Social Security: the program behind retirement, disability, and survivor benefits
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Key takeaways
Social Security provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefits, funded through payroll tax contributions during working years.
Eligibility depends on accumulating enough work credits, generally requiring around 10 years of qualifying work for retirement benefits.
Immigration status affects both whether someone can work and pay into the system, and eventually, whether they can receive benefits.
Some countries have a totalization agreement with the U.S. that can help combine work history across both countries.
Understanding how a specific work and immigration history builds toward eventual eligibility helps in planning more realistically for the future.
Social Security funds retirement, disability, and survivor benefits built up through working years. Here’s how eligibility actually works.
What is Social Security?
Social Security is a federal program providing retirement, disability, and survivor benefits, funded through payroll tax contributions collected from wages during working years. According to the SSA(opens in new window), credits toward eligibility are earned based on annual earnings, generally needing 40 credits, roughly 10 years of qualifying work, to become eligible for retirement benefits, though different, often lower, credit requirements apply for disability and survivor benefits.
How Social Security eligibility works for immigrants
Immigration status affects Social Security in two connected ways: whether someone is authorized to work and pay into the system in the first place, and eventually, whether they’re eligible to receive benefits based on that work history. Generally, only noncitizens authorized to work in the U.S. can obtain a Social Security number and contribute through payroll tax, and eligibility to eventually receive benefits depends on a combination of accumulated work credits and immigration status at the time of application. For anyone still needing to obtain one, this guide to applying for a Social Security card as a U.S. immigrant(opens in new window) covers the process step by step.
Totalization agreements and work history across countries
The U.S. has entered into Social Security agreements, called totalization agreements, with a number of countries specifically to help workers who’ve split their careers between the U.S. and one of these countries combine work credits from both systems, potentially qualifying for benefits they wouldn’t reach based on either country’s work history alone. Whether this applies to a specific situation depends on whether a home country has such an agreement with the U.S., making it worth checking directly with the SSA for anyone who has worked in more than one country.
What Social Security means for people sending money internationally
Building Social Security eligibility over working years represents long-term financial security that continues to matter even during years when most available income is going toward supporting family abroad, since the credits earned stay on record permanently, regardless of how current income is used.
When to consult a tax professional
Consult the SSA directly, or a professional familiar with cross-border Social Security issues, for anyone who has worked in more than one country and wants to understand whether a totalization agreement could help combine work history toward eligibility. It’s also worth guidance when immigration status has changed over a working history, since this can affect both past contributions and future eligibility to receive benefits.
Why checking your earnings record periodically matters
Errors in reported earnings, whether from an employer typo or a misapplied Social Security number, can reduce an eventual benefit if left uncorrected, and there’s a limited window to fix a specific year’s error once it’s passed. Reviewing a Social Security Statement periodically, rather than waiting until nearing retirement, gives time to catch and correct any mistakes.
Survivor benefits as an often-overlooked piece of the program
Beyond retirement and disability, Social Security also provides survivor benefits to the family of a worker who dies, based on that worker’s accumulated credits, which is worth knowing about even well before retirement age, since it functions as a form of protection for family throughout working years, not just at the end of a career.
Why claiming age affects your monthly benefit amount
Choosing when to start claiming retirement benefits, anywhere from age 62 to 70, significantly affects the monthly amount, since claiming earlier generally means a smaller monthly benefit for a longer expected period, while delaying generally increases the monthly amount, a decision worth planning deliberately rather than defaulting to the earliest eligible age.
Why applying online is generally the fastest path to benefits
Applying for Social Security retirement or disability benefits online, rather than by phone or in person, is generally the fastest path to a decision, since it avoids appointment wait times and allows completing the application at one’s own pace with all documentation in hand.
Common questions about Social Security
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Can I receive Social Security benefits if I return to my home country?
In many cases, yes, though this depends on specific citizenship, the country being moved to, and the type of benefit involved, making it worth confirming the specific situation directly with the SSA before relying on this assumption.
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Do I need to be a U.S. citizen to receive Social Security benefits?
No. Eligibility is based primarily on work history and accumulated credits, not citizenship, though certain rules around receiving benefits while residing outside the U.S. can vary depending on specific citizenship and country of residence.
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How can I check how many Social Security credits I’ve earned?
A free account at the SSA’s website provides access to a personal Social Security Statement, which shows total credits earned, annual earnings history, and an estimate of future benefits based on the current record.
In Summary
Social Security eligibility builds gradually over working years, and understanding how a specific work and immigration history contributes to that eligibility helps in planning more realistically for long-term financial security.
This publication is provided for general information purposes only and is not intended to cover all aspects of the topics discussed herein. This publication is not a substitute for seeking advice from an applicable specialist or professional. The content in this publication does not constitute legal, tax, or other professional advice from Remitly or any of its affiliates and should not be relied upon as such. While we strive to keep our posts up to date and accurate, we cannot represent, warrant, or otherwise guarantee that the content is accurate, complete, or up to date.