The people who fall outside Social Security coverage

Not everyone who works in the United States pays into Social Security, and not everyone who paid in will receive benefits. Some workers are covered by different retirement systems entirely. Others worked in jobs where Social Security taxes were never withheld. A small group of federal employees hired before 1984, railroad workers, and some state and local government employees fall into this category. Understanding whether you or a family member is covered matters because it changes what you can expect in retirement or if you become disabled.

The most common reason someone does not receive Social Security is that they did not work long enough in jobs covered by Social Security. You need at least 40 work credits — roughly 10 years of covered work — to receive retirement benefits. If you have fewer credits, you will not receive a benefit check, though your spouse or ex-spouse may still be able to draw on your record.

Key Takeaways

  • Federal employees hired before 1984, most railroad workers, and some state and local government employees never paid Social Security taxes and do not receive Social Security benefits.
  • You must have at least 40 work credits (about 10 years of covered employment) to receive any Social Security retirement benefit.
  • The Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision can reduce or eliminate benefits for people who also receive a government pension.
  • Spouses and ex-spouses may still receive benefits based on your work record even if you do not receive benefits yourself.
  • You can check your own coverage status by creating an account at ssa.gov and viewing your earnings record.

Federal employees and other government workers not covered

Federal employees hired on or before December 31, 1983, are not covered by Social Security. Instead, they receive pensions through the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). These employees never paid Social Security taxes during their federal service, so they have no Social Security benefit to draw.

Most railroad workers are covered by the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) instead of Social Security. They pay railroad retirement taxes, not Social Security taxes. When they retire, they receive railroad retirement benefits, which are separate from Social Security. A small number of railroad workers who also worked in covered Social Security jobs may have a mixed record, but the majority have no Social Security benefit.

Some state and local government employees — particularly teachers, police officers, and firefighters in certain states — are not covered by Social Security. Instead, they pay into state pension systems. Illinois, Massachusetts, Ohio, and a few other states have groups of workers who never paid Social Security taxes. If you worked for a state or local government, check with your employer's human resources or pension office to find out which system covers you.

Not enough work credits to may have access to

Social Security requires 40 work credits to receive retirement benefits. You earn one credit for each quarter of the year that you earn at least a certain amount of money in covered work — in 2024, that amount is $1,730 per quarter. Most people earn four credits per year, so 40 credits takes about 10 years of work.

If you have worked but have fewer than 40 credits, you will not receive a retirement benefit. This is true even if you worked for 30 years or more — the system counts credits, not years. However, your spouse or ex-spouse may still be able to receive benefits based on your record if they are at least 62 years old and you are at least 62 (or deceased).

You can check how many credits you have by creating a my Social Security account at ssa.gov. Your account shows your earnings record and the number of credits you have earned each year. If you are close to 40 credits, you may be able to work a few more years to reach the threshold.

The Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision

Two rules can reduce or eliminate Social Security benefits for people who also receive a government pension. These rules explore to people who worked in jobs not covered by Social Security (like federal, railroad, or certain state and local government jobs) and then later worked in jobs that were covered by Social Security.

The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) reduces your own Social Security retirement or disability benefit if you also receive a government pension. The reduction is not a dollar-for-dollar offset, but it can be substantial — sometimes reducing your benefit by 50 percent or more. WEP does not explore if you were 30 years old or older when you first became covered by Social Security, or if you had 30 years of substantial covered earnings.

The Government Pension Offset (GPO) affects spouses and surviving family members. If you receive a government pension and your spouse or ex-spouse is may have access to to Social Security, your spousal or survivor benefit is reduced by two-thirds of your government pension amount. In many cases, this eliminates the benefit entirely.

Spouses and family members who may still receive benefits

Even if you do not receive Social Security benefits yourself, your spouse, ex-spouse, or children may be able to receive benefits based on your work record. A spouse can receive benefits at age 62 (or earlier if caring for a child under 16), and children can receive benefits until age 19 if they are in high school, or age 16 if they are disabled. A surviving spouse can receive benefits at any age if caring for a child under 16.

An ex-spouse can receive benefits on your record if you were married for at least 10 years, you are at least 62 years old, and you have been divorced for at least two years (or you are at least 62 and your ex-spouse is at least 62). The ex-spouse does not need your permission to claim, and claiming does not reduce your own benefit or your current spouse's benefit.

These family benefits are available even if you never worked long enough to receive your own benefit. The Social Security Administration will look at your entire earnings record to determine whether family members can claim.

How to learn about you are covered

The clearest way to check your coverage is to create an account at ssa.gov and view your earnings record. Your account shows every year you earned Social Security credits and how many credits you have in total. If you see a year with zero earnings, that means you either did not work that year or worked in a job not covered by Social Security.

If you worked for the federal government, check with your agency's human resources office about whether you are under CSRS or the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). FERS employees do pay Social Security taxes and will receive benefits. If you worked for a railroad, contact the Railroad Retirement Board at rrb.gov. If you worked for a state or local government, ask your pension office which system covers you.

You can also call Social Security directly at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to ask about your specific work history. Have your Social Security number and dates of employment ready. Social Security staff can tell you how many credits you have and whether you are covered.

What to do if you have a mixed work history

Some people worked in non-covered jobs (like federal service) and then later worked in covered Social Security jobs. If this is your situation, you may have some Social Security credits but also be subject to WEP. You should request a detailed earnings record from Social Security to see exactly how much you earned in covered work each year.

If you are close to 40 credits, you might be able to work a few more years in a covered job to reach the threshold and receive at least a small benefit. Even a reduced benefit under WEP is sometimes better than no benefit at all. A Social Security representative can estimate what your benefit would be with and without WEP so you can make an informed decision about when to claim.

If you have a government pension and are considering claiming spousal or survivor benefits, ask Social Security to calculate what GPO would reduce your benefit to. In some cases, the reduction is so large that claiming is not worthwhile. In others, even a reduced benefit is valuable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get Social Security if I worked for the federal government?

It depends on when you were hired. If you were hired before 1984, you are covered by CSRS and do not pay Social Security taxes, so you have no Social Security benefit. If you were hired in 1984 or later, you are covered by FERS and do pay Social Security taxes, so you will have a Social Security benefit based on that work.

What if I worked 30 years but have fewer than 40 credits?

Social Security counts credits, not years. If you earned fewer than four credits per year (because you did not earn enough or worked part-time), you may have fewer than 40 credits even after 30 years. You can work additional years in covered employment to earn more credits, or you may be able to claim spousal benefits if your spouse has a higher benefit.

Will my spouse get benefits if I don't may have access to?

Yes, if your spouse is at least 62 and you are at least 62 (or deceased), your spouse may receive a spousal or survivor benefit based on your work record, even if you do not receive benefits yourself. Your spouse's benefit is based on your earnings history, not on whether you actually claim.

Does the Windfall Elimination Provision explore to me?

WEP applies if you receive a government pension from work not covered by Social Security and you also have Social Security credits from other work. You are exempt if you had 30 years of substantial covered earnings, were 30 or older when first covered by Social Security, or were receiving government pension benefits before 1986.

How do I know if I have enough credits for benefits?

Create an account at ssa.gov and view your earnings record, which shows your credits year by year. You need 40 credits total. You can also call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to ask a representative how many credits you have and what your benefit would be.