Do You Qualify for Social Security Spouse’s Benefits?
Reading Time: 3 MinutesLast Updated: July 15, 2024
Social Security benefits are a crucial part of the retirement income for millions of Americans.
If you don’t have enough Social Security credits to get benefits on your own work record or your own benefit is small, you may be able to receive benefits as a spouse. Your spouse must be receiving benefits for you to get benefits on their work record. If your spouse does not receive retirement or disability, you’ll have to wait to apply on your spouse’s record.
In addition, to be eligible for spouse’s benefits, you must be one of the following:
- 62 years of age or older.
- Any age if you have a child who is younger than 16 in your care or has a disability and is entitled to benefits on your spouse’s record.
How the spouse’s benefit is determined
Your full spouse’s benefit could be up to one-half the amount your spouse is eligible to receive at their full retirement age. If you choose to receive your spouse’s benefits before you reach full retirement age, your payment will be permanently reduced.
Your spouse may have postponed or plan to postpone their retirement to increase their monthly benefit amount by earning delayed retirement credits. However, your maximum spouse’s benefit remains 50% of their full retirement age benefit, not their higher amount including delayed retirement credits. (Your benefit as a surviving spouse would be based on the higher amount.)
If you wait until you reach full retirement age to receive benefits, you’ll receive your full spouse’s benefit amount. You may also get your full spouse’s benefit if you are under full retirement age, but care for a child and one of the following applies:
- The child is younger than age 16.
- The child has a disability and is entitled to benefits on your spouse’s record.
Payments to family members do not decrease your spouse’s retirement or disability benefit.
If you get retirement and spouse’s benefits
If you’re eligible for retirement and spouse’s benefits, you must apply for both, and you’ll receive a combined benefit equaling the higher spouse’s amount.
This requirement is called “deemed filing” because when you apply for one benefit you are “deemed” to have applied for the other benefit.
If you receive retirement on your own record, we will pay that amount first. If your benefits as a spouse are higher than your own benefit, you will get a combination of benefits that equals the higher spouse’s benefit.
Consider this example: Sandy is eligible for a monthly retirement benefit of $1,000 and a spouse’s benefit of $1,250. If she waits for Social Security until her full retirement age, she will receive her own $1,000 retirement benefit. We will add $250 from her spouse’s benefit, for a total of $1,250 a month. Sandy only gets an additional spouse’s benefit because her own benefit is less than half her spouse’s full retirement age benefit.
How to apply online
Want to apply for your retirement or your spouse’s benefit or both? Are you at least 61 years and 9 months old? If you answered yes, visit our website to get started today. If you and your spouse both have a personal my Social Security account, you can view an estimate of the benefits you could receive based on your spouse’s record.
Divorced spouses can get benefits, too
Are you divorced from a marriage that lasted at least 10 years? You may be able to get benefits on your former spouse’s record. Our rules for divorced spouse’s benefits are slightly different. You can find out more by visiting our Family benefits page.
For more information about spouse’s benefits, please read our Retirement Benefits publication.
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Tags: General Information, retirement benefits, Social Security benefits
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Dawn Bystry, Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
Deputy Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
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Rose s.
I am curious and confused on the determination of how Social Security is dispersed, especially since I pay into Social Security, and have my whole life. I personally was married for almost 12 years and unfortunately my husband passed away. Since he passed at a young age, and I am not at retirement age I do not qualify for survivor benefits. Until I am retired and not remarried until later 60s. At that point in time I will qualify for survivor benefits based upon his work history.
Yet, if you were married for 10 years and got divorced individuals qualify for the expenses benefits.
This confuses me, as I feel personally, an individual who lost their spouse of almost 12 years and no other financial support cannot get survival benefits until retirement age, and not remarried. While divorces can be in a whole new relationship and receive benefits from their their expose that is still living. While they financially supported by their new significant other.
this is hard for me to wrap my head around where someone has support and offered more financial support. Then you have someone that is almost penalized because they’re not at full Social Security age, but married over 10 years. Also not being able to remarry until they’re 60s. Where the reason is in my eyes because they’re financially being taken care of another. It seems very contradicting to me that a spouse can collect but not myself a widow, because I’m not full of retirement age, and still unmarried. Not that I plan on getting married because that was a love of my life. I just don’t understand the logistics transparency behind a decision like this.
Linda
I started receiving Social Security benefits when I turned 62. I am now 67. My husband began receiving benefits when he turned 65. He is now 72. Do I qualify to receive spousal benefits?
Diana
If my retirement benefit is higher than my divorced/deceased spouse’s benefit, will I be able to collect a portion of his benefits at early or full retirement age?
Janel
I’m looking for information for my mom, my step dad passed away from Covid a few years ago, they were together over 30 years but never actually got married the IRS did recognize their marriage under the common law and the state does too as they were together before the law was changed. Does Social Security recognize common law marriages? And if so what does she need to do to get his pension?
Resilient
People didn’t pass from covid, it was the lack of proper treatment and an experimental drug for most that killed them.
You should get his medical records and share your story at chbmp.org former feds org is going after them for what they’ve done to humanity.
David T.
Can I count my ssi disability as earn income if I file taxes
LaurieS.
My husband retired at 62 (8 years ago)to care for our disabled (autistic) daughter who was 16 when started receiving benefits. Daughter started receiving SSI at 18. I just turned 68 and started to receive SS benefits and still work. Social Security wants daughter to apply for SSA now, and they said she’d lose her Medicaid- but go on Medicare. Now dental, vision, and prescriptions are not covered.
Barbara
Individuals who receive Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits that are high enough to cause a loss of SSI benefits may be able to keep their Medicaid benefits if they meet certain criteria:
They are unmarried or married to another beneficiary who receives DAC benefits
They lost SSI benefits after July 1, 1987, due to an increase in DAC benefits
They had a special need before the age of 22
They would be eligible for SSI benefits if it weren’t for the DAC benefit
Junior B.
My wife plans to retire when she turns 62 in 2 months. I’m 64 and plan to retire in 3 years at my full retirement age of 67. Will my wife be able to file for spousal benefit for additional amount when I retire because 50% of my benefit is significantly greater than what she will be receiving at 62?