When Social Security was established back in 1935 it was normal for women to reside in home to raise the family. In most families the husband was the higher earner or the only earner in the household. In addition, women statistically outlive men, particularly if the wife is younger compared to the husband.
The combination of lower or no income and a longer life span implied many women found themselves in poverty when their husbands expired, as their husband's Social Security retirement benefits ended at their death. The Social Security Board recognized the problems that women face and have adopted several changes to the system over the years to account for these requirements.
One important amendments to the Social Security system was to permit women to apply for benefits at 62 instead of waiting until 65 under the assumption that they were younger than their spouses and that they would like to retire at the same time.
Then in 1939 two other categories of benefits were included: Social Security survivor benefits and dependent benefits (payable to the spouse and minor children of retired employees).
These changes transformed Social Security from a retirement plan that only paid benefits to retired employees into a family-based program, where spouses and children may receive benefits of retired, disabled or departed workers. This was a tremendous help to women who did not qualify for retirement benefits on their own, or who had much smaller benefits than their spouses.
Today, although it's not strange for women to earn as much or greater than their husbands, they however may take time off to look after families, and they still statistically live longer than their spouses. Similarly, the number of divorced women attaining retirement age is greater than it has ever been. As a result of of this, a number of women still receive Social Security spousal benefits or survivor benefits rather than benefits according to their own work records.
This is why it's important for women - no matter what their relationship status is - to learn the spousal and survivor benefits available to them along with the retirement benefits so they can enjoy the maximum benefits they are entitled to.
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