Social Security Benefits You May Be Missing — A Plain-Language Guide

Why So Many Benefits Go Unclaimed

A large amount of Social Security money goes uncollected every year — not because people are ineligible, but because they simply do not know what they can receive. One person can legally collect multiple benefits at the same time: SSI, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), survivor benefits, Medicare, Medicaid, a Medicare Advantage plan, and Extra Help for prescription drugs can all be received together.

The first step is to check your earnings record. Social Security calculates every benefit — for you, your spouse, your surviving spouse, and your children — based on what you paid in. If your earnings record has a mistake, your benefit will be wrong. Fixing errors before you file can make a significant difference in your monthly check.

Protective Filing: Call First, Gather Documents Later

Many people wait until they have all their paperwork before contacting Social Security. That delay can cost a month of benefits — or more.

Protective filing locks in the date you first contacted Social Security as your official start date. It is now harder to establish than it used to be, so you need to show clear intent right away.

• Call Social Security as soon as you think you may be eligible — for retirement, disability, or survivor benefits.
• Do not wait for documents. You can provide them later.
• If Social Security sends you a closeout letter after your appointment, respond promptly. If they do not send one, your protective filing date may still be valid.

People who understood protective filing have recovered tens of thousands of dollars in back pay. Do not leave that money behind.

Filing for Retirement and Disability at the Same Time

If you are between 62 and full retirement age and you can no longer work due to a disability, you can file for both retirement insurance benefits (RIB) and disability insurance benefits (DIB) at the same time.

Here is why that matters:

• Disability claims can take six to nine months or longer to approve.
• While you wait, retirement benefits can start paying you right away.
• If your disability claim is approved and backdated to age 62, your benefit amount increases — and you may qualify for Medicare two years earlier than you otherwise would.

You will not receive two full checks. You receive the higher of the two. But filing both at once protects your start date and maximizes what you can collect.

Divorce Spouse Benefits — The Most Commonly Missed Benefit

If you were married to someone for at least 10 years and are now divorced, you may be eligible for benefits on your ex-spouse's record. This is called independently entitled divorce spouse benefits, and it trips up many people.

Key facts:

• Your ex does not have to be receiving Social Security for you to collect.
• Your ex only needs to be at least 62 years old.
• You must be at least 62 years old.
• You must have been divorced for at least two years (this requirement goes away if your ex is already collecting).
• You can receive up to 50% of your ex's benefit amount.

If you were married more than once — each for 10 or more years — Social Security compares every ex-spouse's record to find the highest benefit available to you. If an ex passes away after you have already filed on another ex's record, the numbers change: a living ex's benefit is capped at 50%, but a deceased ex's benefit can be up to 100%. You can switch at any time.

Survivor Benefits Start Earlier Than Most People Think

Most people know that retirement benefits start at 62. Fewer people know that surviving spouse benefits start at 60 — or at 50 if you are disabled (called Disabled Widow/Widower Benefits).

Survivor benefits also offer a useful strategy:

• If you are eligible for both survivor benefits and benefits on your own record, you can take one first and let the other grow.
• Benefits on your own record increase every year you delay, up to age 70.
• Survivor benefits grow only until your full retirement age.
• You can switch between the two at any point to maximize your lifetime income.

Note: A living spouse receives up to 50% of the other spouse's benefit. A surviving spouse can receive up to 100% — and surviving spouses also inherit any delayed retirement credits the deceased spouse earned.

Working While Receiving Benefits

Early retirement: If you are under your full retirement age and collecting Social Security, there is an annual earnings limit. For the current year, that limit is $24,480. Going over it causes Social Security to withhold $1 for every $2 you earn above the limit. However, in the first year you collect, a monthly earnings test applies — meaning what you earned before you started collecting does not count against you.

Once you reach your full retirement age (67 for those born after 1960), there is no earnings limit at all. You can earn any amount without affecting your benefit.

Disability benefits: You are allowed to work while on SSDI. Congress created a trial work period of nine months (not necessarily consecutive) during which you can earn any amount and still receive your full disability check. The nine months are triggered when you earn more than $1,210 in a month.

After the trial work period ends, a 36-month extended period of eligibility begins. During this window, any month you earn more than the substantial gainful activity amount (currently $1,690) results in that month's benefit being withheld — but benefits can be reinstated in months you earn less.

There are also work expense deductions available for disability recipients who pay out of pocket for items that allow them to work. Ask Social Security about impairment-related work expenses.

SSI, Overpayments, and a Few More Things to Know

SSI (Supplemental Security Income) is a needs-based program for people who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled and have low income and few resources. The maximum federal SSI payment is $994 per month. Some states add a supplement on top of that.

Even if your Social Security check is only slightly below the SSI limit, apply anyway. Receiving even $1 in SSI can unlock eligibility for Medicaid and other programs that would otherwise be harder to access.

Overpayments: If Social Security says you were overpaid, do not simply accept it. You have the right to request a reconsideration or a waiver. Many overpayment notices are incorrect or can be reduced.

Child and grandchild benefits: Minor children (under 18, or disabled before age 22) can receive benefits on a parent's or grandparent's record if that adult is collecting retirement or disability benefits, or is deceased. A spouse can also receive benefits if caring for a child under 16 or a child who became disabled before age 22.

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Medicare: Once you enroll in Medicare Part A, you can no longer contribute to an HSA. You can still withdraw from an existing HSA, but new contributions must stop. Social Security staff may not flag this — it is an IRS rule, so confirm with your tax advisor.

Direct deposit: If you do not have a bank account, Social Security offers a Direct Express debit card. However, a personal bank account at a local institution is generally more reliable and easier to manage.