How do I Qualify for Social Security Benefits After Retirement Age?
Uncle Sam is calling you to get your Social Security benefits. If you have signed up for Medicare at age 65, you can wait until age 70 to file for Social Security retirement benefits and receive the largest monthly amount possible. You can receive Social Security retirement benefits at any time between ages 62 and 70 according to Social Security Online. There is no additional benefit to waiting past the age of 70, as there is no delayed benefit credit after that age.
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Instructions
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Earn credits for Social Security retirement benefits during your lifetime of employment. American workers need 40 credits or 10 years of employment to qualify for retirement benefits. If you do not quite have the credits needed, you can accumulate credits right before you claim retirement benefits. Use the online Retirement Benefit Estimator to see how much your Social Security benefits will be.
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Assemble the personal information you need to apply for Social Security benefits. The application will require your Social Security number, your date and place of birth and your spouse's Social Security number and date and place of birth. You will need the date and place of marriage and any divorce or death dates for any previous spouse, your address and your bank account and routing numbers.
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Locate your employment information with the name and address of your employers for the current and previous year and the amount of money earned for those years. You may also need an estimate of next year's income. You also will need a copy of your Social Security statement if you have it; if you do not, you will need to request a copy. This is available online, but the statement arrives by mail. You will need a W-2 from last year or your self-employment tax return.
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Obtain a copy of your DD214 or military service discharge papers, an original birth certificate and naturalization or citizenship papers, as they are sometimes necessary. You may need help completing your application for Social Security benefits. Do not hesitate to ask a friend, relative or a paralegal for assistance in completing the information.
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Complete the application online or at the Social Security office to qualify for benefits. If you choose to claim benefits after retirement age and want to claim back payments, Social Security will only pay six months retroactive and will not pay benefits prior to your full retirement age. Early or late retirement will probably give you the same benefits overall. You receive less per month for a longer period of time for early retirement and more per month for a shorter term for late retirement. Late retirement may qualify you for delayed retirement credits, and that represents about 8 percent a year for those born 1943 or later.
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Wait for a response from the Social Security office. If they deny benefits because of insufficient quarters or years of employment, you may be able to qualify for Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI) if your income and resources are low. You may also be able to claim retirement benefits under your spouse or qualify for survivor benefits from a deceased adult child if you relied upon him for support.
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