What’s inside
What Social Security means to you 1
Your Social Security record and number 3
If you change your name 3
What your Social Security taxes pay for 4
Before you retire 5
When you retire 5
If you develop a disability 7
If you have limited income 8
When you’re ready to apply 9
Benefits for your family 9
Social Security numbers for children 9
When you die 10
If you have income from
a government pension 10
If you haven’t worked or if you don’t
have enough Social Security credits 11
If you become a widow 11
If you’re divorced 12
If you’re a caregiver 13
If you’re a victim of family violence 13
Some special employment situations 14
Protection of personal information 15
More information 16
Contacting Us 16
1
What Social Security means to you
Social Security provides benets and nancial protection
for you. Nearly 55% of the people receiving Social
Security benets are women. In the 21st century, more
women work, pay Social Security taxes, and earn credit
toward monthly retirement income than at any other time
in our nation’s history.
Women face greater economic challenges in retirement.
First, women tend to live longer than men. A woman
who is 65 years old today can expect to live, on average,
until about 87. A 65-year-old man can expect to live, on
average, until about 84. Second, women often have lower
lifetime earnings than men. And, third, women may reach
retirement with smaller pensions and other assets than
men.
Social Security provides an ination-protected benet
that lasts as long as you live. Social Security benets
are based on how long you’ve worked, how much you’ve
earned, and when you start receiving benets.
You can outlive your savings and investments, but you
can never outlive your Social Security benet. Social
Security is the foundation for a secure retirement, but
only replaces a portion of pre-retirement earnings. To
have a comfortable retirement, you will also need to have
other income from things like pensions, savings, and
investments.
Today, women have challenging choices to make. Some
may spend their entire adulthood in a career or job
outside the home. Some may work for a few years, leave
the labor force to raise children, and eventually return to
work. Others may choose not to work outside the home.
Whether they work, have worked, or have never worked,
women must understand how Social Security can help
them and their families. Women tend to care for many
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people — spouses, children, and parents. They’re also
less often covered by private retirement plans and more
dependent on Social Security.
Social Security offers a basic level of protection to all
women covered by this program. When women work, they
pay taxes into the Social Security system, providing for
their own benets. In addition, their spouses’ earnings can
give them Social Security coverage as well. Women who
don’t work are often covered through their spouses’ work.
When their spouses retire, develop a disability, or die,
women can receive benets.
Throughout the years, the level of Social Security
protection for women has strengthened. For example, we
raised the amount of benets for surviving spouses and
spouses with disabilities. Economic protection for divorced
women improved with the removal of the requirement
that the divorced wife be dependent on her spouse. Also,
the number of years the couple must be married for the
divorced spouse to qualify for benets decreased.
In addition to understanding the benets to which they
may be entitled, women also need to be aware of other
aspects of the Social Security program. They need
to know about providing Social Security coverage for
anyone they may hire as a household worker or childcare
provider. And, they need to know some basics, such as
what to do if they change their names.
Social Security is a vital program, especially for women,
but it was never intended to cover all of their nancial
needs. To live comfortably, everyone needs to plan
accordingly. Living within one’s means and saving for the
future are big parts of that plan.
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Your Social Security record and number
If you are employed, your employer sends a copy of your
Form W-2 (Wage and Tax Statement) to us every year.
We compare your name and Social Security number
(SSN) on the W-2 form with the information in our les.
We add the earnings shown on the W-2 form to your
Social Security record.
It is critical that your name and SSN on your Social
Security card agree with your employer’s payroll records
and W-2 form. This ensures that we can credit your
earnings to your record. It is up to you to make sure that
both our records and your employer’s records are correct.
If your Social Security card is incorrect, contact any Social
Security ofce to update. Check your W-2 form to make
sure your employer’s record is correct. If it is not, give
your employer the accurate information.
By signing up for a personal my Social Security account,
you can verify that your earnings are correct.
If you change your name
If you change your name, be sure to report the change to
us. Otherwise, we may not record your earnings properly
and you may not receive all the benets you are due. Not
changing your name with us can also delay your income
tax refund, if you are entitled to one.
