- a citizen or a legal resident of the us age 65 or over and qualified for ss or railroad retirement benefits - is 65 years old or over and entitled to monthly ss benefits based upon the spouse's work record - and the spouse is at least 62 - is younger than 65 - but has been entitled to ss disability benefits for 24 months - has end stage renal disease (permanent kidney failure that requires daily dialysis or a transplant) - has als