What are Social Security retirement benefits?

Social Security retirement benefits are paid out of money collected from Social Security taxes on individual paychecks to working taxpayers.[1643] For each year you work and pay Social Security taxes to the government, you earn “credits”—up to 4 per year. Generally, you need 40 credits (10 years of working and paying Social Security taxes) to qualify for retirement benefits.[1644]

  1. 1643

    Also called “FICA” taxes. https://faq.ssa.gov/link/portal/34011/34019/Article/3815/What-are-FICA-and-SECA-taxes. ↑

  2. 1644

    Your Right to Representation (2011) Prison Law Office, http://www.prisonlaw.com/pdfs/BenefitsLetter,Aug2011.pdf; What Prisoners Need to Know, Soc. Sec. Admin., http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10133.pdf. ↑