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SSA logo: link to Social Security Online home  BENEFITS AT AGE 72 FOR CERTAIN UNINSURED INDIVIDUALS[259]

Eligibility

SEC. 228. [42 U.S.C. 428] (a) Every individual who—

(1) has attained the age of 72,
(2)(A) attained such age before 1968, or (B) (i) attained such age after 1967 and before 1972, and (ii) has not less than 3 quarters of coverage, whenever acquired, for each calendar year elapsing after 1966 and before the year in which he or she attained such age,
(3) is a resident of the United States (as defined in subsection (e)), and is (A) a citizen of the United States or (B) an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence who has resided in the United States (as defined in section 210(i)) continuously during the 5 years immediately preceding the month in which he or she files application under this section, and
(4) has filed application for benefits under this section,

shall (subject to the limitations in this section) be entitled to a benefit under this section for each month beginning with the first month after September 1966 in which he or she becomes so entitled to such benefits and ending with the month preceding the month in which he or she dies. No application under this section which is filed by an individual more than 3 months before the first month in which he or she meets the requirements of paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) shall be accepted as an application for purposes of this section.

Benefit Amount

(b) The benefit amount to which an individual is entitled under this section for any month shall be the larger of $64.40 or the amount most recently established in lieu thereof under section 215(i).

Reduction for Governmental Pension System Benefits

(c)(1) The benefit amount of any individual under this section for any month shall be reduced (but not below zero) by the amount of any periodic benefit under a governmental pension system for which he or she is eligible for such month.

(2) In the case of a husband and wife only one of whom is entitled to benefits under this section for any month, the benefit amount, after any reduction under paragraph (1), shall be further reduced (but not below zero) by the excess (if any) of (A) the total amount of any periodic benefits under governmental pension systems for which the spouse who is not entitled to benefits under this section is eligible for such month, over (B) the benefit amount as determined without regard to this subsection.
(3) In the case of a husband or wife both of whom are entitled to benefits under this section for any month, the benefit amount of each spouse, after any reduction under paragraph (1), shall be further reduced (but not below zero) by the excess (if any) of (A) the total amount of any periodic benefits under governmental pension systems for which the other spouse is eligible for such month, over (B) the benefit amount of such other spouse as determined without regard to this subsection.
(4) For purposes of this subsection, in determining whether an individual is eligible for periodic benefits under a governmental pension system—
(A) such individual shall be deemed to have filed application for such benefits,
(B) to the extent that entitlement depends on an application by such individual's spouse, such spouse shall be deemed to have filed application, and
(C) to the extent that entitlement depends on such individual or his or her spouse having retired, such individual and his or her spouse shall be deemed to have retired before the month for which the determination of eligibility is being made.
(5) For purposes of this subsection, if any periodic benefit is payable on any basis other than a calendar month, the Commissioner of Social Security shall allocate the amount of such benefit to the appropriate calendar months.
(6) If, under the foregoing provisions of this section, the amount payable for any month would be less than $1, such amount shall be reduced to zero. In the case of a husband and wife both of whom are entitled to benefits under this section for the month, the preceding sentence shall be applied with respect to the aggregate amount so payable for such month.
(7) If any benefit amount computed under the foregoing provisions of this section is not a multiple of $0.10, it shall be raised to the next higher multiple of $0.10.
(8) Under regulations prescribed by the Commissioner of Social Security, benefit payments under this section to an individual (or aggregate benefit payments under this section in the case of a husband and wife) of less than $5 may be accumulated until they equal or exceed $5.

Suspension for Months in Which Cash Payments Are Made Under Public Assistance

(d) The benefit to which any individual is entitled under this section for any month shall not be paid for such month if—

(1) such individual receives aid or assistance in the form of money payments in such month under a State plan approved under title I, X, XIV, or XVI, or under a State program funded under part A of title IV, or
(2) such individual's husband or wife receives such aid or assistance in such month, and under the State plan the needs of such individual were taken into account in determining eligibility for (or amount of) such aid or assistance,

unless the State agency administering or supervising the administration of such plan notifies the Commissioner of Social Security, at such time and in such manner as may be prescribed in accordance with regulations of the Commissioner of Social Security, that such payments to such individual (or such individual's husband or wife) under such plan are being terminated with the payment or payments made in such month and such individual is not an individual with respect to whom supplemental security income benefits are payable pursuant to title XVI or section 211 of Public Law 93-66 for the following month, nor shall such benefit be paid for such month if such individual is an individual with respect to whom supplemental security income benefits are payable pursuant to title XVI or section 211 of Public Law 93-66 for such month, unless the Commissioner of Social Security determines that such benefits are not payable with respect to such individual for the month following such month.

Suspension Where Individual Is Residing Outside the United States

(e) The benefit to which any individual is entitled under this section for any month shall not be paid if, during such month, such individual is not a resident of the United States. For purposes of this subsection, the term “United States” means the 50 States and the District of Columbia.

Treatment as Monthly Insurance Benefits

(f) For purposes of subsections (t) and (u) of section 202, and of section 1840, a monthly benefit under this section shall be treated as a monthly insurance benefit payable under section 202.

Annual Reimbursement of Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund

(g) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1969, and for each fiscal year thereafter, such sums as the Commissioner of Social Security deems necessary on account of—

(1) payments made under this section during the second preceding fiscal year and all fiscal years prior thereto to individuals who, as of the beginning of the calendar year in which falls the month for which payment was made, had less than 3 quarters of coverage,
(2) the additional administrative expenses resulting from the payments described in paragraph (1), and
(3) any loss in interest to such Trust Fund resulting from such payments and expenses,

in order to place such Trust Fund in the same position at the end of such fiscal year as it would have been in if such payments had not been made.

Definitions

(h) For purposes of this section—

(1) The term “quarter of coverage” includes a quarter of coverage as defined in section 5(l) of the Railroad Retirement Act of 1937[260].
(2) The term “governmental pension system” means the insurance system established by this title or any other system or fund established by the United States, a State, any political subdivision of a State, or any wholly owned instrumentality of any one or more of the foregoing which provides for payment of (A) pensions, (B) retirement or retired pay, or (C) annuities or similar amounts payable on account of personal services performed by any individual (not including any payment under any workmen's compensation law or any payment by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs as compensation for service-connected disability or death).
(3) The term “periodic benefit” includes a benefit payable in a lump sum if it is a commutation of, or a substitute for, periodic payments.
(4) The determination of whether an individual is a husband or wife for any month shall be made under subsection (h) of section 216 without regard to subsections (b) and (f) of section 216.

[259] See Vol. II, Appendices, Cost-of-Living Increase and Other Determinations, with respect to flat-rate benefits at age 72 for certain uninsured persons.

See Vol. II, P.L. 98-21, §305(e), with respect to changes in payment amounts under this section.

[260] P.L. 75-162. P.L. 93-445, §101, amended the Railroad Retirement Act of 1937 in its entirety, effective January 1, 1975. See Vol. II, P.L. 75-162, §2, instead.