了解社会保障-社会保障如何运作

Approximately 68 million people today receive some form of Social Security benefits, 包括退休, 残疾, 幸存者, 家庭福利. (来源:Fast Facts & 社会保障数据, 2019)尽管大多数领取社会保障的人都退休了, 您和您的家庭成员在任何年龄都有资格获得福利, 取决于你的情况. With that in mind, we wanted to take some time today to overview how Social Security Works.

社会保障如何运作

The Social Security system is based on a simple premise: Throughout your career, you pay a portion of your earnings into a trust fund by paying Social Security or self-employment taxes. 你的雇主(如果有的话)也要缴纳同样的数额. 作为回报, you receive certain benefits that can provide income to you when you need it most–at retirement or when you become disabled, 例如. Your family members can receive benefits based on your earnings record, too. The amount of benefits that you and your family members receive depends on several factors, 包括你一生的平均收入, 你的出生日期, 以及你申请的福利类型.

Your earnings and the taxes you pay are reported to the Social Security Administration (SSA) by your employer, 或者如果你是个体户, 由美国国税局提供. The SSA uses your Social Security number to track your earnings and your benefits.

You can find out more about future Social Security benefits by signing up for a my Social Security account at the Social Security website, ssa.gov，以便您可以查看您的在线社会保障报表. 你的月结单详细记录了你的收入, 以及对退休的估计, 幸存者, 残疾津贴. If you’re not registered for an online account and are not yet receiving benefits, 你每年都会收到一封邮件, 从60岁开始.   You can also use the Retirement Estimator calculator on the Social Security website, as well as other benefit calculators that can help you estimate 残疾 and 幸存者 benefits.

社会保障资格

A key component to understanding how Social Security Works is eligibility. 当你工作并缴纳社会保障税时, 你获得的积分使你有资格获得社会保障福利. You can earn up to 4 credits per year, depending on the amount of income that you have. Most people must build up 40 credits (10 years of work) to be eligible for Social Security retirement benefits, but need fewer credits to be eligible for 残疾 benefits or for their family members to be eligible for 幸存者 benefits.

你的退休福利

Your Social Security retirement benefit is based on your average earnings over your working career. Your age at the time you start receiving Social Security retirement benefits also affects your benefit amount. 如果你出生于1943年至1954年之间，那么你的法定退休年龄是66岁. 此后，法定退休年龄每两个月增加一次, 直到1960年或以后出生的人达到67岁.

But you don’t have to wait until full retirement age to begin receiving benefits. No matter what your full retirement age, you can begin receiving early retirement benefits at age 62. Doing so is sometimes advantageous: Although you’ll receive a reduced benefit if you retire early, you’ll receive benefits for a longer period than someone who retires at full retirement age.

You can also choose to delay receiving retirement benefits past full retirement age. 如果你推迟退休, the Social Security benefit that you eventually receive will be as much as 8 percent higher. That’s because you’ll receive a delayed retirement credit for each month that you delay receiving retirement benefits, 70岁以下. 这笔贷款的数额取决于你的出生年份.

残疾人福利

If you become disabled, you may be eligible for Social Security 残疾 benefits. The SSA defines 残疾 as a physical or mental condition severe enough to prevent a person from performing substantial work of any kind for at least a year. 这是对残疾的严格定义, 所以如果你只是暂时残疾, don’t expect to receive Social Security 残疾 benefits–benefits won’t begin until the sixth full month after the onset of your 残疾. 因为处理你的索赔可能需要一些时间, apply for 残疾 benefits as soon as you realize that your 残疾 will be long term.

家庭的好处

如果你开始领取退休金或伤残津贴, your family members might also be eligible to receive benefits based on your earnings record. 合资格的家庭成员包括:

• 配偶年龄在62岁或以上，如果结婚至少1年
• 你的前任配偶年龄在62岁或以上，如果你们结婚至少10年
• Your spouse or former spouse at any age, if caring for your child who is under age 16 or disabled
• 18岁以下的子女，如果未婚
• Your children under age 19, if full-time students (through grade 12) or disabled
• 18岁以上的子女，如有严重残疾

Each family member may receive a benefit that is as much as 50 percent of your benefit. 然而，每个月可以支付给一个家庭的金额是有限的. The total benefit that your family can receive based on your earnings record is about 150 to 180 percent of your full retirement benefit amount. 如果家庭总福利超过了这个限额, 每个家庭成员的福利将按比例减少. 你的福利不会受到影响.

幸存者的好处

Another key concept to understand about how Social Security works is 幸存者 benefits. When you die, your family members may qualify for 幸存者 benefits based on your earnings record. 这些家庭成员包括:

• Your widow(er) or ex-spouse age 60 or older (or age 50 or older if disabled)
• Your widow(er) or ex-spouse at any age, if caring for your child who is under 16 or disabled
• 18岁以下未婚子女
• Your children under age 19, if full-time students (through grade 12) or disabled
• 18岁以上的子女，如有严重残疾
• 你的父母，如果他们依靠你提供至少一半的经济支持

Your widow(er) or children may also receive a one-time $255 death benefit immediately after you die.

申请社会保障福利

SSA建议在SSA网站上在线申请福利, but you can also apply by calling (800) 772-1213 or by making an appointment at your local SSA office. The SSA suggests that you apply for benefits three months before you want your benefits to start.  If you’re applying for 残疾 or 幸存者 benefits, apply as soon as you are eligible.

Depending on the type of Social Security benefits that you are applying for, 你将被要求提供某些记录, 比如出生证明, 报税表形式, 核实你的社会安全号码和公民身份. 文件必须是原件或经核证的副本. 如果你的任何家庭成员正在申请福利, 他们将被要求提交类似的文件. The SSA representative will let you know which documents you need and help you get any documents you don’t already have.

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