Social Security is primarily for retirement income, but the program also provides disability benefits. But what happens to your family when you're on disability?
In the following video from our Social Security Q&A series, Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool's director of investment planning, answers a question from a Fool reader about whether someone on Social Security disability is also entitled to have a spouse receive benefits. Dan notes that a spouse generally has to wait until age 62 -- the normal early retirement age -- in order to get benefits. But there's an exception to that rule for those who are caring for a child under the age of 16. In general, coordinating your disability benefits with a spouse's benefits can be tricky, but it's worth looking at to maximize your total income.
Have general questions about Social Security? Email them to [email protected], and they might be the subject of a future video!
