What Every Woman

Should Know

SSA.gov
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 6

If you become disabled 9

If you have limited income 10

When you’re ready to apply 11

Benefits for your family 12

Social Security numbers for children 13

When you die 13

If you have income from a government

pension 14

If you haven’t worked or if you don’t have

enough Social Security credits 15

If you become a widow 15

If you’re divorced 16

If you’re a caregiver 17

If you’re a victim of family violence 18

Some special employment situations 19

Protection of personal information 21

More information 21

Contacting Social Security 21

What Social Security means to you
Social Security provides benefits and financial protection
for women. Nearly 55 percent of the people receiving
Social Security benefits 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, while 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 inflation-protected benefit
that lasts as long as you live. Social Security benefits
are based on how long you’ve worked, how much you’ve
earned, and when you start receiving benefits.
You can outlive your savings and investments, but you
can never outlive your Social Security benefit. 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.

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Women tend to care for many people — spouses,
children, and parents. And, although they’ve made
significant strides, women are more likely to earn less
during their lifetimes than men. They’re less often covered
by private retirement plans and more dependent on
Social Security — and for a longer period of time since, on
average, women live about five years longer than men.
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 benefits. 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, become disabled, or die,
women can receive benefits.
Over the years, the level of Social Security protection for
women has strengthened. For example, we raised the
amount of benefits for surviving and disabled spouses.
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 benefits decreased.
In addition to understanding the benefits 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 financial
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 on
the W-2 form with the information in our files. We add the
earnings shown on the W-2 form to your Social Security
record.
It is critical that your name and Social Security number
on your Social Security card agree with your employer’s
payroll records and W-2 form so that we can credit
your earnings to your record. It is up to you to make
sure that both Social Security’s records and your
employer’s records are correct. If your Social Security
card is incorrect, contact any Social Security office to
make changes. 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 my Social Security account, you can
verify that your earnings are correct.

If you change your name

Whenever 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 benefits
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, fill out an Application for a
Social Security Card (Form SS-5). You can get the form
online by visiting www.ssa.gov, at any Social Security
office, or by calling our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213.

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You must show us proof of your legal name change.
Documents we may accept to prove a legal name change
include:
• Marriage document.
• Divorce decree.
• Certificate of Naturalization showing a new name.
• Court order for a name change.
Note: We must see the original document(s), or copies
certified by the agency that issued them. We cannot
accept photocopies or notarized copies.
If the document you provide as evidence of a legal name
change doesn’t give us enough information to identify you
in our records, or if you changed your name more than
two years ago (four years ago if you’re younger than age
18), 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.
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.
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 benefits and can qualify you and your family for

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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 benefits can include:
• Retirement benefits paid to retired workers as early as
age 62.
• Disability benefits paid to workers of all ages who have
a severe disability. In some cases, a young worker
may qualify for a disability benefit with as little as one
and one-half years of work.
• Family benefits paid to the spouse and children of
retired or disabled workers.
• Survivors benefits 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
benefits 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:
• View your retirement benefit estimates at different ages
or dates you want to receive benefits.
• View possible benefits for your family.

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You can also use your my Social Security account to get
a letter proving you don’t receive benefits, and to request
a replacement Social Security card. If you don’t have a
my Social Security account, create one at www.ssa.gov/
myaccount.
To find information about your full retirement age, benefit
calculators, and additional factors you may want to
consider, visit our Retirement Benefits portal.

When you retire

Most people need 40 credits (usually 10 years of work)
to qualify for benefits. We base your benefit amount on
your earnings averaged over most of your working career.
Higher lifetime earnings result in higher benefits. If you
have some years of no earnings or low earnings, your
benefit amount may be lower than if you’d worked steadily.
Your benefit is also affected by your age at the time
you start receiving benefits. If you start receiving your
retirement benefits at age 62 (the earliest possible
retirement age), your benefit will be lower than if you wait
until your full retirement age or later.
If you choose to work while receiving Social Security
benefits before you reach full retirement age, we will
reduce your benefits 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 benefits
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 benefits no matter how much
you work and earn.
This doesn’t mean you must try to limit your earnings. If
we withhold some of your benefits because you continue
to work, we’ll pay you a higher monthly benefit when
you reach your full retirement age. So, if you work and

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earn more than the exempt amount, it won’t, on average,
decrease the total value of your lifetime benefits from
Social Security — and can increase them.

