"How many individuals, who have never paid one cent into the Social Security Fund, are receiving checks?"

If you have never paid a cent into Social Security, you cannot collect a check, except in some rare cases, such as survivor’s benefits.

If a person who has worked and paid Social Security taxes passes away, certain members of the family may receive benefits. Again, eligibility for the benefits depends on how many years the deceased had worked and how old he or she was.

Widows or widowers may receive full benefits at full retirement age or reduced benefits. Disabled widows or widowers may receive benefits as early as age 50 or if he or she is the caretaker of a deceased beneficiary’s minor child. There are several other such allowances.

According to the Congressional Research Service, as of December 2009, 52.2 million people received Social Security benefits. 64 percent of those beneficiaries were retired workers, 15 percent were disabled workers and 21 percent were survivors or the spouses and children of retired or disabled workers.

http://www.congress.org/news/2011/04/18 ... l_security