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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Gerald P.
Both my wife and I are retired from state and local gov’t jobs. I recieve significant SS due to prior social security paying years but as a teacher she doesn’t recieve any SS. If the new WEP and GPO elimination bill is signed when could she apply for spousal benefits?
S.D.
Hi, Gerald. Thank you for reading our blog and for your question. The Social Security Administration is awaiting the possible final enactment of the Social Security Fairness Act into law and rules for implementation. We will provide more information on our website, ssa.gov, as it becomes available. We hope this helps.
Au
I am collecting SS on my work benefits at age 62 plus I am collecting on my disabled husband’s ssdi at a lower rate because I was not told that in order to get 50 percent of his ssdi I would have to wait until retirement age to file on his… I am very upset about this if I had known I would have waited. Now it is too late and the amount I get of his I understand is permanent and cannot be changed…. Things like this should be fully explained when someone is filing for SS so they have that choice whether to file on their spouse then or at retirement age. smh
John F.
My spouse and I both began collecting social security at our full retirement age. My spouse receives about $2500 per month. I only receive $250 per month because I am a retired firefighter receiving a government pension. Now that the law has changed, can I switch to receiving spousal benefits, if 50% of my spouses monthly benefits is more then my revised benifit amount will be?
Andy P.
I began normal SSA retirement early, age 63. Our adult son, disabled before age 22, was recently switched from SSI to now be receiving SS based on my retirement account.
My wife has now applied for SS, also early at age 62, and we are wondering if she is also eligible for spousal benefits because of our disabled son? Her regular benefit is much less than mine.
The rules are not clear to me regarding this specific situation.
Thank you.
Landon C.
My wife is 78 and I am 85. I draw full social security and she draws none since she has only 37 quarters of covered employment. She worked under CSRS for 21 years but withdrew her retirement account dollars in 1985. She worked for the City of Fort Worth Texas for 20 years and receives a retirement pension from the city. With the elimination of WEP and GPO can she now receive Spoisal Social Security benefits?
S.D.
Hi, Landon. Thanks for reaading our blog and for your question. The Social Security Administration is awaiting the possible final enactment of the Social Security Fairness Act into law and rules for implementation. We will provide more information on our website, ssa.gov as it becomes available.
Jerry J.
I’m receiving ssdi, my wife was receiving ssi. Now that I’m receiving ssdi my wife is collecting part spousal benefit (not 50%) and her ssi was reduced to just ssp (california part) . Both of my wife’s payments are lower than 50% of my ssdi what can we do ?? My wife if 75 and I believe she should be receiving 50% of my ssdi even if she would be cut off ssi. We are still happily married but struggling financially
Julia H.
If I am taking my social security and it was affect by WEP; I could not get 1/2 of his SS because of WEP and he did not retire till 3 years later. WEP and GPO have been repealed. A life changing event. I could not apply for his SS. Now that they are repealed can I apply for 1/2 of his social security even though I have been collecting my measly $190 a month. Since WEP and GPO have been repealed, I think I should have that option.
S.D.
Hi, Julia. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. The Social Security Administration is awaiting the possible final enactment of the Social Security Fairness Act into law and rules for implementation. We will provide more information on our website, ssa.gov as it becomes available. We hope this helps.
Joyce R.
My social Security check was higher than my ex spouse, He passed I applied for his social security, I was denied because my payout was higher than his?
S.D.
Hi, Joyce. Thanks for reading our blog and for your comments. To be eligible for divorced surviving spouse benefits, you cannot be eligible for a higher benefit on your own work record. For more information on how survivors benefits are calculated, visit our Survivors webpage. We hope this helps.
william L.
My SS number is *** ** ****
My wife DOB is 05 05 1963 (SS#*** ** ****)
If she takes the spousal in 2025 what will be her benefit amount?
Since I’m 91 when I’m no more her amount will be ?
wjllmi@yahoo.com William Lowry
419 315 7680
Leon D.
I am soon to collect around 1350 monthly at full retirement aga and my spouse has been collecting since age 62 for several years but is now past her full retirement age. Will I be available to collect on both accounts
S.D.
Hi, Leon. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. If your benefits as a spouse are higher than your own retirement benefit, you may be able to get a combination of benefits equaling the higher spouse’s amount. To learn more about spouse’s benefits, check out our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.