To report a name change, you can use our online
SSN and Card application available at www.ssa.gov/
ssnumber to nd out the best way to apply. In most
instances, you will start the application online and
complete the process in a local Social Security ofce or
card center, usually in less time. If you are not able to
apply online, you can ll out and print our Application
for a Social Security Card (Form SS-5). Once you have
completed the printed application, you can submit it to
your local Social Security ofce or card center. With both
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options, you will also need to submit proof of identity
and proof that you legally changed your name (e.g., a
marriage certicate). You can get the SS-5 online at
www.ssa.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf, by visiting any Social
Security ofce, or by calling our toll-free number. For more
information, read Your Social Security Number and Card
(Publication No.05-10002).
You may need to show us proof of your legal name
change. Documents we may accept to prove a legal name
change include:
• Marriage document.
• Divorce decree.
• Certicate of Naturalization showing a new name.
• Court order for a name change.
Note: We must see the original document(s), or copies
certied by the agency that issued them. We cannot
accept photocopies or notarized copies.
The document you provide as evidence of a legal name
change may not give us enough information to identify
you in our records. If that is the case, you must show us
an identity document in your old name (as shown in our
records). We’ll accept an identity document in your old
name that has expired. You must show us this document
in your old name if you changed your name more than 2
years ago (4 years ago if you’re younger than age 18).
If you don’t have an identity document in your old name,
we may accept an unexpired identity document in your
new name, as long as we can properly establish your
identity in our records.
If you’re a U.S. citizen born outside the United States
and our records don’t show you’re a citizen, you’ll need
to provide proof of your U.S. citizenship. If you aren’t a
U.S. citizen, we will ask to see your current immigration
documents.
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The new card will have the same number as your
previous card, but will show your new name.
What your Social Security taxes pay for
When you work and pay Social Security taxes, you earn
Social Security credits. Credits can count toward your
retirement benets and can qualify you and your family for
disability and survivors insurance. In addition, when you
pay Medicare taxes, you’re earning Medicare protection
that can be available to you when you reach age 65 or
sooner if you have a qualifying disability.
Social Security benets can include:
• Retirement benets paid to retired workers as early as
age 62.
• Disability benets paid to workers of all ages who have
a severe disability. In some cases, a young worker
may qualify for a disability benet with as little as one
and one-half years of work.
• Family benets paid to the spouse and children of
retired workers or workers with disabilities.
• Survivors benets paid to the widow or widower and
children of a deceased worker. In some cases, the
family of a young deceased worker can receive these
benets even if the worker had as few as one and one-
half years of work.
• Medicare, which helps with hospital bills and provides
limited coverage for skilled nursing facility stays
and hospice care. Medicare can also cover doctors’
services and prescription drugs.
Before you retire
As you make plans for your retirement, you may ask,
“How much will I get from Social Security?” If you have a
personal my Social Security account, you can:
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• View your retirement benet estimates at different ages
or dates you want to start benets.
• View possible benets for your family.
You can also use your personal my Social Security
account to get a letter proving you don’t receive benets,
and to request a replacement Social Security card. If you
don’t have a personal my Social Security account, create
one at www.ssa.gov/myaccount.
To nd information about your full retirement age, benet
calculators, and additional factors you may want to
consider, visit our Retirement Benets portal.
When you retire
Most people need 40 credits (usually 10 years of work)
to qualify for benets. We base your benet amount
on your earnings averaged over most of your working
career. Higher lifetime earnings result in higher benets.
If you have some years of no earnings or low earnings,
your benet amount may be lower than if you’d worked
steadily.
Your benet is also affected by your age at the time
you start receiving benets. You may start receiving
your retirement benets at age 62 (the earliest possible
retirement age). If you do, your benet will be lower than if
you wait until your full retirement age or later.
You may choose to work while receiving Social Security
benets before you reach full retirement age. If so, we
will reduce your benets by $1 for every $2 you earn over
the annual limit (which increases each year). In the year
you reach full retirement age, we will reduce your benets
by $1 for every $3 you earn over the limit in the months
before your birthday. After you reach full retirement age,
you’ll get your full retirement benets no matter how much
you work and earn.
