How Social Security Works
Social Security is insurance you pay into through taxes taken from your paycheck. When you retire, become disabled, or pass away, you or your family may get monthly payments.
Work credits: do I have enough?
You earn up to four credits a year from your work. For retirement benefits you generally need 40 credits, which is about 10 years of work. More credits do not make your check bigger.
Credits are recorded under your Social Security number.
How much will I get?
Your payment is based on your earnings over your working life. A missing or wrong year can lower it.
Check your record. A free my Social Security account at ssa.gov lets you see your earnings and your estimates. If a year is wrong, gather your W-2 forms or pay stubs and ask Social Security to fix it.
What about my spouse or family?
Social Security can help families too. A spouse, a former spouse, children, and after a death, a widow or widower and children may qualify for payments based on the worker's record.
Do not assume you do not qualify. Ask. After a death, tell Social Security as soon as you can.
Medicare and Social Security
Medicare is health insurance, and it is separate from your Social Security check. If you delay Social Security past 65, you still need to sign up for Medicare around your 65th birthday, or you may pay more later.
Free, unbiased help with Medicare is available from your state's counseling program. Find your number below, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
Free Medicare counseling by state:
- Maryland: 1-800-243-3425
- Delaware: 1-800-336-9500
- Pennsylvania: 1-800-783-7067
- New Jersey: 1-800-792-8820
- West Virginia: 1-877-987-4463
- Virginia: 1-800-552-3402
Social Security is not the same as SSI
Social Security benefits come from your work record. SSI (Supplemental Security Income) is a separate program for people with very little income and few resources. See "Disability: SSDI and SSI" in the menu.
Applying for Social Security is always free. Never pay anyone to apply or to "unlock" your benefits. Source: Social Security Administration, ssa.gov.
When Should I Start?
You can start retirement benefits as early as age 62. The longer you wait, the bigger your monthly check. Pick the year you were born.
There is no single best age. It depends on your health, other income and family. Your my Social Security account at ssa.gov shows estimates for different ages. Source: Social Security Administration, ssa.gov.
Applying: Get Ready
You can apply online at ssa.gov/apply, by phone, or in person at your local office. It is free.
- "Hello. I would like to apply for retirement benefits." (or "disability" or "survivor")
- "Can I make an appointment, so I do not have to wait?"
- "What papers should I bring?"
- Write down the date, the person's name, and what they say.
Call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). Waits are usually shorter in the morning, later in the week and later in the month.
Tap what you already have
Social Security forms are free. Use only ssa.gov, and never a look-alike site that asks for payment.
Disability: SSDI and SSI
Social Security has two programs for people with disabilities. SSDI is for people who worked and paid Social Security taxes. SSI is for people with very little income and few resources, whether or not they worked. Answer three questions to see which may fit.
What counts as a disability?
For adults, the condition must keep you from doing substantial work, and be expected to last at least a year or to result in death. Blindness also qualifies. A short-term illness does not. People age 65 or older can get SSI without a disability if their income and resources are low.
How do I apply, and what should I have?
Apply at ssa.gov/apply, by phone at 1-800-772-1213, or at your local office.
- Your Social Security number
- Your doctors, clinics and hospitals, with addresses and dates
- Your medicines and test results
- Your work history for the last 15 years
A state agency usually makes the medical decision, and it can take months. Answer every letter fast, and keep seeing your doctors. Doctors' notes about what you cannot do are strong evidence.
Savings limits for SSI
SSI counts things like bank accounts. The limit is generally $2,000 for one person and $3,000 for a couple. Your home and one car are usually not counted. SSI recipients must report wages and changes every month.
Can I work and keep my benefits?
There are special rules that may let you try to work and keep some or all of your benefits. Ask Social Security before you start a job. Social Security also reviews your case from time to time, so answer those letters by the deadline.
Never pay a company to "file" for you or to "guarantee" approval. Lawyers who take these cases are paid under set rules, so ask about fees first. Source: Social Security Administration, ssa.gov.
If You Are Denied
Many first applications are denied, and many people win on appeal. Do not give up, and do not miss the deadline. You generally have 60 days from the day you get the letter.
The steps of an appeal
- Ask for a review of the decision (called reconsideration).
- A hearing before an administrative law judge.
- A review by the Appeals Council.
- A lawsuit in federal court.
You can usually ask for an appeal online, by phone at 1-800-772-1213, or at your local office.
Get someone to help you
You can have a lawyer, a friend or another qualified person help you, using Form SSA-1696. Ask about fees before you agree. If you cannot find or afford help, your local Social Security office or free legal aid can help.
Make your case stronger
- Send new medical records.
- Ask your doctors to write about what you cannot do.
- Be ready to describe a regular day, and your worst day.
A letter says my benefits will stop, or I owe money
Do not ignore it, and do not pay on the phone with a gift card or an app. Write down the deadline in the letter, then call the official number, 1-800-772-1213, or visit your local office. Ask about appeals or a waiver.
The 60 days start when you receive the letter. Social Security assumes you received it 5 days after the date on it. If you are late, you must explain why and ask for more time. Source: Social Security Administration, ssa.gov/appeals.
Is This Call Real?
Read each situation and choose. The explanations are the point.
What to take from this
Social Security will never ask for personal information by text, email or social media. It will not threaten you, and it will not ask for gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency or cash.
Watch for the warning signs: pressure to act now, threats of arrest or a suspended number, payment by gift card or app, and demands for secrecy. A real company cannot "transfer" you to Social Security or its Inspector General.
If you are unsure, hang up. Look up the number yourself at ssa.gov and call it.
If something already happened
Report a Social Security scam: oig.ssa.gov/report
Identity theft help: identitytheft.gov
Federal Trade Commission: 1-877-382-4357
If money was stolen, also tell your bank and local police.
Source: Social Security Administration scam guidance, ssa.gov/scam.