Financial Questions Couples Should Ask

I worked long ago and then stayed home with the children. I had planned to go back to work when the kids got a little older, but our one child got very ill for many years and I became her full time caretaker. I guess the stress of all of that took its toll on me and shortly after getting her back on her feet, I went down the dumper and have not been able to take care of my self, my house or my family for some time now. I am chronically ill and can't collect disability because I didn't work at a paying job and now the plan to work so I could collect Social Security at retirement age seems to be lost too. I don't have enough quarters to collect from before the kids and according to the local Social Security office I will not be eligible to collect under my husbands which I thought used to be the case. Does anyone know the rules? Is there any way I can collect Social Security if I can't get well long enough to get back to work?

Sandy of NJ 4:03PM September 11, 2008