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This doesn’t mean you must try to limit your earnings. If
we withhold some of your benets because you continue
to work, we’ll pay you a higher monthly benet when
you reach your full retirement age. So, if you work and
earn more than the exempt amount, it won’t, on average,
decrease the total value of your lifetime benets from
Social Security. It can actually increase them.
Age to receive full Social Security benets
Year of birth Full retirement age
1943-1954 66
1955 66 and 2 months
1956 66 and 4 months
1957 66 and 6 months
1958 66 and 8 months
1959 66 and 10 months
1960 or later 67
NOTE: People who were born on January 1 of any
year should refer to the previous year.
As you continue working, we’ll review your earnings each
year and recalculate your benet amount. Usually, your
additional earnings will increase your benet amount. If
the amount increases, we’ll notify you and readjust your
benet payments.
If you’re eligible and apply for benets on more than one
work record you generally receive the higher benet
amount. When you apply for benets, the Social Security
representative can determine the benets you are eligible
to receive.
If you qualify for both your own retirement and a spouse’s
(or divorced spouse’s) benets, you may be required to
apply for both benets. We call this requirement “deemed
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ling,” because when you apply for one benet, you are
required or deemed to le for the other. However, there
are exceptions. Let’s say you were born before January
2, 1954. Assume also that you are starting benets at full
retirement age or later, and qualify for your own retirement
benets and benets as a spouse (or divorced spouse).
You have the option to restrict your application and apply
for spouse’s benets only and delay applying for your own
retirement benet to earn delayed retirement credits. In
addition, if you receive a spousal benet because you are
caring for a child who is under age 16 or has a disability
or if you receive spouse’s benets and are also entitled
to disability, deemed ling does not apply and you are
therefore not required or deemed to le for your retirement
benet.
For more information on retirement and deemed ling, visit
www.ssa.gov/benets/retirement/planner/claiming or
read Retirement Benets (Publication No. 05-10035).
You’ll have Original Medicare (Part A and Part B)
coverage, in addition to Social Security benets if you’re
eligible on your own or your spouse’s record. You’ll
have Medicare hospital insurance (Part A) protection at
age 65, and you’ll have the opportunity to buy Medicare
medical insurance (Part B) for a monthly premium. You
can also enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part
C) and a Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D). If
you aren’t eligible for benets and if you don’t have
enough credits, you can pay a monthly premium to buy
Medicare coverage. For more information, read Medicare
(Publication No. 05-10043).
If you develop a disability
If you develop a disability, you may be able to get disability
benets if you’ve worked long enough and recently
enough under Social Security. The amount of work you
need increases with age. You need credit for one and one-
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half years of work out of the past 3 years if you develop
a disability before age 24. You need credit for up to 5 out
of the last 10 years if you develop a disability at age 31
or older. Some women lose their disability eligibility when
they move in and out of the workforce. As a result, they
don’t meet the recent work requirement. If you need help
guring out how much work you need to maintain your
disability eligibility, call your local Social Security ofce.
We will consider you having a disability if you can’t do
the work you did before and we decide you can’t adjust
to other work because of your medical condition(s). Your
disability also must last, or be expected to last, for at least
a year or to result in death. After you receive disability
payments for 24 consecutive months, you’ll also have
Medicare protection.
Military service members can receive expedited
processing of disability claims from Social Security.
Social Security benets are different from those available
through the Department of Veterans Affairs and require
a separate application. We use an expedited process for
military service members who developed disabilities while
on active military service on or after October 1, 2001. This
applies regardless of where the disability occurs.
For more information on disability programs, visit
www.ssa.gov/disability or read Disability Benets
(Publication No. 05-10029).
For more information on disability benets for wounded
warriors, visit www.ssa.gov/woundedwarriors or read
Disability Benets for Wounded Warriors (Publication No.
05-10030).
If you have limited income
If you’re age 65 or older, or blind or have a disability,
and your income and the value of your resources are
limited, you may be eligible to receive monthly payments
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under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.
