How to Get Social Security Benefits

Getting SS (Social Security) benefits

Getting SS (Social Security) benefits is considered achievable for some 96% of the American workforce. Social Security benefits of this kind, as comprise one of the primary emphases for this government agency, are accordingly provided in the form of retirement benefits.

According to the agency, people who believe they will be getting SS retirement benefits in this way should refer to the information published by the Social Security Administration (SSA) as to how such benefits can be legitimately achieved, and as to how the level of benefits provided will be determined and might potentially be increased.

Determining SS benefit levels

People who know they will be getting SS benefits can determine the specific amount to which they will be due by the Social Security Administration through the number of Social Security credits which they hold.

The required level of credits needed to be held by the specific applicant before getting SS benefits is determined in accordance with the date on which that particular individual was born. Individuals born on or after 1929 will require 40 credits in order to go through the process of getting SS benefits.

Further relevant factors in getting SS benefits

The Social Security Administration will also take into consideration such factors as the age at which the recipient of SS benefits decides to retire from the active U.S. workforce and the earning power which the recipient was able to achieve in the course of holding employment. People who wish to be eligible for getting SS benefits can retire, at the earliest, at the age of 62.

Moreover, the financial assistance provided by getting SS benefits at this age or later will be determined according to the consistency with which the individual in question was able to maintain employment. As such, people who went through periods of unemployment in the course of their working lives should expect, upon retirement, to getting SS benefits at lower amounts.

Retirement estimator

The online Retirement Estimator is a function provided by the Social Security and made available to any individual with a working Internet connection through which people can learn how much they will be due through getting SS benefits.

Retirement prior to age 62

People interested in getting SS benefits who know or believe that they will not be working up to the set age of 62 can still be due to the benefits provided in this way. Though early retirement will lower the amount to which such people will be due through getting SS benefits, eligibility for the program will not be completely cancelled out through this means.

Retirement after age 62

People who decide to retire after the age of 62 years can accordingly use this means as a function through which they can increase the amount to which they will be eligible through getting SS benefits. Accordingly, people can further refer to the online Retirement Estimator in order to determine the extent to which they can increase their financial benefits in this way.

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