Five Reasons You May Not Receive Social Security Benefits – Will You Miss Up To $4,194?

Social Security is a program that retirees depend on for a portion of their income — but not everyone is eligible for benefits.

Last year, the Social Security Administration estimated that an average of 65 million Americans would receive benefits.

1

Of course, Social Security isn’t meant to replace all of your preretirement income.

In fact, the program accounts for only about 30% of older people’s income.

Once you turn 62, you can begin making Social Security claims.

However, not everyone will be entitled to benefits.

In 2022, the maximum Social Security payment is $4,194. It is therefore possible that you could lose out on benefits if you fall under one of the following scenarios.

1. You have moved overseas to a certain country

In general, if you move abroad to retire, you can receive social security benefits.

You have to follow certain rules, but at least two countries have restrictions on receiving Social Security benefits: Cuba and North Korea.

SSA also cannot transfer benefits if you have moved to the following countries:

• Azerbaijan
• Belarus
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Moldova
• Tajikistan
• Turkmenistan
• Uzbekistan

However, there are some exceptions that you must meet if you happen to live in one of these countries.

If you don’t qualify, in most cases you can claim all of your unpaid benefits once you return to the United States.

2. You are not entitled to a spouse’s allowance

Spouse benefits can be up to half of your partner’s benefits.

In other words, if your partner’s benefit is $1,500, you could qualify for $750.

There are certain instances where you may not be entitled to spousal benefits

This also applies if you have not been married for at least 10 years or have remarried.

If you remarry, you will not be eligible for ex-spousal benefits.

You can qualify for your new partner’s record.

3. You haven’t worked enough

You must have some type of work experience to apply for Social Security benefits.

If you were born in 1929 or later, the SSA requires you have 40 credits or worked at least 10 years to qualify for Social Security benefits.

Ideally, you have at least 35 years of professional experience.

This is because zeros are averaged into your calculation for each year that you miss your income below this threshold.

4. You work while you claim

One downside to applying for Social Security before your full retirement age is that your benefits will be cut if you make too much money while working.

Your full retirement age could be 66 or 67, depending on what year you were born.

If your income is $19,560 or more In 2022, SSA will withhold $1 for every $2 you earn over the limit.

In the year of your full retirement age, SSA deducts $1 for every $3 you earn above $51,960.

The deductions will then stop once you reach your full retirement age.

5. You were a federal or railroad employee

Some workers who have contributed to other pension schemes may not be eligible for Social Security benefits.

This includes federal and railroad employees who may be covered by the Federal Employee Pension Scheme and the Railroad Pension Act, respectively.

For more related stories, see Why Millions of Retirees Will Get Fewer Benefits This Year.

We also explain why it makes sense to start receiving benefits at 70.

We’re also sharing the exact dates that Social Security, SSI, and SSDI will be paid each month in 2022.