Social Security Benefits – Men
Social Security retirement benefits as a worker or spouse of a worker based on age
are first available at age 62 on a reduced basis from the amount available at full
retirement age (aged 65–66 depending on birth year). Eligibility for disabled worker
benefits at any age requires an inability to work, recent employment (generally
half of the last 10 years), and sufficient lifetime employment to be on track for
eligibility for retired worker benefits.
Chart 7a. Percent distribution of men aged 62–64 currently receiving Social Security
benefits, by type of benefit, in December 1984, 1994, and 2004
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Source: Annual Statistical Supplement to the Social Security Bulletin,
1986, 1995, and 2005.
- The percentage of current beneficiary men aged 62–64 receiving
earned worker benefits remained relatively stable over the past two decades. In
1984, 1994, and 2004, about three-quarters of current beneficiary men aged 62–64
collected retired worker benefits (76 percent, 78 percent, and 73 percent, respectively) and slightly less than one-quarter
collected disabled worker benefits (23 percent, 21 percent, and 25 percent, respectively).
- Only 1 percent of current beneficiary men aged 62–64 received
survivor benefits between 1984 and 2004 and less than 1 percent received spouse
benefits.
- More than half of men aged 62–64 collected some type of Social
Security benefit in both 1994 (58 percent) and 2004 (54 percent) (Unpublished analyses
of data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation).