| When Social Security was established back in 1935 | | | | a retirement program that only paid benefits to |
| it was typical for women to stay home to raise | | | | retired workers into a family-based program, |
| the family. In most families the husband was the | | | | where spouses and children could receive benefits |
| higher earner or the only earner in the family. In | | | | of retired, disabled or deceased workers. This |
| addition, women statistically outlive men, especially | | | | was a tremendous help to women who did not |
| if the wife is younger than the husband. | | | | qualify for retirement benefits on their own, or |
| The combination of lower or no earnings and a | | | | who had significantly smaller benefits than their |
| longer life span meant many women found | | | | spouses. |
| themselves in poverty when their husbands | | | | Today, although it's not uncommon for women to |
| passed away. The Social Security Board | | | | earn as much or more than their husbands, they |
| recognized the challenges that women face and | | | | still may take time off to raise families, and they |
| have implemented several changes to the system | | | | still statistically live longer than their spouses. In |
| over the years to account for these needs. | | | | addition, the number of divorced women reaching |
| One of the first amendments to the Social | | | | retirement age is greater than it has ever been. |
| Security system was to allow women to apply | | | | Because of this, many women still receive Social |
| for benefits at age 62 instead of waiting until 65 | | | | Security spousal benefits or survivor benefits |
| under the assumption that they were younger | | | | instead of benefits based on their own work |
| than their husbands and that they would want to | | | | records. |
| retire at the same time. | | | | Therefore it's important for women - no matter |
| Then in 1939 two new categories of benefits | | | | what their marital status is - to understand the |
| were added to Social Security: dependent benefits | | | | spousal and survivor benefits available to them in |
| (payable to the spouse and minor children of | | | | addition to the retirement benefits so they can |
| retired workers) and survivor benefits. | | | | get the maximum benefits they are entitled to. |
| These changes transformed Social Security from | | | | |