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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Ahmad S.
My name is Ahmad Shah Formuli and SSI holder almost 71 years old. Also wife is permanently disabled after heart and hip surgeries. She is almost 66 years old and SSI holder. The amount which we recive is not enough for our monthly expenses. I am proposing SSDI for my wife, if the benefits more the SSI!
Ann C.
Hi, Ahmad. We are sorry to hear about your situation. Your wife can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for specific questions about her benefits. She can also contact her local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Michael T.
I am a 76 year old retired police officer. I retired from a police department in Indiana in January 1998, then went to work at another police department in Illinois in 1998 and retired from there in 2013. I receive pensions from both police departments. When I applied for social security pension in 2013, I was told I would only get 50% of what I would normally get because of my police pensions (WEP). The entire WEP concept is of course unfair, but I could find no way to challenge it.
My question is: if I were to stop taking my social security pension under my account and filed under my 70 year old wife’s social security pension, understanding that I would at best potentially get 50% of the amount she receives, would the WEP provisions again apply and reduce that 50% by 50%, effectively giving me a net amount that is 25% of her pension?
Ann C.
Hi, Michael. Thanks for visiting our blog. Generally, a pension based on work that is not covered by Social Security (for example, Federal civil service and some State or local government agencies) may cause the amount of your Social Security benefit to be reduced. Your Social Security benefits can be reduced based on one of two provisions: the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. Your own Social Security benefit can be reduced based on the Windfall Elimination Provision. If you qualify for benefits on your spouse’s record, your benefits may be affected by Government Pension Offset. We hope this information is helpful.
Eric
Are you talking about an aspect of a survior’s benefits for a spouse? Or something they may receive while the spouse is still living? I receive my Social Security based on my income for Army Service and continued employment since retiring from the Army. My spouse also worked but with children at home at different stages her income was not the same as mine. So, it is not clear from the article if she can receive the benefit at the same time I receive it for my work or are you writing about spousal benefit amounts after the spouse has died? That is not clear to me.
Ann C.
Hi, Eric. Thanks for visiting our blog. This article is specific to spouse benefits. For your wife to qualify for spouse’s benefits, you must be receiving retirement or disability benefits. Keep in mind that if she qualifies for her own benefits and for benefits as a spouse, we always pay her own benefits first. If her benefits as a spouse are higher than her own benefits, she will get a combination of benefits equaling the higher spouse benefit. You can learn more here. For more information about benefits for survivors, please visit our Survivors Planner. We hope this helps.
Crystal B.
I was married more than 10 years I have a child with my ex husband. We agreed he pay the minimum child support ($200) after he died I would receive his retirement. But he re married do I still receive some of his retirement? He had a nice amount of retirement . He passed away
Cathy B.
When my uncle died he and my aunt had been divorced for over 20 years but had been married for over 20 years. He had remarried and was married to his second wife for about 20 years. Both wives got the calculated amount in equal amounts no reductions. They had both done the required time with him..lol
Arlene S.
The answer is Yes.
Laura
My husband just started to receive benifits we been married for 12 years and I do qualify to received spouse benifits when I call to put in the application I received a call from social security office and I was told that I was not eligible to receive benifits because I was already receiving retirement pension from my previous job so even if he passes I’m not entitled to receive benifits, I don’t understand how the system works
edee
short answer: YES
call or visit your local SS office ASAP
edee
Ann C.
Hi, Crystal. Thanks for visiting our blog. If you are the divorced spouse of a worker who died and you are not married, you could get benefits just the same as a widow or widower. you are eligible to apply for survivor benefits when you reach age 60 (age 50 or over if disabled). However, there are other factors that may affect your entitlement to these benefits. For more information, please visit our Survivors Planner. We hope this helps.
Miriam
If you’re child is under 26 but in College I thought he can get his father’s benefits. I think it depends on State! My Grandkids lost their Father at 39 years old. They received a nice check until they finished high school and turned over 18! FYI only!
Wayne T.
My wife passed away after 46 years of marriage. We were both on SS drawing our own benefit when she passed. She had been on SSA Disability.
Am I eligible for any part of her benefit or did that cease altogether?
Diane M.
My husband passed in 2021 and he was receiving SSD at the time of his death, am I qualified to receive his benefits? I am 62 years old with no income right now.
Cathy B.
My mom got half of my dads ssi payments when he died in 1984. She lived on that until 2012 when she passed. It wasn’t much but it helped. Make sure to check into welfare if you aren’t making much, discounted medical coverage apply at local hospital. (I got admitted to hospital for a week via ambulance I had put off all the tests I couldn’t afford to get done and they did them all) I told social worker I didn’t know what to do about the bill and had me apply for asst and EVERYTHING was covered 100%) This was through the hospital system directly so you have to use their network system for a year if you get approved. if you are poor enough, apply for state help on medications, apply to your cable tv provider comcast ect for state asst reduced rates. There is a lot of stuff you can get without just having welfare deny you. I applied for the other asst programs and I got approved. You dont know how to work the system if you have never been in it, I know. Hope this helps.
