Claims that illegal immigrants are collecting Social Security benefits even to the extent of causing the trust insolvency are nonsense.
What is true is that undocumented workers, about 5% of the workforce, pay FICA taxes, annually contributing about $25 billion into SS and about $6 billion in Medicare taxes (including employer share)
To collect Social Security retirement benefits, you generally need to meet these key requirements (based on official SSA rules):
1. Earn Enough Work Credits
• You must accumulate 40 credits (roughly 10 years of work covered by Social Security taxes). This applies if you were born in 1929 or later.
• You earn up to 4 credits per year. In 2026, one credit requires $1,890 in covered earnings (wages or self-employment income subject to Social Security taxes). To max out 4 credits in a year, you need at least $7,560.
• Credits stay on your record even if you stop working. The exact number of credits needed can differ for disability or survivor benefits.
2. Reach the Minimum Age
• You can start receiving benefits as early as age 62 (you must be 62 for the entire month).
3. Other Factors That Affect Eligibility and Amount
• Your benefit is based on your lifetime earnings (highest 35 years, adjusted for inflation). Higher lifetime earnings = higher benefit.
• Spousal, survivor, or disability benefits have separate rules (e.g., spouses may qualify on your record even with fewer credits).
• U.S. citizenship or lawful alien status is required for most benefits.
Documents and Information You’ll Need to Apply
Gather these (originals or certified copies for most; photocopies OK for some like W-2s):
• Your Social Security number (or card).
• Birth certificate or other proof of age (original or certified copy required).
• If not born in the U.S.: Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful alien status (original/certified; no expired documents).
• W-2 forms or self-employment tax return for the previous year (photocopy OK).
• If you served in the U.S. military before 1968: Discharge papers (photocopy OK).
• For spousal or family benefits: Spouse’s/children’s SSNs and birth certificates.
• Bank details (routing and account number) for direct deposit.
• If applicable: Marriage/divorce records or other details.
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 
Al Lindquist:
Good stuff Jack–the lawn service was just here so how would I know if he was legal or not? He works for a firm and I assume he needs a SS# to be employed–what if it is a stolen or fake #? if all these working illegals are paying SS I assume they will be collecting benefits–do businesses check SS# for new hires?
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I don’t think this is a big issue, however, I don’t think Social Security checked my citizenship as part of my benefit claim (or than of my spouse) we both got our SSN’s prior to 1972.
Nonetheless, we really should be able to confirm who is a citizen and who isn’t – before we allow individuals to work, to vote, etc.
Try that in any other country, and you will find that the United States is a laggard.
Never forget my two temporary work trips to Canada – they wanted to be sure I had permission to work, even for just a few weeks, and that I wasn’t taking a job some Canadian could have done.
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Why assume that? To collect as a foreign born person you need:
Proof of Age
The SSA prefers an original Birth Certificate from your country of birth. If you cannot obtain one within 10 business days, they may accept:
An unexpired foreign passport.
A religious record of birth established before age 5.
A final adoption decree.
2. Proof of Identity
You must provide a document that is current (not expired) and shows your legal name and a photograph. Common examples include:
A U.S. Driver’s license.
A State-issued non-driver identity card.
An unexpired foreign passport.
3. Proof of Citizenship or Lawful Status
This is the most critical part for foreign-born applicants. You must prove you are either a U.S. citizen or a “qualified alien” authorized to work.
If you are now a U.S. Citizen:
Certificate of Naturalization (N-550/N-570).
Certificate of Citizenship (N-560/N-561).
U.S. Passport.
Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240).
If you are a Non-Citizen:
Permanent Resident Card (Green Card, Form I-551).
Arrival/Departure Record (Form I-94) with an unexpired foreign passport.
Employment Authorization Document (Work Permit, Form I-766).
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As you say: “U.S. citizenship or lawful alien status is required for most benefits.”
So, how accurate are the Social Security Administration’s records regarding citizenship?
The idiot ass Trump Administration has a new policy allowing Homeland Security to access Social Security records to confirm citizenship. States have access for this purpose.
However, Social Security data don’t have complete or up-to-date citizenship information.
DHS itself recently acknowledged that using SSA data to validate voters’ citizenship status “may produce inaccurate results” that current procedures can’t necessarily correct.
For people not receiving Social Security benefits, SSA has long stated that its citizenship data are incomplete, can be outdated, and “do not provide definitive information on U.S. citizenship.”
While SSA data can be helpful in proving that someone is a citizen — for example, to meet Medicaid’s citizenship requirements — the data have several well-known shortcomings in proving that someone isn’t a citizen.
A 2006 SSA audit estimated that nearly 18 million records in which a person’s citizenship was indicated contained incorrect information. And elsewhere SSA reported that about a quarter of its records don’t have an indication of citizenship at all. That’s because the database of SSNs was designed to provide the information needed to accurately administer Social Security — not to form part of a national citizenship registry. As a result, SSA doesn’t have complete data even on native-born citizens.
For SSNs issued before 1972, SSA didn’t require evidence of citizenship, and SSA didn’t consistently collect citizenship information until 1981.
So, how many non-citizens are claiming Social Security benefits? If you ask the Social Security Administration, given the accuracy of their records, they can’t confirm one way or another.
Prove to me that so few non-citizens are claiming Social Security, that it is “nonsense”.
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