Glossary of Social Security Disability Law Terms
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Family Benefits
The following people may be eligible to receive benefits on your record:
Spouse if aged 62 or older (unless caring for an entitled child under the age of
16); children, if unmarried and under the age of 18 (or under 19 and still in
school); disabled children over the age of 18; and an ex-spouse in some
circumstances.
Family Maximum
The maximum amount of benefits payable to an entire family on any one
worker's record.
Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA)
The formal name of the funding mechanism for Social Security benefits. It is
a payroll tax that is deducted from the worker’s paycheck and matched by the
employer.
Full Retirement Age
The age at which a person may first become entitled to unreduced retirement
benefits. Beginning with year 2000 for workers and spouses born 1938 or later
and widows/widowers born 1940 or later, the retirement age increases gradually
from age 65 until it reaches age 67 in the year 2022. This increase affects the
amount of the reduction for persons who begin receiving reduced benefits.
