government position
where Medicare taxes were paid for and he/she met the
requirements for Social Security Disability.
- Said person is a child or widow(er) aged 50 above {including
divorced widow(er)} of someone who worked long enough in a
government position where Medicare taxes were paid for and
he/she met the requirements for Social Security Disability.
- Said person has permanent kidney failure and gets
maintenance dialysis or kidney transplant.
NOTE: Please call
Social Security or check with your local office to learn
the most current regulations on Social Security that may have
changed since the writing of this article.
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