|
What
women should know about Social Security
Send a link to a friend
[April 21, 2011]
While
the Social Security program treats all workers — men and women —
exactly the same in terms of the benefits they can receive, women
need to know what the program means to them in their particular
circumstances. Understanding the benefits to which they may be
entitled may mean the difference between living more comfortably
versus just getting by in their later retirement years.
|
|
One of the most significant
things women need to remember in terms of Social Security is the
importance of promptly reporting a name change. If you haven’t told
us of a name change, your earnings may not be recorded properly and
you may not receive all the Social Security benefits you are due.
Not changing your name with Social Security also can delay your
Federal income tax refund. To report a name change, please fill out
an Application for a
Social Security Card
(Form SS-5). You can get the
form by visiting
www.socialsecurity.gov,
visiting any Social Security office or card center, or by calling
Social Security’s toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213 (TTY:
1-800-325-0778). You must show us a recently issued document as
proof of your legal name change.
If building a family is in
your plans, it’s a good idea to apply for a Social Security number
for your baby in the hospital, at the same time that you apply for
your baby’s birth certificate. Social Security will mail the card to
you. Or, you can elect to wait and apply in person at any Social
Security office. However, if you wait, you must provide evidence of
your child’s age, identity and U.S. citizenship status, as well as
proof of your identity. Then, we must verify your child’s birth
record, which can add 12 weeks to the time it takes to issue a card.
When women start receiving
Social Security retirement or disability benefits, other family
members may be eligible for payments as well. For example, benefits
can be paid to a husband:
- If he is age 62 or
older; or
- At any age if he is
caring for your child (the child must be younger than 16 or
disabled and receiving Social Security benefits on your record).
[to top of second
column]
 |
Benefits also can be paid to
unmarried children if they are:
- Younger than 18;
- Between 18 and 19
years old, but in elementary or secondary school as full-time
students; or
- Age 18 or older and
severely disabled (the disability must have started before age
22).
The family of a woman who
dies may be eligible for survivors benefits based on her work.
For more information about
women and Social Security, ask for the publication, What Every
Woman Should Know (SSA Publication No. 05-10127) or visit our
special Women’s page online at
www.socialsecurity.gov/women.
By Judith Bartels
Social Security District
Manager in Springfield, IL |
