After you have put in a full 35 years of earning some kind of income, the zeroes no longer make a difference because they aren't factored into your benefit calculation.
You're eligible if: You're 62 or older. You've worked and paid Social Security taxes for 10 years or more.
If you do not have 35 years of earnings by the time you apply for retirement benefits, your benefit amount will be lower than it would be if you worked 35 years. Years without work count as zeroes in the benefit calculation. Learn more at www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/Benefits.html.
Not all unearned income is counted. For example, Social Security will not look at the first $20 of the total unearned income you receive each month. Other types of exclusions include school grants and scholarships, energy assistance, and income placed in a PASS account.
When we figure out how much to deduct from your benefits, we count only the wages you make from your job or your net profit if you're self-employed. We include bonuses, commissions, and vacation pay.
Instead, he added, the agency will limit the clawback to 10% of an overpaid beneficiary's monthly benefit. Additionally, the Social Security Administration will extend repayment plans to 60 months, up from its prior limit of 36 months, giving recipients an additional two years to repay the money.
Although you need at least 10 years of work, or 40 credits, to qualify for Social Security retirement benefits, we base the amount of your benefit on your highest 35 years of earnings.
Have you heard about the Social Security $16,728 yearly bonus? There's really no “bonus” that retirees can collect. The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a specific formula based on your lifetime earnings to determine your benefit amount.
Although many of the programs base benefit amounts and eligibility to work history, there are some instances where a person who has never worked can collect benefits. One program that provides benefits to people, not based on their work history, is Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
If you become disabled before your full retirement age, you might qualify for Social Security disability benefits. You must have worked and paid Social Security taxes in five of the last 10 years.
If your spouse dies, do you get both Social Security benefits? You cannot claim your deceased spouse's benefits in addition to your own retirement benefits. Social Security only will pay one—survivor or retirement. If you qualify for both survivor and retirement benefits, you will receive whichever amount is higher.
We cannot pay benefits if you don't have enough credits. In 2025, you receive 1 credit for each $1,810 of earnings, up to the maximum of 4 credits per year. Each year the amount of earnings needed for credits goes up slightly as average earnings levels increase.
If you have no record of paying into the system, you will not receive payouts. If you have not reported income and evaded taxes for a lifetime, then you will receive no Social Security benefits.
Just because you don't bring home a paycheck doesn't mean you're not working. A stay-at-home parent can get a Social Security check just like any other worker.
You can start receiving your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. However, you are entitled to full benefits only when you reach your full retirement age. If you delay taking your benefits from your full retirement age up to age 70, your benefit amount will increase.
Resource limits could also impact your Social Security
If you exceed that limit, you need to spend down your resources to be eligible. According to a recent study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 70,000 beneficiaries on average lose their benefits each year because they exceed the limit.
To qualify to get $144 added back to your Social Security check, you can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan that offers a Part B premium reduction or giveback benefit.
The $22,924 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook. If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings.
If you're younger than full retirement age, there is a limit to how much you can earn and still receive full Social Security benefits. If you're younger than full retirement age during all of 2025, we must deduct $1 from your benefits for each $2 you earn above $23,400.
Paused benefits earn delayed retirement credits for every month they're suspended until age 70. That can boost your benefits by 8% a year for a maximum of three years, resulting in a 24% bump. It's unclear how many people are taking the do-over.
Answer: The new law will increase your own earned Social Security retirement benefit by removing the WEP that caused a reduced benefit to be paid. The new law will also remove the reduction on the spousal benefit that your spouse has earned for you that was caused by the GPO.