Ann C.
Hi, Diane. We are sorry to hear about your loss. You are eligible to apply for survivor benefits when you reach age 60 (age 50 or over if disabled). However, there are other factors that may affect your entitlement to these benefits. For more information, please visit our Survivors Planner. We hope this helps.
Ann C.
Hi, Wayne. We are sorry to hear about your loss. The amount of your widower’s benefit is based on several factors, including: the earnings of your wife, when she started receiving her benefits, your age at the time of her death, and the amount of your own retirement benefit. We compare your own benefit with your potential survivor benefit. If your survivor benefit would be higher than your own current retirement benefit, you would be eligible for survivor benefits. To learn how much you could be eligible for, please call our toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). For more information about survivor benefits, please visit our Survivors Planner. We hope this helps.
Claudette
Being from Louisiana; would that be an issue to draw my deceased husband’s Social Security benefits here in Minneapolis, Minnesota?
Ann C.
Hi, Claudette. Thanks for your question. You are eligible to apply for survivor benefits when you reach age 60 (age 50 or over if disabled). However, there are other factors that may affect your entitlement to these benefits. For more information, please visit our Survivors Planner. We hope this helps.
Diana C.
Hello I’ve been calling ss and haven’t gotten a live person I became a widow at the age of 31 I was married for eight or nine years I recive social security because I’ve been sick for years am I able to get widow benefits even thou I remarried in 2008 thank you
Ann C.
Hi, Diana. We are sorry to hear about your condition and your experience. To be eligible for survivor benefits, you must be age 60 (age 50 or over if disabled) and unmarried. However, there may be other factors that may affect your entitlement to these benefits. For more information, visit our Survivors Planner. Thanks!
Lora
Im 51yrs old. My husband passed in 2017. Im on my SSD, as my husband was too. I drew around 100+ less than him. We were married approximately 21yrs. No kids. If l just turned 50 after he passed, should l draw more than l am now. Was told l drew more than he did when l turned 50. So therefore nothing they could do. Simply because when l turned 50 l was drawing more than he did when he passed. Comments would be helpful. Thanks.
Ann C.
Hi, Lora. Thanks for visiting our blog. Keep in mind, the amount of your widow’s benefit is based on several factors, including: the earnings of your husband, when he started receiving his benefits, your age, and the amount of your own benefit. We compare your own benefit with your potential survivor benefit. if your survivor benefit would be higher than your own current benefit, you would be eligible for survivor benefits. For more information about widow’s benefits, check out our Survivors Planner. For specific questions, you can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Marie P.
Me and my ex spouse were together 19 years but married for only 5 years before we divorced do I qualify for spousal benefits
Ann C.
Hi, Marie. Thanks for your question. To be eligible for divorced spouse benefits, you had to be married to your former spouse for at least 10 years, and you cannot be eligible for a higher benefit on your own record. For more information on how to qualify for divorced spouse benefits, visit our Benefits Planner. We hope this information is helpful.
RobertB H.
I Am 78 years old, retired under CSRS but do not have enough quarters under my ss number. I understand that under current pending reforms I may no longer be barred from collecting on my 72year old wife’s account. Can you supply any details. I have never understood why I am barred by law from collecting anything when someone else who has never worked under ss or paid a dime can collect but because I receive a retirement check am not allowed even if I had the full number ofquarters. I t seems like a violation of the antislavory amendment by discrimination based on former work. I had to take a cut in my pension so my wife can collect a pension when die. If she goes first I loss all the money for all those years I was reduced.
BARBARA S.
I am 73 yrs old my husband passed in 2021 from cancer and we lined on my csrs retirement and altho i had a small amt of social security because i have a retirement from csrs do not qualify for spouses benefits because of Gpo or WEP LAWS. WE WERE MARRIED FOR 52 YEARS AND MY SPOUSE RETIRED UNDER MILITARY AND FERS.
BOTH REQUIRED HE PAY INTO SOCIAL SECURITY. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY ATTEMPTS TO HAVE WEP & GPO REPEALED WITHOUT SUCCESS, I urge everyone to write to their senators and congress officials, They always say that social security cannot sustain itself. If you have recommendations please share here and your letters. I started my civil service career as a Gs-2 in 1978 and did very well with a lot of hard work, paid into Medicare during my whole career. People working for CERTAIN JOBS need to be aware of GPO and WEP BEFORE ACCEPTING EMPLOYMENT WITH AGENCIES THAT ARE COVERED UNDER THESE TWO PROVISIONS so they can plan ACCORDINGLY.
Ann C.
Hi, Robert. Thanks for visiting our blog. It sounds like you are referring to the Government Pension Offset. The Government Pension Offset reduces a person’s Social Security spouse, widow, or widower benefits by two-thirds of the amount of their government pension if a person receives a pension from a government job but did not pay Social Security taxes while they had the job. For more information, visit here. We hope this helps.