Never Worked Outside the Home? You May Still Get Social Security. Here’s How

When it comes to Social Security, a common misconception is that only those who have a traditional job can claim monthly benefits. As it turns out, that’s not entirely true. People who have never worked outside the home can claim Social Security—as long as they meet certain requirements. To learn what they are, keep scrolling. 

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Can you collect Social Security if you never worked?

“There are many myths about Social Security benefits and having a full-time job is one of them,” says certified public accountant Cynthia Kirkpatrick, a senior advisor at the financial services company Moneta. “The system is based on earning credits, and the minimum credits may be earned by working part-time. You can earn up to four credits a year and must have 40 credits to qualify for your own benefits. The surprise factor? You only need earnings of $7,560 in 2026 to earn all four credits.” 

What’s more, “The spousal Social Security benefit is an additional benefit for a nonworking or lower-earning spouse,” says Kirkpatrick. “People are entitled to up to 50 percent of their spouse’s full retirement age [currently 67] benefit, depending on the filing elections of both spouses. It may be available even if you are divorced, assuming you satisfy all of the requirements.” That means you were married for at least 10 years, have been divorced for at least two years and your ex must be at least 62 years old.

So even if you never held a full-time job, you are still eligible for Social Security—as long as you either worked part-time at any point in your life or if your current or former spouse qualifies for the monthly payments. For example: If you are age 67 and haven’t worked, but your husband (also 67 years old or older) qualifies for a $2,000 monthly Social Security Payment, you are generally eligible for an additional spousal benefit of up to $1,000 a month. To calculate just how much your monthly spousal benefit will be, you can visit the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) free calculator here.  

For people who have never been married, don’t qualify for spousal benefits or have never worked, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a needs-based program that sends out monthly checks to individuals with less than $2,000 in assets, could be a solution. This program is also available to divorcees, with divorce mediator Julia Rueschemeyer saying, “SSI has strict asset limits, and this is where I see women get tripped up after a divorce settlement.” 

“As of now, an individual can’t have more than $2,000 in countable resources. That means if you walked away from mediation with a modest savings account or a small investment you forgot about, that alone can disqualify you—even if you can barely walk,” Rueschemeyer continues. “A second vehicle is another classic problem. SSI generally exempts one car, but if you kept a second one in the divorce, that counts against you. Life insurance policies with cash value, certain back payments, even a small inheritance can put you over the line. Anyone applying for SSI after a divorce needs to look at their full financial picture through that lens before they apply.”  

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Supplemental Security Income (SSI) vs. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

When it comes to SSI, many  people confuse this benefit  with Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). And while both help people with and without jobs, the prerequisites for each are quite different. 

“SSDI requires a certain number of work credits, and if you were out of paid employment for most of your adult life, you probably don’t have them. But Supplemental Security Income is a separate program—it’s federal, it’s needs-based and it doesn’t care whether you ever paid into the system,” explains Rueschemeyer. 

The catch with SSDI? “You have to demonstrate that your disability has lasted or is expected to last at least 12 continuous months, or is expected to result in death. You need documentation from treating physicians that clearly connects your condition to functional limitations over that time frame,” says Rueschemeyer. The only exception to that rule is Americans whose disability started before the age of 22 and whose parents worked and paid into Social Security.

When it comes to proving that you qualify for SSDI, Rueschemeyer advises “building a paper trail—treatment notes, imaging, specialist referrals—that tells a consistent story over time. A lot of women I work with assume one doctor’s note will do it. It won’t.”

Steps to apply for Social Security benefits today

Applications for Social Security, SSI and SSDI can be filed through the SSA’s online application, by phone [1-800-772-1213] or in person at a local Social Security office.

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