Retirement

The lump-sum death benefit of $255 is payable upon the death of a person who has worked long enough to be insured under Social Security. The one-time lump-sum death payment of $255 is payable to a surviving spouse if he or she was living with the deceased; or, if living apart, was receiving certain Social Security benefits on the deceased person's record; or If there is no surviving spouse, a child who is eligible for benefits on the deceased person's record in the month of death.
If no spouse or child meeting these requirements exists, the lump-sum death payment will not be paid.
The lump-sum death payment cannot be paid to funeral homes or estates for funeral expenses. To file for the benefit, call 1-800-772-1213.
You must file the application for the lump-sum death payment within the two-year period ending with the second anniversary of the insured person's death.

You can go to the SSA website at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/AdultListings.htm or get the SSA Publication.
Disability Evaluation Under Social Security (SSA Pub. No. 64-039) contains the medical criteria that Social Security uses to determine disability. It is intended primarily for physicians and other health professionals.
You can fax a request to the Social Security Administartion Fax Number, 410-965-0696. You can also write or call: Social Security Administration Public Information Distribution Center P.O. Box 17743 Baltimore, MD 21235-6401 Phone 410-965-0945.

Unless you are disabled, you are not eligible for monthly survivors benefits based on your husband's earnings record until you reach the age of 60.
At that age, your benefit would be about 71.5% of your husband's basic benefit amount.
If you wait until you reach your full retirement age, you will receive 100% of his amount. Disabled widows or widowers can receive benefits as early as age 50.

If you receive Social Security Disability benefits, you will become eligible for Medicare after the date Social Security decides your disability began. Speak to the Medicare Administration via e-mail at www.hcfa.gov. There also is a Medicare website at www.medicare.gov. for more details.

If you qualify, you will continue to receive your social security Disability benefits as long as your condition keeps you from working. Your case will be reviewed periodically to see if there has been any improvement in your condition and whether you are still eligible for benefits. If you are still disabled when you reach full retirement age, your disability benefit will be automatically converted to a retirement benefit of the same amount.

Generally, if your retirement pension is from work where you also paid Social Security taxes, it will not affect your Social Security benefit. Pensions based on work that is not covered by Social Security such as the federal civil service and some state, local, or foreign government systems probably will reduce the amount of your Social Security benefit. Speak to your local CPA or the Social Security Administration for more details.

If you and your wife both worked and contributed to Social Security then you can each get your own benefits or she can get half the amount of yours, whichever is greater.
If your wife's own benefit is more than one half of your amount, you will each get your own benefit.,
If your wife's own benefit were less than half of yours she would receive her amount plus enough on your record to bring it up to the half amount.

For most current and future retirees, the social security administration will average your 35 highest years of earnings. Years in which you have low earnings or no earnings may be counted to bring the total years of earnings up to 35.
The Social Security administration has a Benefits Planner which is located at http://www.ssa.gov. The planner is divided into 4 sections including retirement, disability, survivors and calculators. Employees can determine their own social security benefit by using the calculate section.

If you are under full retirement age for the entire year, SSA deducts $1 from your benefit payments for every $2 you earn above the annual limit. For 2013, that limit is $15,120. In the year you reach full retirement age, SSA deducts $1 in benefits for every $3 you earn above a different limit, but we only count earnings before the month you reach your full retirement age. If you will reach full retirement age in 2013, the limit on your earnings for the months before full retirement age is $40,080. (If you were born in 1943 - 1954, your full retirement age is 66 years.).
If you were born in 1960 or later your full retirement age is 67.
Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, you can get your benefits with no limit on your earnings.