Generally, to receive SSI you must be living in the
United States or the Northern Mariana Islands and be a
U.S. citizen. Certain noncitizens may also be eligible to
receive SSI. To learn more about SSI, visit www.ssa.
gov/benets/ssi or read Supplemental Security Income
(Publication No. 05-11000).
To apply for SSI, you can begin the process online by
visiting www.ssa.gov/benets/ssi. You can also call
us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 to set up an in-person or
telephone appointment with a representative from your
local Social Security ofce.
If you have a limited income and few resources, your state
can decide whether you qualify for help with Medicare
expenses under the Medicare savings programs. If you
think you may qualify, contact your state or local medical
assistance (Medicaid) agency, social services program, or
welfare ofce. Also, more information is available from the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Read
Get Help with Your Medicare Costs (CMS Publication No.
10126) at www.medicare.gov/publications or ask for it
at the Medicare toll-free number, 1-800-MEDICARE
(1-800-633-4227). If you’re deaf or hard of hearing, you
may call TTY 1-877-486-2048.
You also may be able to get Extra Help paying for the
Medicare prescription drug program. Anyone who has
Medicare can get Medicare prescription drug coverage.
Extra Help is available for people with limited income
and resources. This benet will pay for all or most of the
monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription
copayments related to their plan. Many people with limited
income and resources qualify for these big savings and
don’t know it. To nd out if you’re eligible, we will need
to know your income and the value of your savings,
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investments, and real estate (other than your home). If
you’re married and living with your spouse, we’ll need this
information for both of you.
For more information, read Understanding the Extra Help
with Your Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Publication
No. 05-10508).
When you’re ready to apply
Online services
You can apply for Social Security retirement, disability,
Medicare, or spouse’s benets, or any combination of
those benets online. If you apply for disability benets
online, you may be able to apply for SSI at the same
time. For more information about applying for SSI online,
visit www.ssa.gov/benets/ssi. You’ll complete and
sign the application electronically. We’ll let you know
which benets you are entitled to after we receive your
application.
Electronic payments
You may receive your benets through direct deposit, a
Direct Express
®
card, or an electronic transfer account.
These electronic options provide simple, safe, and secure
ways to receive your benets. For more information about
these options, please visit www.godirect.gov/gpw/ or
call 1-800-333-1795.
When you apply for benets, have your checkbook or
banking account statement on hand if you want direct
deposit. We need that information to deposit your benet
into your account correctly.
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Benets for your family
When you start receiving Social Security retirement or
disability benets, other family members also may be
eligible for payments.
For example, we can pay benets to your spouse:
• If your spouse is age 62 or older.
• At any age, if your spouse is caring for your child. The
child must be younger than age 16 or must have a
disability and receiving Social Security benets.
We also can pay benets to your unmarried children if
they’re:
• Younger than age 18.
• Between ages 18 and 19 and a full-time student at an
elementary or secondary school (grade 12 or below).
• Age 18 or older with a disability that began before
age 22.
Social Security numbers for children
Applying for an SSN for your baby when you apply for
your baby’s birth certicate is a good idea. We will mail
the card to you. This is the quickest and most convenient
option. Or, you can wait and apply at any Social Security
ofce. If you wait, you must provide evidence of your
child’s age, identity, and U.S. citizenship status, as well
as proof of your identity. We must verify your child’s birth
record, which can add up to 12 weeks to the time it takes
to issue a card. To verify a birth record, we will contact the
ofce that issued it.
When you die
When you die, your family may be eligible for benets
based on your work.
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Family members who may collect benets include a
surviving spouse who is:
• Age 60 or older.
• Age 50 or older and has a disability.
• Any age, if your surviving spouse is caring for your
child who is younger than age 16, or who has a
disability, and receiving Social Security benets.
Your children can receive benets, too, if they’re
unmarried and:
• Younger than age 18.
• Between ages 18 and 19 and a full-time student at an
elementary or secondary school (grade 12 or below).
• Age 18 or older with a disability that began before age
22.
Additionally, your parents can receive benets on your
earnings if they were dependent on you for at least half of
their support.
If you have enough credits, we’ll also make a one-time
payment of $255 after your death. We may pay this
benet to your surviving spouse or minor children if they
meet certain requirements.
