7 Social Security benefits you’re probably missing
7 Social Security benefits you’re probably missing
Most Americans think of Social Security as a single monthly check at retirement. The reality is more generous. The program covers widows, divorced spouses, dependent children, and people who have never worked a day. Knowing what you are entitled to can mean the difference between leaving money on the table and collecting every dollar you have coming.
Image Credit: jacoblund/istockphoto.
Spousal benefits for non-working partners
If you are married and have a limited work history, you may still be eligible for Social Security. A spouse who never worked can receive up to 50 percent of the working partner’s benefit at full retirement age, whether you spent decades raising children, caring for a parent, or managing the household.
Image Credit: Liderina // istockphoto.
Benefits for divorced spouses
This is one of the most widely overlooked provisions in the entire program. If your marriage lasted at least ten years and you have not remarried, you may be entitled to benefits based on your ex-spouse’s earnings record, up to 50 percent of their full retirement amount. Your claim does not reduce their benefit or notify them. More than four in ten Americans approaching retirement age do not know this option exists.
Image Credit: Zinkevych / istockphoto.
Survivor benefits starting at age 60
When a spouse dies, the surviving partner can begin collecting survivor benefits as early as age 60, well before the standard retirement age of 67. A divorced spouse whose marriage lasted at least ten years qualifies for the same benefit, provided they have not remarried before age 60. The timing of this claim can add up to significant lifetime income.
Image Credit: Zinkevych /Istockphoto
The 8 percent annual bonus for waiting
Every year you delay claiming past your full retirement age, your benefit grows by 8 percent until age 70. Someone who waits from 67 to 70 locks in a permanent 24 percent increase on every check for life. Fidelity notes that delayed retirement credits are one of the few guaranteed returns of that size available to any retiree.
Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.
Benefits for dependent children
A child under 18 can receive Social Security if a parent is retired, disabled, or deceased. The benefit is up to 50 percent of the parent’s amount for children of retired or disabled workers, and up to 75 percent for children of deceased workers. Students under 19 still enrolled in secondary school may also qualify.
Advertisement
Image Credit: ALotOfPeople / iStock.
The Social Security Fairness Act windfall
Signed into law in early 2025, the Social Security Fairness Act eliminated two long-standing rules that had reduced benefits for teachers, firefighters, and other public employees. Many affected retirees received retroactive lump-sum payments in 2025 covering months of withheld income. If you worked in the public sector and have not reviewed your current benefit amount, now is the time.
Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.
The do-over option
Few people know that Social Security allows a one-time withdrawal of your retirement application within 12 months of first claiming. Repay every dollar received, and you can restart at a higher rate. The SSA’s withdrawal form is a single page, and the math often works out strongly in your favor if you are in good health.
Image Credit: hoodesigns/iStock
Food for thought
Social Security is not a take-it-or-leave-it proposition. It rewards people who take the time to understand the rules. The SSA’s own website at ssa.gov is free, surprisingly readable, and worth an afternoon before you file anything.
Ask us! What questions do you have about content, strategy, pop culture, lifestyle, wellness, history or more? We may use your question in an upcoming article!
Related:
Like MediaFeed’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.