Do You Qualify for Social Security Spouse’s Benefits?
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: August 24, 2023
Social Security benefits are a crucial part of millions of Americans’ retirement income.
If you don’t have enough Social Security credits to qualify for benefits on your own record, you may be able to receive benefits on your spouse’s record.
To qualify for spouse’s benefits, you must be one of the following:
- 62 years of age or older.
- Any age and have in your care a child younger than age 16, or who has a disability and is entitled to receive benefits on your spouse’s record.
Your full spouse’s benefit could be up to one-half the amount your spouse is entitled to receive at their full retirement age. If you choose to receive your spouse’s benefits before you reach full retirement age, you will get a permanently reduced benefit.
If you wait until you reach full retirement age to receive benefits, you’ll receive your full spouse’s benefit amount, which is up to one-half the amount your spouse can receive. You’ll 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 receive benefits on your spouse’s record.
If you’re eligible to receive retirement benefits on your own record, we will pay that amount first. If your benefits as a spouse are higher than your own retirement benefits, you will get a combination of benefits that equal the higher spouse benefit.
For example, Sandy qualifies for a retirement benefit of $1,000 and a spouse’s benefit of $1,250. At 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.
Want to apply for either your or your spouse’s benefits? Are you at least 61 years and nine months old? If you answered yes to both, visit our website to get started today.
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. You can find out more by visiting our Benefits For Your Family page for more information.
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Tags: Children, General Information, retirement benefits, Social Security benefits, survivors 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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Ann M.
I am 69 and drawing social security. My ex husband of 15yrs is younger than me and turns 60 this year. When can I draw from his SS benefits? Do I have to wait till he turns 62 or decides to take his SS ?
Thank you
Sue
Hi, Ann Marie. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. To be eligible for divorced spouse benefits, you had to be married to your ex-husband at least 10 years, and you cannot be eligible for a higher benefit on your own record. You don’t have to wait to apply for divorced spouse benefits until your ex-husband is receiving his Social Security retirement as long as he is at least 62, qualifies for benefits, and you’ve been divorced at least two continuous years. For more information, visit our Retirement Benefits Planner. We hope this helps.
Ima R.
I started drawing my social security at age 62. My husband was taken off disability at age 66and 6 months and put on social security. I am now 66 and 7 months now. Can I draw spousal benefits from him? Thank you, Ima R.
Sue
Hi, Ima. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. When your husband reached full retirement age, we automatically converted his disability benefits to retirement benefits, but the amount likely remained the same. Your spouse benefit is not half your husband’s benefit because you took your own retirement benefit at 62, before your full retirement age. To learn more about spouse benefits and how they’re figured, please visit our Benefits Planner. If you need further assistance, you can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. We hope this helps.
Kenneth W.
I am receiving SSA at 66 and 6 months. My wife is receiving her SSA at 66 and 6 months but it is much less than my SSA. Do I have to die before she can get the spousal benefit? I have been on hold at the SSA for over an hour. It seems like I’m not getting anywhere with the phone. Please advise.
Sue
Hi, Kenneth. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. If your wife’s benefits as a spouse are greater than her own, she can get a combination of benefits equaling the higher spouse amount. Her spouse benefit can be as much as half of your full retirement age benefit – if she waited to take her own benefits until her full retirement age. You’ll find more details at our Retirement Planner. As your surviving spouse, your wife can receive your full benefit amount if she is full retirement age (survivors) or older. If your wife has additional questions, she can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., or contact her local Social Security office. Wait times to speak to a representative are typically shorter Wednesdays through Fridays or later in the day. We hope this helps.
Maria S.
What do you mean by “If you choose to receive your spouse’s benefits before you reach full retirement age, you will get a permanently reduced benefit”. By permanently, do you mean I will continue to receive the lower percentage (say 40%) of the benefit, until I die? Or will it gradually increase to 50% as I age?
Wayne
It might be a 30%reduction, don’t quote me on that.But it will be permanent, only increases will be COLA.