For more information, read Survivors Benets (Publication
No. 05-10084).
If you have income from a government pension
If you worked at a job through which you didn’t pay Social
Security taxes, two laws may affect your Social Security
benets. These laws affect you whether the other pension
you receive is based on your retirement or disability.
• The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) affects
the way we gure your Social Security retirement
or disability benets. This provision applies to you
only if you receive Social Security benets based on
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your own earnings, and if you are receiving the other
pension (which includes a pension from a foreign
country).
• Government Pension Offset (GPO) affects only the
Social Security benets you could receive based on
your spouse’s earnings.
For more information about the WEP and GPO, or to use
the WEP and GPO online calculators, visit www.ssa.
gov/gpo-wep. Benet calculators are also available at
www.ssa.gov/benets/calculators. You also can read
Windfall Elimination Provision (Publication No. 05-10045)
and Government Pension Offset (Publication No. 05-
10007).
If you haven’t worked or if you don’t have
enough Social Security credits
It may be that you haven’t worked or you don’t have enough
Social Security credits, and you’re married. If so, you may
be eligible for Social Security benets as a result of your
spouse’s work. You and your children have Social Security
protection through your spouse’s work if they have enough
credits. Your children must be younger than age 18 or
younger than age 19 if still in secondary school or have
a disability that began before age 22. When your spouse
retires, or if your spouse develops a disability, you could
be eligible for benets as early as age 62. If you’re caring
for your child who is younger than age 16, or who has a
disability and entitled to benets, you could receive benets
at any age.
You may choose to begin receiving spouse’s benets
before you reach full retirement age. If so, we will reduce
your benet amount. Your benet amount won’t increase
when you reach full retirement age. You may wait until you
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reach full retirement age when you’ll receive the maximum
benet, which is up to half of the amount your spouse is
entitled to receive at full retirement age.
You and your spouse will be eligible for Medicare at age 65.
If you become a widow
If your spouse dies, you can get widow’s benets if
you’re age 60 or older. If you have a disability, you can
get widow’s benets as early as age 50. Your benet
amount will depend on your age and on the amount your
deceased spouse was entitled to at the time of death. If
your spouse was receiving reduced benets, your survivor
benet maybe based on that amount.
You may be eligible for widow’s benets and Medicare
before age 65 if you have a disability and entitled to
benets. You also may be eligible for widow’s benets if
you are caring for a child who is younger than 16. If you
remarry before you reach age 60 (or age 50 if you have a
disability), you can’t receive widow’s benets as long as
that marriage remains in effect. If you remarry after you
reach age 60 (or age 50 if you have a disability), you’ll
continue to receive benets on your deceased spouse’s
Social Security record. However, if your current spouse
is a Social Security beneciary, you should apply for a
spouse’s benet if it would be larger than your widow’s
benet. You can’t get both.
If you’re also entitled to retirement benets based on your
own work, you have other options. Ask a Social Security
representative to explain the options, so you can decide
which would be best for you.
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If you’re divorced
If you’ve never asked Social Security about receiving
benets based on your ex-spouse’s work, you should.
Many women get a higher benet based on their ex-
spouse’s work, especially if that spouse is deceased.
When you apply, you’ll need to give your spouse’s SSN.
If you don’t know your spouse’s number, you’ll need to
provide their date and place of birth and the names of
their parents.
The following requirements also apply to your divorced
spouse if your ex-spouse’s eligibility for benets is based
on your work.
If your ex-spouse is living
If you’re divorced, you can receive benets based on your
ex-spouse’s work if:
• Your marriage lasted 10 years or longer.
• You’re unmarried.
• You’re age 62 or older.
• The benet you’re entitled to receive based on your
own work is less than the benets you’d receive based
on your spouse’s work.
• Your ex-spouse is entitled to Social Security retirement
or disability benets.
Your ex-spouse may not have applied for benets, but
qualies for them and is age 62 or older. In that case, you
can receive benets on his or her work record if you’ve
been divorced for at least two years.
