Retirement benefits. Persons who worked and earned even a minimal amount of money during ten different years are entitled to Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. The work doesn't need to have been in consecutive years -- someone who was in and out of the workforce can still qualify if the total is at least ten years.
Social Security retirement benefits for someone first claiming benefits at full retirement age in 2012 can reach about $2,400 per month, but most people's benefits are lower. To find out if someone qualifies for Social Security retirement benefits, and to get an estimate of how much those benefits would be at age 62, at full retirement age, and at age 70, go to the social Security Administration's website, at the Social Security statement page. This official estimate will also tell you how much the other spouse would be entitled to in dependents' or survivors' benefits.
Disability benefits. Someone who's of less than full retirement age but unable to work because of a physical or mental condition may be eligible for disability benefits. These benefits are roughly the same as the amount of retirement benefits the person would be entitled to at full retirement age. If one spouse in a married couple is eligible for disability benefits, the other spouse is eligible for dependents' benefits at age 62.
Disability benefits eligibility requires a certain number of work years and sets rules about what disabled actually means.
- Number of working years required. Someone who became disabled at age 62 or older needs ten years of work to qualify for benefits. If he or she became disabled at a younger age, the work requirement is one year less for each year under age 62.
- Disability defined. To qualify for benefits, a person must have a physical or mental impairment expected to last more than one year. The person must be unable to do not only the work he or she usually did but any "substantial gainful work." If someone has a severe disability included in Social Security's "listed impairments," that person may automatically qualify. If the person's disability is not on this list, Social Security measures substantial gainful work by whether the person could earn more than a specific monthly amount -- in 2012, it's set at $1,010.
To find out more about disability benefits and about how to begin the application process, visit the Social Security website's disability benefits pages.
