Explore the Benefits You May Be Due 


You, or Your Family Members, May Be Eligible for Increased Benefits 
Our mission is to deliver Social Security services that meet the changing needs of the public. It's not unusual for a benefit recipient's circumstances to change after they apply or became eligible for benefits. If you, or a family member, receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income SSI , certain life changes may affect eligibility for an increase in your federal benefits. For example , if your spouse or ex - spouse dies , you may become eligible for a higher Social Security benefit. To find out if you, or a family member, might be eligible for a benefit based on another person s work, or a higher benefit based on your own work , see the information about benefits on the Social Security website. You can also use the Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool BEST to find out if you could get benefits that Social Security administers. Based on your answers to questions , this tool will list benefits for which you might be eligible and tell you more information about how to qualify and apply. The questions and answers below are about a few of the life changes that could possibly increase your benefits. If your spouse or ex - spouse has died , you may be eligible for a higher survivor benefit based on his or her work. The death of an ex - spouse may allow you to be eligible for a higher survivor benefit even if you are already receiving a survivor benefit on another spouse. If you are at least age 65 , you may be eligible for cash benefits on your own record. If you are full retirement age or older , you can work and receive your monthly Social Security benefits, no matter how much you earn. Please review this publication for more information. If your child had enough work credits and was providing at least half of your support , you may be eligible for a higher parent's benefit based on his or her work. If you have worked , you may be eligible for a higher

user: I want to know what kind of benefits I may be able to get

assistant: would you like to know if you or your family are eligible for increased benefits?

user: no 

assistant: Would you like some related information about benefits so you can read more about it on your own time?

user: yes that would help. I need more information about benefits

assistant: Okay, we have the following; Retirement Planner, Disability Planner, and a Survivors ' Planner

user: and I have another question.  can I get benefits because of my ex wife?

assistant: You may may be eligible for a benefit based on a former spouse's work if that marriage lasted 10 years or more .

user: good to know , and do you guys have a number I could call if I can't get online?

assistant: Yes, you can call us toll - free at 1 - 800 - 772 - 1213 .

user: and I want to find out more about being eligible for benefits because of someone else's contributions, so is there something I can look at for that?

assistant: To find out if you might be eligible for a benefit based on another person's work you can view the information about benefits on the Social Security website .You can also use the Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool BEST to find out if you could get benefits that Social Security administers. BEST will take your answers and inform you of what benefits you may be eligible for.

user: and which is more private if I want to do it that way, like if I call will it be private?

assistant: We treat all calls confidentially .