SOCIAL SECURITY Q & amp; A

Q: I am 66 years old and currently collecting Social Security benefits. My ex-husband will be 62 next month. Will I be eligible to collect on his Social Security when he turns 62? We were married for 18 years. We divorced 10 years ago, and I have not remarried.
A: Once your ex-husband turns 62, we could pay you divorced wife's benefits on his record if it pays you more than you're already getting on your own record. Depending on when you started taking your own Social Security, you would be due between about one-third and one-half of your ex's Social Security. Again, if that's less than you're already getting, then there is nothing you can get on his record now.
Q: I am 63 years old and disabled. During my lifetime, I have had four back surgeries and want to know if I can get disability benefits under Social Security. Would that be more than I can draw on my regular Social Security benefits?
A: If you have worked and paid Social Security taxes for a sufficient length of time, and if your disability is severe enough, then you could be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. And, yes, at your current age, the disability benefit would be slightly higher than your retirement benefit. Call (800) 772-1213 (TTY: 800-325-0778) to make an appointment to apply for benefits.
Q: Sometimes I hear the term "FICA" in connection with Social Security. What's FICA?
A: Social Security payroll taxes are collected under authority of the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA). The payroll taxes are sometimes even called "FICA taxes." But the term is gradually going out of use. More and more employers now list the taxes in a box more clearly identified as "Social Security Taxes."
Q: I am 55 years old and starting to think seriously about Social Security. How do I arrange for my highest salary years to be factored into my Social Security benefits so I get the highest rate I am due?
A: You don't have to arrange anything. We automatically base your Social Security benefit on your highest 35 years of income. You can check your Social Security Statement that we send you each year to make sure the earnings posted to your Social Security record are accurate, which then would translate into the highest Social Security benefit you are due.
Q: I am 56 years old and have just been approved for an SSI disability check. I thought there would also be a payment for my wife and child, but there is not. My wife is age 46 and our child is 14. How do I get their SSI checks started?
A: The SSI program does not pay benefits to dependent spouses or children. If your wife and child also have disabilities, they could apply for their own SSI payments. But if they are not disabled, then you are getting all the money you are due from the SSI program. Your local Social Security office can refer you to other community agencies that might be able to help you and your family.
Q: My father died in 1998, and I heard that someone besides my mother (his wife) applied for Social Security survivor benefits. Is there any way to find out who applied?
A: No. Privacy laws prevent us from disclosing any information to you about benefits we are paying on your father's Social Security record. But we would not be paying any benefits unless the person was able to prove he or she was eligible for them. The only benefits payable would be to a widow or child. So if someone is getting benefits, that person provided us with legal evidence that she was your father's wife (or ex-wife) or that he or she is your father's minor child.
XThis column was prepared by the Social Security Administration. For answers to specific Social Security questions, contact Social Security toll-free at (800) 772-1213.
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