Age to receive full Social Security benefits

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 benefit amount. Usually, your
additional earnings will increase your benefit amount. If
the amount increases, we’ll notify you and readjust your
benefit payments.
If you’re eligible and apply for benefits on more than one
work record you generally receive the higher benefit
amount. When you apply for benefits, the Social Security
representative can determine the benefits you are eligible
to receive.
If you qualify for both your own retirement and a spouse’s
(or divorced spouse’s) benefits, you may be required to
apply for both benefits. We call this requirement “deemed
filing,” because when you apply for one benefit, you are
required or deemed to file for the other. However, there
are exceptions. For example, if you were born before
January 2, 1954, are starting benefits at full retirement
age or later, and qualify for your own retirement benefits
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and benefits as a spouse (or divorced spouse), you have
the option to restrict your application and apply for spouse’s
benefits only and delay applying for your own retirement
benefit in order to earn delayed retirement credits. In
addition, if you receive a spousal benefit because you are
caring for a child who is under age 16 or disabled or if you
receive spouse’s benefits and are also entitled to disability,
deemed filing does not apply and you are therefore not
required or deemed to file for your retirement benefit.
For more information on retirement and deemed filing, visit
www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/claiming.html
or read Retirement Benefits (Publication No. 05-10035).
You’ll have Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) coverage,
in addition to Social Security benefits 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
benefits 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 become disabled

If you become disabled, you may be able to get disability
benefits 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-half
years of work out of the past three years if you become
disabled before age 24, and up to five out of the last 10
years if you become disabled at age 31 or older. Some
women lose their disability coverage when they move in
and out of the workforce and, as a result, don’t meet the

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recent work requirement. If you need help figuring out how
much work you need to maintain your disability coverage,
call your local Social Security office.
We will consider you disabled 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 benefits 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 became disabled while
on active military service on or after October 1, 2001,
regardless of where the disability occurs.
For more information on disability programs, visit
www.ssa.gov/disability or read Disability Benefits
(Publication No. 05-10029).
For more information on disability benefits for wounded
warriors, visit www.ssa.gov/woundedwarriors or read
Disability Benefits for Wounded Warriors
(Publication No. 05-10030).

If you have limited income

If you’re age 65 or older, or blind or disabled, and your
income and the value of your resources are limited, you
may be eligible to receive monthly payments 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.

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To learn more about SSI, visit www.ssa.gov/benefits/ssi
or read Supplemental Security Income
(Publication No. 05-11000).
To apply for SSI, you can begin the process and — in
some cases — complete most or all of your application
online by visiting our website at www.ssa.gov/benefits/ssi.
You can also call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 to set up
an appointment with a representative from your local Social
Security office.
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 office. 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 some people with limited income
and resources. This benefit 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 find out if you’re eligible, Social Security
will need to know your income and the value of your
savings, 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.

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Even if you don’t qualify for the Extra Help, you may
be able to help someone you care about apply for
Extra Help with their Medicare prescription drug costs.
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 benefits, or any combination of
those benefits online. If you apply for disability benefits
online, you may be able to apply for SSI at the same time.
For more information on applying for SSI online, visit
www.ssa.gov/benefits/ssi. You’ll complete and sign the
application electronically. We’ll let you know which benefits
you are entitled to after we receive your application.
Electronic payments
You may receive your benefits through direct deposit, a
Direct Express® card, or an electronic transfer account.
These electronic options provide simple, safe, and secure
ways to receive your benefits. For more information
about these options, please visit www.godirect.org or
call 1-800-333-1795.
When you apply for benefits, have your checkbook or
banking account statement on hand if you want direct
deposit. We need that information to deposit your benefit
into your account correctly.

Benefits for your family

When you start receiving Social Security retirement or
disability benefits, other family members also may be
eligible for payments.

