While I am in TX, my question is about a friend's caregiver who has about 30 SS quarters, but spent 10 years caring for a retired/disabled military AF Colonel. When he died, she now finds herself nearly destitute and with no benefits. Any advice? She lives in Georgia outside of Atlanta. She has applied for Medicaid without success.

Hi,

I can't be of much help without knowing the person's age, marital history and other information. If she is age 62 or older she would need at least 40 quarters of coverage to be eligible for Social Security benefits on her own record, but if she is younger and disabled she may qualify for disability benefits with fewer quarters. And if she is married or a widow or she was married to someone for at least 10 years or more, she may qualify for benefits on their record depending on her age and whether or not she is disabled.

For general information about the various types of Social Security benefits, you may want to try perusing this Social Security publication: https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10024.pdf.

Best, Jerry