social security, etc

[giraffemd 0]

Hi all

If you are a permanent resident and you work your required 40 quarters, are you eligible to collect social security and are you eligible for medicare, or do you have to become a citizen to receive these benifits?

Thanks

[hapycloud 0]

Hi all

If you are a permanent resident and you work your required 40 quarters, are you eligible to collect social security and are you eligible for medicare, or do you have to become a citizen to receive these benifits?

Thanks

Once you have 40 quarters you will be eligible for retirement at age 62 under your own Social Security work history, you will also be eligible for Medicare at age 65. You do not have to be a US citizen to receive these benefits, just lawfully permitted in the United States. However, you do not have to have your own work history (40 quarters) to be eligible for Social Security, at age 62 if your spouse is collecting Social Security under their work record than you can file under their work history and receive what is called a spousal benefit.

Rules are completely different for Disability benefits. For disability you have to have work 5 out of the last 10 years and be found medically disabled under the terms of the law. For Medicare under disability you have to have been established as disabled for 2 years before you are eligible for Medicare benefits. You can not collect a disability benefit under your spouses earnings record unless you are age 50 and your spouse is deceased.

I hope this helps you.

[giraffemd 0]

thanks so much...very helpful...just trying to decide if naturalization is right for me.