Hi Larry,
I was married to my first husband for19 years. He inherited a large trust fund (20 million) just after we married. he never worked after that so during our entire marriage it is my understanding that he never paid into social security. I was a stay at home mom. I am divorced and turning 65 in Dec. Are there any SS benefits for me?

Thank you

Hi,

You can't collect Social Security benefits unless either you paid into Social Security long enough to be insured for benefits, or if you qualify for auxiliary or survivor benefits on the record of a spouse, ex-spouse, parent or child. If neither you or your ex-spouse have at least 40 quarters (QC) of Social Security covered earnings, then you probably wouldn't be eligible for Social Security benefits. But, if you were financially dependent on a child of yours who is now deceased, then you may qualify for parent's benefits (https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/handbook/handbook.04/handbook-0421.html). Or, if you've been disabled since before you turned age 22, then you may be able to qualify for disabled adult child's benefits (https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/handbook/handbook.04/handbook-0410.html).

Unless you're certain that neither you or your ex-spouse has at least 40 QCs, you should probably at least contact Social Security to find out about possible benefit eligibility. Only Social Security has access to the information needed to determine whether or not you qualify for benefits. Even if you don't qualify for Social Security benefits, though, if you're a U.S. citizen or if you've been legally admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence for at least the last 5 years, you'll likely be eligible for Medicare coverage when you reach age 65. You'd need to file an application if you want to enroll in Medicare, though. If you want Part A Medicare coverage and if you aren't eligible for Social Security benefits, you'd need to pay a monthly premium for that coverage. You'd also have to pay a monthly premium to enroll in Part B of Medicare, but that would be true even if you qualify for Social Security benefits.

Best, Jerry