Feb
14
2012
By Guest (not verified)
In my state, state employees do not pay into social security, there fore I may not meet the eligibilty requirements to draw social security retirement benefits.
My husband passed away over a year ago, and was employed up until the time of his death.
Am I eligible to draw social security retirement benefits from my husbands social security? Even though he never "retired"?
Survivor benefits as a spouse working for the state government
If you are the widow or widower of a person who worked long enough under Social Security, you can receive full benefits at full retirement age for survivors or reduced benefits as early as age 60. If you delay initiation of survivor benefits to full retirement age, you will increase your monthly benefit.
http://www.ssa.gov/survivorplan/ifyou2.htm
However, if you receive a pension from a federal, state or local government based on work where you did not pay Social Security taxes, your Social Security widow’s or widower’s benefits may be reduced through something called the Government Pension Offset.
http://www.ssa.gov/gpo-wep/