When Social Security was launched back in 1935 it was typical for women to stay home to raise the family. In most families the husband was the major earner or the only earner in the household. Furthermore, women statistically outlive men, particularly if the wife is younger compared to the husband.

The coincidence of lower or no earnings and a longer life span meant many women found themselves in poverty at the time their husbands expired, as their husband's Social Security retirement benefits expired at their death. The Social Security Board identified the problems that women face and have employed several adjustments to the system over the years to account for these needs.

One of the first amendments to the Social Security system was to permit women to apply for benefits at 62 in place of waiting until 65 under the idea that they were younger than their spouses and that they would like to retire simultaneously.

Then in 1939 two new categories of benefits were added: Social Security survivor benefits and dependent benefits (payable to the spouse and minor kids of retired employees).

These modifications converted Social Security from a retirement plan that only paid benefits to retired employees into a family-based system, where spouses and children could receive benefits of retired, disabled or deceased workers. This was a tremendous help to women who were not eligible for retirement benefits on their own, or who had much smaller benefits than their husbands.

Today, although it's not strange for women to earn as much or greater than their spouses, they still may take time off to raise families, and they still statistically live longer than their spouses. Similarly, the number of divorced women attaining retirement age is higher than it has ever been. As a result of of this, a lot of women still get Social Security spousal benefits or survivor benefits instead of benefits based on their own work period.

This is why it's necessary for women - no matter what their relationship status is - to learn the spousal and survivor benefits open to them in addition to the retirement benefits so they can get the maximum benefits they are eligible to.

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