ABA Family Legal Guide

The Rights of Older Americans

Social Security and Supplemental Security Income

Who qualifies for Social Security?

Individuals must meet two fundamental qualifications to collect Social Security benefits:

1. A worker must be "insured" under Social Security. The simplest rule of thumb is that ten years of work in covered employment will insure a worker fully for life. However, there are alternative measures of insured status that enable many workers with less than ten years of covered employment to be eligible, too.

2. A worker must meet the status requirement for the particular benefit (for example, age, disability, dependency on a worker, or survivorship).