5 More Facts You Might Not Know About Social Security
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: August 19, 2021
What kind of questions do you and your friends ask about Social Security? When do my benefits arrive? What are Social Security work credits, and do they have anything to do with the way my benefits are figured? Will I be automatically enrolled in Medicare? Read on to find the answers to these questions.
1. Social Security benefits are paid in the month following the month for which they are due.
When you meet all the requirements for eligibility, the benefit check you receive is payment for the prior month’s benefits. For information on the payment of benefits, you can read our pamphlet, What You Need to Know When You Get Retirement or Survivors Benefits.
To know when checks will be paid, you can save the Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments to your “Favorites” or print it.
2. We don’t pay benefits for the month of death.
Social Security uses the same throughout-the-month rule to determine eligibility for the benefit that is due for the month of death. You must live through the full month to be eligible for the payment. See the pamphlet above in the section titled If a beneficiary dies for more information about when a check is due.
3. Survivors benefits can replace a percentage of the worker’s earnings for family members.
The eligible family members of a retired or disabled beneficiary may receive a monthly payment of up to 50 percent of beneficiary’s amount. Survivors benefits usually range from about 75 percent to 100 percent of the deceased worker’s amount. Visit our Understanding the Benefits publication for an explanation of the amounts family members receive.
4. Work credits determine eligibility for benefits, but your lifetime earnings are used to calculate your monthly benefit amount.
Retired workers need 40 work credits to be eligible for benefits, but your work credits alone do not determine how much you will receive each month. When we figure your retirement benefit, we use the average of your highest 35 years of earnings. See Your Retirement Benefit: How It Is Figured for more information.
5. If you receive retirement benefits before you reach age 65, you will be automatically enrolled in Medicare.
Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) helps pay for inpatient care in a hospital or skilled nursing facility following a hospital stay. It also pays for some home health care and hospice care. Medicare Part B (medical insurance) helps pay for services from doctors and other health care providers, outpatient care, home health care, durable medical equipment, and some preventative services. When you’re already receiving retirement benefits, we automatically sign you up for Medicare Parts A and B when you turn age 65. You can then decline Part B if you choose, since it requires a monthly premium. If you are not receiving retirement benefits as you approach age 65, you should contact Social Security three months before age 65 to sign up for Medicare Part A and B. Even if you don’t want to retire at 65, you should sign up for Medicare only. For more details, check out our Medicare page.
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About the Author
Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
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Sherry
My adult daughter lives with me and is on disability. Can I claim my her as a dependent on my taxes? If I do, will she lose her social security?
Amber
Ok so I’m trying to help my daughters friend and I can’t figure out what to do. Her friends Dad passed away a couple years ago leaving her mom and 3 children. The mom has been drawing social security death benefits for her and the 3 children and using it as her income to qualify for section 8 housing, food stamps and medical. The problem is for the past year the mom has been evicted from 3 different houses for unpaid rent and bills no running water no electricity and for other cleanliness reasons so when the mom got a letter a few months ago saying the oldest child who is my daughters friend and will be 18 next month benefits were ending she kicked her out literally into the street with a 3 month old baby (her grand baby) and no place to go. My daughter is a great person and took her in and we have been trying to help her. The mom moved to the next county over transferred all the benefits and is still claiming the oldest and her baby for extra food and rent assistance and even though we were finally able to stop her claiming food stamps and medical for her and the baby and get her her own case assigned for that she is still homeless and the mom is still receiving social security benefits from the dads death which I thought were supposed to go to the child. Am I wrong here? The mom has barely ever given her any of the money (only 40$ in past 3 weeks to be exact) or even barely kept a roof over her head with the benefit money for that matter always getting evicted moving around is there anything that can be done to stop this or get the benefits back that she should have been entitled too and didn’t get??
A.C.
Hi, Amber. Unfortunately, your concerns are a bit more complex than we can address in this forum. A representative payee must use the benefits to pay for the beneficiary’s needs and solely for that purpose. If you think a representative payee is misusing your child’s benefits, you must report it immediately. We will investigate all allegations of misuse, gather facts and evidence, and make a decision on whether misuse has occurred. You will receive a letter from Social Security telling you what we found. If we find misuse, Social Security may name a new representative payee for your child. We will then take action to recover the misused money.
For your security, we do not have access to private information in this venue. To report misuse of your daughter’s friend’s benefits, please call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. to speak to one of our representatives. Generally, you’ll have a shorter wait time if you call later in the day. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
David S.
My mother had really bad bunions on her feet and it causes her so much pain to walk. She draws social security but she doesn’t know where to go for a procedure considering her income. What can she do?
DAVID
How do I get a response?
L.A.
Hi David. You may be eligible to receive social services from the state in which you live. These services include for example, free meals, housekeeping help, and transportation assistance. To get information about services in your area , and find out if your brother qualifies, please contact your state or local social services or welfare office. You should also contact your local Medicare SHIP (State Health Insurance Program Coordinator) to discuss your health insurance options. We hope this helps.
Janie
My future husband is on disability, but I work, will his benefits be affected if we get married?
A.C.
Hi, Janie. If your future husband receives retirement or Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) benefits, your marriage will not affect his benefit. If he is receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), widow or widower’s benefits, your marriage may affect his benefit. To learn more about how marriage affects benefits, visit our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.
Donald C.
My benefits are due on the 25 of December this year. Will I receive them on the 24th to pay some bills before Christmas?
James E.
my wife, Carolyn, is 76 years old and drawing Social Security – Part A & B. She has recently been diagnosed with a rare neurological disease, Cortico Basal degeneration, which is a combination of Fronto Temporal Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. She is approaching the point where I can no longer take care of her in the home. Do her Social Security benefits include payment for skilled care in a nursing home or mental facility? I am retired military and cannot afford the high costs of a nursing home without financial assistance.
Thank you.
L.A.
Hi James. We are sorry for your wife’s situation. You may be eligible to receive social services from the state in which you live. These services include for example, free meals, housekeeping help, and transportation assistance. For more information about services in your area please contact your state or local social services or welfare office. You should also contact your local Medicare SHIP (State Health Insurance Program Coordinator) to discuss your health insurance options. We hope this helps.
Tomi
If I’m receiving my own social Security benefits can I receive my ex spouses benefits instead
L.A.
Hi Tomi. To be eligible for divorced spouse benefits, you and your ex-spouse have to be age 62, and you cannot be eligible for a higher benefit on your own record. For more information about divorced spouse’s benefits, please visit our Benefits Planner: If You Are Divorced. For specific questions about your case, please call our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday, between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. We hope this information helps.
Holly R.
Do spouses get survivor benefits if they remarried?
Leticia
Hello, I need to know how I can get the award letter to be mailed
L.A.
Hi Leticia. Good news! If you need a benefit verification letter (award letter), you can view, print, and save your benefit verification letter using your personal my Social Security account. We hope this helps.
Lonnie L.
I’m being charged for part B and I’m still working and get medical benefits. I thought I had opted out of this. How can I change it.
A.C.
Hi, Lonnie. To terminate your Part B enrollment, you must submit a signed request for termination or Form CMS-1763. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires, when possible, a personal interview be conducted with everyone who wishes to terminate entitlement. Therefore, we do not offer form CMS-1763 online. For an interview, you can call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or contact your local office. Thanks.