If they reside in a nation where US checks can be sent, eligible US residents may continue to receive Social Security benefits.
The same rule applies to non-US nationals who can demonstrate that they were legally present in the country for at least 30 days.
Conditions For Continuous Social Security Benefits
However, your payments will stop after you have been outside the US for six full calendar months if you are not a US citizen or you do not meet one of the requirements for continuous payments.
After this occurs, we are unable to resume your benefits until you return and remain in the country for a complete calendar month, according to a statement from the Social Security Administration.
The first minute of any month’s first day must be spent in the United States, and you must remain there until the last minute of the final day of that month.
We might also ask you to provide documentation demonstrating your legal presence in the US over the whole month.
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Higher Monthly Payment
However, you can start receiving benefits as early as age 62, or you can wait to file until age 70 for a larger monthly check.
In fact, beyond age 70, you are not even required to file for Social Security. There just isn’t any financial need to file later than that.
You should now be aware that depending on your individual earnings history, once you reach full retirement age, you are entitled to receive your entire monthly Social Security payment. For those who were born in 1960 or after, that age is 67.
A reduced monthly payout for life is accepted if you apply for retirement before the full retirement age. However, the sooner you file, the bigger the reduction to your monthly benefit will be.
As a result, if you enroll at 62, you would forfeit 30% of the benefits you would have gotten at 67, the full retirement age. You will only lose 20% of your monthly benefit if you file at 64.
Clearly, there is a financial risk associated with permanently decreasing your Social Security payout. But, despite that hit, there are a few reasons to receive benefits early.