Sue
Hi, Maria. Thanks for reading our blog and for your questions. If you begin receiving your benefits before your full retirement age, the benefits are generally permanently reduced. For more information about how the reduction is figured, check out our Benefits Planner and our When to Start Receiving Retirement Benefits fact sheet. We hope this helps.
Marty H.
I was married 23 years. At the age of 62 I started taking my social security. My exspouse is now getting his full allocation for social security at the age of 68. Am I able to receive any of his social security
Sue
Hi, Marty. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. To be eligible for divorced spouse benefits, you had to be married to your former husband for at least 10 years, be unmarried, and not eligible for a higher benefit on your own record. For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions. To discuss your eligibility with a representative, you can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., or contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Elaine
My husband started collecting Social Security at full retirement age early 2023, I applied for Social Security at my full retirement age in October 2023, At that time I requested to receive 1/2 of his benefit since mine was less. According to the Award letter it looks like I will be getting my benefit based on my earnings. Is there a special form that needs to be filled out to receive Spousal benefits?
Also, my payments are scheduled to start in Feb 2024, if my Medicare payment is due Jan 2024, do I still pay it? The letter indicates the amount I will receive for January is minus the Medicare amount.
Thank you
Wayne
Seems like your own benefit is more than what you would get from your husband benefit, therefore they’ll give you the highest amount.
Sue
Hi, Elaine. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. For your security, we do not have access to private information in this venue. If you have specific questions about your spouse benefits or Medicare premiums, please call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Or, you can contact your Social Security office. When you are on Medicare and receive Social Security benefits, your Part B premium is automatically deducted from your monthly payment. Although Social Security benefits are paid a month behind, Medicare premiums are withheld in the month of coverage. For example, the Part B premium withheld from your benefit payment issued in February, which is for the month of January, pays for your Medicare coverage for February. For more information, check out our What You Need to Know When You Get Retirement or Survivors Benefits publication. We hope this helps.
William H.
What documents do you need to send to Social Security when a person receiving benefits marries? What forms, where to, and when after marrying? How to obtain those forms if you’re in a foreign country?
Sue
Hi, William. Thanks for reading our blog and for your questions. To speak with a representative, please call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Or you can contact your local Social Security office. If you’re living abroad, visit our Office of Earnings and International Operations webpage for information about service around the world. Many of our forms are available online. We hope this helps.
derek m.
Hi can my spouse of 10 yrs receive any of my pension, cpp,oas aftermy passing ,we live in cambodia I’m Canadian, we are not married.
Sue
Hi, Derek. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. To learn more about our survivors benefits, please visit our Survivors Planner. Since you are living outside of the United States, you can contact a Federal Benefits Unit for assistance related to Social Security benefits. Also, our Office of Earnings and International Operations homepage provides additional resources for customers living abroad. We hope this helps.
Lourdes R.
Can I get half of my husband Italian retirement?
Gary B.
I started my social security benefit at full retirement age (66 yrs 6 mos) recently. My wife, who is 64 yrs and 7 mos old, has requested her retirement based upon my social security benefit. We know that it will be reduced, because she is not at full retirement age. She received a letter from Social Security giving the amount of her benefit, but the benefit that was listed was the benefit that she would received based upon her own earnings and not based upon my benefit. (Since she is taking her benefit early, her benefit will be about 40% of my benefit based upon the calculator on the Social Security web site). It would appear from the social security letter her benefit is a few hundred dollars short from what she should be receiving from social security based upon my benefit. A person at the local security office mentioned that there may be another communication coming from social security regarding the additional income that she will receive based upon my benefit. Will there be another communication from social security regarding the additional income based upon my benefit or does she need to contact social security to address or explain the problem? If she needs to contact social security what number should she call or to whom should she email her concern? Thank you for your help with this.
Sue
Hi, Gary. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. If your wife’s benefits as a spouse are greater than her own benefit, she will get a combination of benefits equaling the higher spouse amount. If she has questions about her spouse benefits, she can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. She can also contact her local Social Security office. We hope this helps.