Women Newly Entitled to Retired-Worker *.. Benefits: Survey of New Beneficiaries

Harried and formerly married women account for 90 percent of all women entering the retiredworker rolls, reflecting the &ing employment rate of marr2ed women. Since World War II the majorit?! of married women claim early retirement benefits, often citing volundary reasons for leaving their jobs. They account for a large proportion of beneficiarZe8 with min4mum benefits but include many whose benefit amounts (n&ate they made signQ?cant contributions to their families’ incomes. Xonmarried women are as likely as men to claim earlv benefits and for similar rcasona. Women who continue working to supplement benefits usually have low social seourity benefits, rarely have second pensions, and include a disproportionate share of formerly married and Negro women. These findings are from the Social Security Administration’a Survey of Newly Entitled Beneflciuries, designed to find out why Czclividuala claim benefits when they do.