Who can receive benefits?

A variety of individuals are eligible for benefits through social security. Retirement benefits, survivors benefits, disability benefits, and medicare benefits are available to those who meet specific stipulations. Full retirement benefits require that you've been working for ten years, and are payable currently at age sixty-five, though the age for eligibility may be higher in the future. Reduced benefits begin at age sixty-two, with permanent reductions made for each month early you retire. If you opt to delay your benefit payment and by doing so increase your ultimate payment amount. For those that survive their spouse, survivors benefits can be paid if the widow is sixty or over, fifty or over if they are disabled, or any age if they have a child whose is younger than sixteen or disabled. Survivor benefits can also be available to children who are unmarried and under eighteen, under nineteen and still in school, or if they are eighteen or older but severely disabled. If you have a physical or mental impairment that is expected to keep you from working a year or more or result in death, you may be eligible for disability benefits. Benefits depend on the amount that you have worked in the past year and your age. Medicare benefits may be obtainable depending on age, past disability benefits or special kidney conditions.