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For example, we can pay benefits 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 be disabled
and receiving Social Security benefits on your record).
We also can pay benefits to your unmarried children
if they’re:
• Younger than age 18.
• Between age 18 and age 19, but in elementary or
secondary school as full-time students.
• Age 18 or older and severely disabled (the disability
must have started before age 22).

Social Security numbers for children

Applying for a Social Security number for your baby when
you apply for your baby’s birth certificate 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 office. 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 office that issued it.

When you die

When you die, your family may be eligible for benefits
based on your work.
Family members who may collect benefits include a
surviving spouse who is:
• Age 60 or older.
• Age 50 or older and disabled.

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• Any age, if your surviving spouse is caring for your
child who is younger than age 16, or who is disabled
and receiving Social Security benefits on your record.
Your children can receive benefits, too, if they’re
unmarried and:
• Younger than age 18.
• Between age 18 and age 19, but in an elementary or
secondary school as full-time students.
• Age 18 or older and severely disabled (the disability
must have started before age 22).
Additionally, your parents can receive benefits on your
earnings if they were dependent on you for at least half of
their support.
If you had enough credits, we’ll also make a one-time
payment of $255 after your death. We may pay this
benefit to your surviving spouse or minor children if they
meet certain requirements.
For more information, read Survivors Benefits
(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 benefits. 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 figure your Social Security retirement
or disability benefits. This provision applies to you
only if you receive Social Security benefits based
on your own earnings, and if you are receiving the
other pension (which includes a pension from a
foreign country).

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• Government Pension Offset (GPO) affects only the
Social Security benefits 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. Benefit calculators are also
available at www.ssa.gov/benefits/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
If you haven’t worked or if you don’t have enough
Social Security credits, and you’re married, you may be
eligible for Social Security benefits as a result of your
spouse’s work. You and your children (younger than age
18 or younger than age 19 if still in secondary school or
disabled before age 22) have Social Security protection
through your spouse’s work if they have enough credits.
When your spouse retires, or if your spouse becomes
disabled, you could be eligible for benefits as early as age
62. If you’re caring for your child who is younger than age
16, or who is disabled and entitled to benefits, you could
receive benefits at any age.
If you choose to begin receiving spouse’s benefits before
you reach full retirement age, we will reduce your benefit
amount and your benefit amount won’t increase when
you reach full retirement age. If you wait until you reach
full retirement age, you’ll receive the maximum benefit,
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.

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If you become a widow
If your spouse dies, you can get widow’s benefits if you’re
age 60 or older. If you’re disabled, you can get widow’s
benefits as early as age 50. Your benefit 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 benefits, your survivor benefit will
be based on that amount.
You may be eligible for widow’s benefits and Medicare
before age 65 if you are disabled and entitled to benefits.
You also may be eligible for widow’s benefits if you are
caring for a child who is younger than 16. If you remarry
before you reach age 60 (or age 50 if disabled), you can’t
receive widow’s benefits as long as that marriage remains
in effect. If you remarry after you reach age 60 (or age
50 if disabled), you’ll continue to receive benefits on your
deceased spouse’s Social Security record. However, if
your current spouse is a Social Security beneficiary, you
should apply for a spouse’s benefit if it would be larger
than your widow’s benefit. You can’t get both.
If you’re also entitled to retirement benefits 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.

If you’re divorced
If you’ve never asked Social Security about receiving
benefits based on your ex-spouse’s work, you should.
Many women get a higher benefit based on their ex-
spouse’s work, especially if that spouse is deceased.
When you apply, you’ll need to give your spouse’s
Social Security number. If you don’t know your spouse’s
number, you’ll need to provide your spouse’s date and
place of birth and the names of your spouse’s parents.

