Eligibility for Benefits

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Can someone younger than age 60 collect benefits if their spouse died and they have a young child?

Full question: My brother-in-law was collecting Social Security for himself and two minor children. He has since passed; my sister-in-law is collecting money for the two children. She is 59 and is being denied benefits for herself because she is not age 60. Is she eligible to collect for herself since one of the children…

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Am I eligible for Social Security if I only worked for 5 years?

Full question: I’ve been a stay at home mom for most of my adult life. I worked for about 5 years. Am I eligible for Social Security? Hello, To be eligible to collect your own retirement benefits, you must have worked and paid taxes into Social Security for 40 quarters, or 10 years. In your…

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How do I qualify for benefits? What do I need in order to be eligible to receive Social Security?

Hello, To qualify for Social Security benefits, you must first be a U.S. citizen or lawfully living in the United States. Then, you must have earned a total of 40 or more “credits.” These credits are legally known as Quarters of Coverage. A credit is the basic unit to determine whether one is insured under…

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