If your ex-spouse is deceased, you can
receive benets
If you’re divorced, you can receive benets based on your
deceased ex-spouse’s work if:
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• At age 60, or age 50 if you have a disability, if your
marriage lasted at least 10 years, and you aren’t
entitled to a higher benet on your own record.
• At any age and caring for your ex-spouse’s child, who
also is your natural or legally adopted child and younger
than 16, or has a disability and entitled to benets.
Your benets will continue until the child reaches age
16 or until the child no longer has a disability. You can
receive this benet even though you weren’t married to
your ex-spouse for 10 years.
If you’re a caregiver
You may be caring for an older person or a relative with a
disability who needs help managing their monthly Social
Security or SSI benets. If this is the case, you can apply
to be their representative payee. Social Security will
conduct a careful investigation to determine if you meet
the requirements.
As a representative payee, we’ll pay you the person’s
benets to use on their behalf. That means you must
know what your relative’s needs are so you can decide
the best way to use the benets for their personal care
and well-being. First, you must make sure that the
beneciary has food and shelter. Then, you can use the
money to pay for the beneciary’s medical and dental bills
that are not covered by health insurance. You can also
pay for personal needs and recreation.
For more information about the representative payee
program, visit www.ssa.gov/payee. You also can read A
Guide for Representative Payees (Publication
No. 05-10076). If you’re caring for a child with disabilities,
read Benets for Children with Disabilities (Publication
No. 05-10026).
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Advance Designation
Advance Designation allows certain parties to choose
up to three people who could potentially serve as their
representative payee in the future, if the need arises.
These parties include capable adult and emancipated
minor applicants and beneciaries of Social Security, SSI,
and Special Veterans Benets
To help protect what’s important to you, we offer the
option of choosing a representative payee in advance. If
you are unable to manage or direct others to manage your
benets in the future, you’ll have peace of mind knowing
that someone you trust, and have already chosen in
advance, may be appointed to manage your benets.
You can submit an Advance Designation request online
with your personal my Social Security account, by
telephone, or in person.
If you’re a victim of family violence
Anyone can be a victim of family violence or harassment,
abuse, or life-endangering situations. If you’re a victim of
family violence, Social Security may be able to help you.
Public awareness campaigns stress how important
it is for victims to develop safety plans that include
gathering personal papers and choosing a safe place
to go. Sometimes the best way to evade an abuser and
reduce the risk of further violence may be to relocate and
establish a new identity. After these changes, getting a
new SSN may also be helpful.
Although we don’t routinely assign new numbers, we’ll
do so when evidence shows you’re being harassed or
abused, or your life is endangered.
Applying for a new number is a big decision. Your ability
to interact with federal and state agencies, employers,
and others may be affected. This is because your
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nancial, medical, employment, and other records will
be under your former SSN and name (if you change
your name). If you expect to change your name, we
recommend you do so before applying for a new number.
For more information, read New Numbers for Domestic
Violence Victims (Publication No. 05-10093).
Some special employment situations
Self-employed
Most people who pay into Social Security work for
an employer. Their employer deducts Social Security
taxes from their paycheck. The employer matches that
contribution, sends taxes to the Internal Revenue Service
(IRS), and reports wages to Social Security.
If you are self-employed, you must report your earnings
and pay your taxes directly to the IRS. The IRS provides
your self-employment earnings information to us. We
update your earnings record with the self-employment
information we receive from the IRS.
You’re self-employed if you operate a trade, business, or
profession, either by yourself or as a partner. You report
your earnings for Social Security when you le your federal
income tax return. If your net earnings are $400 or more
in a year, you must report your earnings on Schedule SE
(Self-Employment Tax), in addition to the other tax forms
you must le.
If you and your spouse operate a business together, you’re
entitled to receive Social Security credits as a partner. Be
sure to le a separate Schedule SE, even though you and
your spouse le a joint income tax return. If you don’t le
a separate self-employment report, you won’t get Social
Security benets from your own work. This is because all
of the earnings will be on your spouse’s record.
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Household workers
Services performed by some household workers are
covered under Social Security, depending on how much
they earn. Household workers include babysitters, maids,
cooks, laundry workers, butlers, gardeners, chauffeurs,
and people who do housecleaning or repair work.