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The following requirements also apply to your divorced
spouse if your ex-spouse’s eligibility for benefits is based
on your work.
If your ex-spouse is living
If you’re divorced, you can receive benefits 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 benefit you’re entitled to receive based on your
own work is less than the benefits you’d receive based
on your spouse’s work.
• Your ex-spouse is entitled to Social Security retirement
or disability benefits.
If your ex-spouse hasn’t applied for benefits, but can
qualify for them and is age 62 or older, you can receive
benefits 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 benefits
If you’re divorced, you can receive benefits based on your
deceased ex-spouse’s work if:
• At age 60, or age 50 if you are disabled, if your
marriage lasted at least 10 years, and you aren’t
entitled to a higher benefit on your own record.
• At any age if you’re caring for your ex-spouse’s child,
who also is your natural or legally adopted child and
younger than 16, or disabled and entitled to benefits.
Your benefits will continue until the child reaches age
16 or until the child is no longer disabled. You can
receive this benefit even though you weren’t married to
your ex-spouse for 10 years.

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If you’re a caregiver
If you’re caring for an elderly or disabled relative who
needs help managing his or her monthly Social Security
or SSI benefits, 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
benefits to use on his or her behalf. Therefore, you
must know what your relative’s needs are so you can
decide the best way to use the benefits for their personal
care and well-being. First, you must make sure that the
beneficiary has food and shelter. Then, you can use the
money to pay for the beneficiary’s medical and dental bills
that are not covered by health insurance and 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 Benefits for Children with Disabilities (Publication
No. 05-10026).

Advance Designation
Advance Designation allows capable adult and
emancipated minor applicants and beneficiaries of Social
Security, SSI, and Special Veterans Benefits to choose
one or more individuals who could potentially serve as
their representative payee in the future, if the need arises.
To help protect what’s important to you, we offer the
option to choose a representative payee in advance. If
you are unable to manage or direct others to manage your
benefits 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 benefits.

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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 Social Security number 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 because your financial,
medical, employment, and other records will be under
your former Social Security number 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).

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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
Social Security. 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 file 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 file.
If you and your spouse operate a business together, you’re
entitled to receive Social Security credits as a partner.
Be sure to file a separate Schedule SE, even though you
and your spouse file a joint income tax return. If you don’t
file a separate self-employment report, you won’t get
Social Security benefits from your own work, because all
of the earnings will be on your spouse’s record.
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

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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, make sure you accurately
record their Social Security numbers, withhold Social
Security and Medicare taxes from their wages, pay the
required amount of Social Security and Medicare taxes,
and send the combined taxes to the IRS using your own
federal income tax return. You must report 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,
unless your services were specifically excluded under
the Social Security Act (such as those performed while
on leave without pay or creditable under the Railroad
Retirement Act).
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 benefits
and military retirement. Generally, there’s no reduction
of Social Security benefits because of your military
retirement. You’ll get your Social Security benefits based
on your earnings and age you choose to start receiving
benefits.

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Social Security survivors benefits may affect benefits
payable under the optional Department of Defense
Survivors Benefit 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 confidential
information — names, Social Security numbers, earnings
records, ages, and beneficiary 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 Social Security number as
confidential 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.

More information
For more information, visit www.ssa.gov/people/women.

Contacting Social Security

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 more than 85 years,
Social Security has helped secure today and tomorrow by
providing benefits and financial protection for millions of
people throughout their life’s journey.

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Visit our website
The most convenient way to conduct Social Security
business from anywhere 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 benefits.
• 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.
• Print a benefit verification letter.
• Change your direct deposit information.
• Request a replacement Medicare card.
• Get a replacement SSA-1099/1042S.
• Request a replacement Social Security card, if you
have no changes and your state participates.
Call us
If you don’t have access to the internet, we offer many
automated services by telephone, 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week. Call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 or at our TTY
number, 1-800-325-0778, if you’re deaf or hard of hearing.
A member of our staff can answer your call from 7 a.m. to
7 p.m., Monday through Friday, if you need to speak with
someone. We ask for your patience during busy periods
since you may experience a high rate of busy signals
and longer hold times to speak to us. We look forward to
serving you.

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Schedule an office visit
You can find the closest office location by entering your
ZIP code on our office locator webpage.
If you are bringing documents for us to see, remember
that they must be original or certified copies that are
certified by the issuing agency.

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Social Security Administration | Publication No. 05-10127
ICN 480067 | Unit of Issue — HD (one hundred)
January 2021 (Recycle prior editions)
What Every Woman Should Know
Produced and published at U.S. taxpayer expense