I was arrested on April 2003 for 15 years, Released on April 23, 2018. I have applied at social security on July 2018. I am 74 years old, will I be able to max out with a good amount of money? As of right now I am having a problem getting my social security.

Hi,

If you have at least 40 quarters of Social Security coverage (https://www.ssa.gov/oact/COLA/QC.html) then you should qualify for Social Security retirement benefits. I would have no way of knowing how much you could receive, though, without access you your full yearly earnings history. Your benefit rate will be based on an average of your highest 35 years of wage-indexed earnings (https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10070.pdf), and since you were out of the workforce for an extended period of time your benefit rate may not be as high as you might be anticipating.

Furthermore, if you were incarcerated from age 66 to 70 you would not be due any of the delayed retirement credits that people normally receive for waiting past full retirement age (FRA) to start drawing Social Security retirement benefits. Your benefit rate would be no higher than it would have been if you had started drawing at your FRA of 66. And, you couldn't be paid back pay for any months that you were incarcerated. If you were released on April 23 2018, the first month for which you could be paid benefits is May 2018.

Best, Jerry