Services performed by household workers who are under
age 18 during any part of the year, and who don’t do
household work as a principal job, aren’t covered under
Social Security.
If you hire household workers, you have certain
responsibilities. These include:
• Accurately recording their Social Security numbers.
• Withholding Social Security and Medicare taxes from
their wages.
• Paying the required amount of Social Security and
Medicare taxes.
• Sending the combined taxes to the IRS using your own
federal income tax return.
• Reporting wage amounts to Social Security, if they
meet certain thresholds.
If you’re a household worker, make sure your employer is
paying Social Security taxes for you. You should receive a
Form W-2 from your employer by January 31 of the year
following the year you did the work. For more information,
read Household Workers (Publication No. 05-10021).
Military service
If you’ve served in the military on active duty or active
duty for training since 1957, or on inactive duty for training
since 1988, you paid into Social Security. If your services
were specically excluded under the Social Security Act,
you did not pay into Social Security. These excluded
services include those performed while on leave without
pay or creditable under the Railroad Retirement Act.
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When you apply for Social Security, the credits you
receive for military service are added to your civilian work
credits. The total number of credits you have determines if
you qualify for Social Security.
You may be eligible for both Social Security benets
and military retirement. Generally, there’s no reduction
of Social Security benets because of your military
retirement. You’ll get your Social Security benets
based on your earnings and the age you choose to start
receiving benets.
Social Security survivors benets may affect benets
payable under the optional Department of Defense
Survivors Benet Plan. You should check with the
Department of Defense or your military retirement advisor
for more information.
Protection of personal information
Social Security keeps personal and condential
information — names, SSNs, earnings records, ages, and
beneciary addresses — for millions of people. Generally,
we’ll discuss your information only with you. When you
call or visit us, we’ll ask you several questions to help us
verify your identity. If you want someone else to help with
your Social Security business, we need your permission
to discuss your information with that person.
You should treat your SSN as condential information,
and avoid giving it out unnecessarily. You should keep
your Social Security card in a safe place with your other
important papers. Do not carry it with you unless you
need to show it to an employer or service provider.
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More information
For more information, visit www.ssa.gov/people/women.
Contacting Us
There are several ways to contact us, such as online,
by phone, and in person. We’re here to answer your
questions and to serve you. For nearly 90 years, we have
helped secure today and tomorrow by providing benets
and nancial protection for millions of people throughout
their life’s journey.
Visit our website
The most convenient way to conduct business with us is
online at www.ssa.gov. You can accomplish a lot.
• Apply for Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug
plan costs.
• Apply for most types of benets.
• Start or complete your request for an original or
replacement Social Security card.
• Find copies of our publications.
• Get answers to frequently asked questions.
When you create a personal my Social Security account,
you can do even more.
• Review your Social Security Statement.
• Verify your earnings.
• Get estimates of future benets.
• Print a benet verication letter.
• Change your direct deposit information.
• Request a replacement Medicare card.
• Get a replacement SSA-1099/1042S.
Access to your personal my Social Security account may
be limited for users outside the United States.
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Call us
If you cannot use our online services, we can help you by
phone when you call our National toll-free 800 Number.
We provide free interpreter services upon request.
You can call us at 1-800-772-1213 — or at our TTY
number, 1-800-325-0778, if you’re deaf or hard of hearing
— between 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Monday through
Friday. For quicker access to a representative, try calling
early in the day (between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. local time)
or later in the day. We are less busy later in the week
(Wednesday to Friday) and later in the month. We
also offer many automated telephone services, available
24 hours a day, so you may not need to speak with a
representative.
If you have documents we need to see, remember that
they must be original or copies that are certied by the
issuing agency.
Schedule an oce visit
You can nd the closest ofce location by entering your
ZIP code on our ofce locator webpage.
If you are bringing documents for us to see, remember
that they must be original or certied copies that are
certied by the issuing agency.
Social Security Administration | Publication No. 05-10127
October 2022 (Recycle prior editions)
What Every Woman Should Know
Produced and published at U.S. taxpayer expense
