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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Amanda F.
My dad is 85 years old he been married to his second wife for 9 years . She died about a month ago her social security was more than his can he get any thing of of hers . Her previous husband is died too.
Kimberly W.
My husband 62 he has received social security disability for 10 years. I am sure 63. Would I be eligible for half of his social security amount he is receiving.
Connie S.
I am 75 years old and my spouse is 60. I receive my SS and I wonder if I can receive my spouses as it is more than mine and would help financially. Is this possible? What do I need to do?
RD
My husband is 61. He will be applying for SS in a few months. I am only 53. We are legally married but separated. Can I receive my spouse’s benefits when he starts receiving it or do I have to wait until I am retirement age?
Deb W.
My husband began receiving his SSA benefit at age 63, two years ago. At the same time our disabled daughter began receiving an SSA disability benefit on his record and I began receiving a spousal benefit (at age 63) due to being caregiver for our disabled child. Will I be able to receive full SSA benefit on my own record (which will be a higher benefit) at my full retirement age or age 70, or will it be reduced since I have been receiving spousal benefits due to caring for our disabled child?
EL
I am looking for information for my father. My father is 68 and receives SS retirement benefits. His spouse of over 10 years is not a legal resident and they are not living in the United States. Is his wife still eligible to receive spouses benefits?
T.Y.
Thank you for your question and for reading our blog, EL. In certain cases, noncitizens can receive Social Security benefits. Lawfully present noncitizens of the United States who meet all eligibility requirements can qualify for Social Security benefits. For your father’s spouse to receive benefits, she must have evidence of lawful presence in the U.S. To learn more, please go to our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.
Martha M.
I’ve been drawing SS benefits since I was 62.
My husband will start his in Jan. 2025 at age 66; can I switch to spousal benefits now and how do I claim spousal benefits?
S.S.
Hi, Martha. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. If your benefits as a spouse are greater than your own benefit, you may be able to get a combination of benefits equaling the higher spouse amount. To speak with a representative about your eligibility for spouse’s benefits, you can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. You can also contact your local office. To learn more about spouse’s benefits, check out our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.
Martha
I started drawing my social security at age 62, I am now 66; my husband is 66 and just filed to start his benefits in Jan. 2025; am I eligible to switch my benefits to spousal benefits now and how do I claim those benefits?
S.S.
Hi, Martha. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. If your benefits as a spouse are greater than your own benefit, you may be able to get a combination of benefits equaling the higher spouse amount. To speak with a representative about your eligibility for spouse’s benefits, you can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. You can also contact your local office. To learn more about spouse’s benefits, check out our blog and our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.
Judith B.
My friend is 78 years old and earns less than $24,000 a year but I do not know whether that is her Social Security benefits or her gross. She was married to her ex-husband for nine years and 10 months however they cohabitated before the marriage for a little over a year. Would she be eligible to claim part of her ex-husband’s Social Security benefits?
S.S.
Hi, Judith. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. To be eligible for divorced spouse benefits, she had to be married to her husband for at least 10 years, be currently unmarried, and not eligible for a higher benefit on her own record. For more information, check out our Frequently Asked Questions and our What Every Woman Should Know publication. We hope this helps.
Judith B.
I just wanna make certain that I understand your response. Social Security does not recognize cohabitation as husband and wife and calculating the 10 years marriage to be eligible for your exes Social Security benefit. Is that correct?
Jeff H.
My Wife is currently 65 year old & just started to receive her monthly SS benefits in October, 2024. I am 71 years old & don’t have enough SS credits to receive SS benefits. Can I receive SS monthly benefits under my Wife? If so will it affect her SS monthly benefits? I do have a pension from my job as a Government employee.