Present Condition About Social Security Spouse And Survivor Benefits

When Social Security was launched back in 1935 it was usual for women to stay home to raise the family. In most families the husband was the major 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 coincidence of lower or no income and a longer life span meant many women found themselves in poverty at the time 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 adopted several adjustments to the system over the years to account for these requirements.

One of the first amendments to the Social Security system was to permit 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 simultaneously.

Then in 1939 two other categories of benefits were added: Social Security survivor benefits and dependent benefits (payable to the spouse and minor kids of retired workers).

These modifications converted Social Security from a retirement program that only paid benefits to retired employees into a family-based system, where spouses and children are able to receive benefits of retired, disabled or deceased workers. This was a tremendous help to women who were not eligible 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 spouses, they however may take time off to raise families, and they still statistically live longer than their spouses. Similarly, the number of divorced women reaching retirement age is higher than before. Because of this, a number of women still get Social Security spousal benefits or survivor benefits rather than benefits based on their own work period.

Therefore it's necessary for women - regardless of their marital status is - to learn the spousal and survivor benefits open to them as well as the retirement benefits so they can get the maximum benefits they are eligible to.

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