Present Situation Regarding Social Security Spouse And Survivor Benefits


When Social Security was established back in 1935 it was typical for women to stay home to raise the family. In a large number of families the husband was the higher earner or the only earner in the family. Furthermore, women statistically survive longer than men, especially if the wife is younger compared to the husband.

The combination of lower or no earnings and a longer life span meant many women got themselves in poverty when their husbands passed away, as their husband's Social Security retirement benefits expired at their death. The Social Security Board identified the challenges that women face and have employed several changes to the system over the years to account for these needs.

One of the first amendments to the Social Security plan was to allow women to apply for benefits at age 62 in place of waiting until 65 under the idea that they were younger than their husbands and that they would like to retire at the same time.

Then in 1939 two new categories of benefits were added: Social Security survivor benefits and dependent benefits (to be paid to the spouse and minor children of retired workers).

These modifications converted Social Security from a retirement program that only paid benefits to retired employees into a family-based program, where spouses and children could receive benefits of retired, disabled or deceased workers. This was an incredible help to women who did not qualify for retirement benefits on their own, or who had significantly smaller benefits than their husbands.

Today, even though it's not uncommon for women to earn as much or greater than their husbands, they still may take time off to raise families, and they still typically live longer than their spouses. In addition, the number of divorced women reaching retirement age is higher than before. Because of this, a lot of women still receive Social Security spousal benefits or survivor benefits instead of benefits based on their own job records.

Therefore it's necessary for women - regardless of their marital status is - to learn the spousal and survivor benefits available to them in addition to the retirement benefits so they can get the highest benefits they are entitled to.

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