Social Security

[Ryan]

Wondering if my wife will receive SS when she hits retirement age? We live outside the US. She only worked for 4 or 5 years in the US. Will she still get a retirement check? Is there a minimum contribution ie. dollars or time?

 

[Chuck Leeper]

AIRC, one has to acquire a defined number of "quarters", to receive it.
A Google answers the ?
http://money.cnn.com/retirement/guide/SocialSecurity_basics.moneymag/index4.htm

 

[salvageV6]

I believe if she has a S.S. number she can log on to the govt. S.S. website and look at her work history and it would tell you if she is eligible for benefits as well.

They would have her total work history and amounts paid into the program.

 

[John Larkin]

Yes sign up for an online social security administration account and you will get everything you need to know there, from the horse's mouth!

 

[Frederickdav]

I think she needs a minimum number of points. Points are earned by putting in the time.

 

[deezdad]

Just went to check mine out of curiosity, leave it to the gov to close a website between 1 & 5 am lol

 

[Ryan]

Chuck. Thanks for the website. Need to get my wife back to the US and work more.

 

[S10xGN]

Here's a strange SS problem that occurred with me, hope it won't happen to anyone else! I signed up online about 4 months before 62 1/2, got an email a few days later saying there was a problem with my application and to call a number. I called the local office first and they said the number was legit, so I called it and found out my application was denied because my name didn't match the name on record. Of course, all of this is "on me" to fix. I had to get a registered/notarized copy of my birth cert from PA where I was born, turns out my name was misspelled there too. So, after numerous trips to the local SSA office and much telephone time between various state and federal entities, I finally got my "name" right in two locations that were previously wrong. I had been getting SSA statements for years under the correct name, but when I applied for benefits, it shook out wrong. When the old hand written records were computerized, two different clerks in two different states/entities transcribed my name wrong causing all kinds of grief. I could see this could being a catastrophe to people out of the country!