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About the author
Andy Markowitz is an AARP senior writer and editor covering Social Security and retirement. He is a former editor of the Prague Post and Baltimore City Paper.
Video: How You Can Collect Social Security… If You Didn’t Pay Into It
Social Security is an earned benefit. To collect a monthly retirement benefit, a worker must pay into the system, via Social Security taxes levied on work earnings, for at least 10 years (which do not need to be consecutive). Strict rules ensure that only workers who have met this requirement can collect retirement benefits.
Some workers may qualify for a disability benefit with less work time, depending on their age. But paying at least some Social Security taxes is a prerequisite.
More Ways to Benefit
- Related Benefit 1
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The sole people who can legally collect benefits without paying into Social Security are family members of workers who have paid Social Security taxes. Nonworking spouses, ex-spouses, offspring or parents may be eligible for spousal, survivor or children's benefits based on a qualifying worker’s earnings record.
Keep in mind
- Noncitizens who live and work in the U.S. legally pay into Social Security and qualify for benefits under the same terms as citizens.
- Some undocumented workers do obtain Social Security numbers and pay into the system via payroll taxes, but they are barred from accessing benefits. In 2022, undocumented immigrants paid $25.7 billion into Social Security, according to a July 2024 report from the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
More on Social Security
Eligibility for Social Security Benefits
Collecting Social Security Abroad: Key Facts
Is Social Security just for retired workers?