Understanding Spouse’s Benefits
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: May 25, 2021
Marriage is a cultural institution that exists all over the world. Having a partner means sharing many things including a home and other property. Understanding how your future retirement might affect your spouse is important. When you’re planning for your fun and vibrant golden years, here are a few things to remember:
Your full spouse’s benefit could be up to 50 percent of your spouse’s full retirement age amount if you are full retirement age when you take it. If you qualify for your own retirement benefit and a spouse’s benefit, we always pay your own benefit first. You cannot receive spouse’s benefits unless your spouse is receiving his or her retirement benefits (except for divorced spouses). If you took your reduced retirement first while waiting for your spouse to reach retirement age, when you add spouse’s benefits later, your own retirement portion remains reduced which causes the total retirement and spouses benefit together to total less than 50 percent of the worker’s amount. You can find out more on our website.
On the other hand, if your spouse’s retirement benefit is higher than your retirement benefit, and he or she chooses to take reduced benefits and dies first, your survivor benefit will be reduced, but may be higher than what your spouse received.
If the deceased worker started receiving reduced retirement benefits before their full retirement age, a special rule called the retirement insurance benefit limit may apply to the surviving spouse. The retirement insurance benefit limit is the maximum survivor benefit you may receive. Generally, the limit is the higher of:
- The reduced monthly retirement benefit to which the deceased spouse would have been entitled if they had lived, or
- 82.5 percent of the unreduced deceased spouse’s monthly benefit if they had started receiving benefits at their full retirement age (rather than choosing to receive a reduced retirement benefit early).
Knowing how your finances affect your spouse’s can help both of you avoid future impacts on your incomes. When it comes to information, we have over 80 years of experience. Access a wealth of useful information by visiting our benefits planners.
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Tags: retirement, Social Security benefits
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Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
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sheree m.
My husband passed in July of 2020 and would have started collecting early retirement this month at age 62… Now I would like to collect partial widow benefits…. What do I do?
V.V.
We are very sorry for your loss, Sheree. There is a one-time lump-sum death payment of $255 that can be paid to the surviving spouse. You would need to call and make an appointment to file for that benefit. You can call your local Social Security office. Look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Please be aware that our call wait times are longer than normal.
You may be eligible for reduced widows benefits as early as age 60 (age 50 if disabled) and at any age if caring for the deceased’s child who is under age 16 or disabled and receiving benefits on the deceased’s record. Survivor benefit amounts are based on your husband’s earnings. The more he paid into Social Security, the higher the benefits would be. The benefits will not be established automatically, you will have to contact us.
Check out our If You Are The Survivor web page for details. We hope this helps!
Sheila C.
My husband is 56 years old and drawing disability. I am 64 and 1/2 years old. I plan to draw benefits at 66 and 4 months. I was wondering if I can draw benefits off my husband now? If no can I when I turn 66 years and 4 months?
V.V.
Hi Sheila, thanks for using our blog to ask your question. You may be able to get spouse’s benefits but, under existing law, if you’re eligible for benefits both as a retired worker and as a spouse, you must apply for both benefits and you’ll receive the higher of the two benefits. This requirement is called “deemed filing” because when you apply for one benefit you are “deemed” to have also applied for the other.
Keep in mind that the spouse’s benefit cannot exceed one-half of your husband’s disability amount. So, you can only receive additional spouse’s benefits if your own full retirement benefit (not your reduced benefit) is less than half of your husband’s disability benefit.
Check out our Benefits For Your Spouse web page for additional details.
Karen C.
My husband passed away 2 weeks ago, I am 57 and still working, am I eligible for any of his benefits?
V.V.
Hi Karen, we are very sorry for your loss. There is a one-time lump-sum death payment of $255 that can be paid to the surviving spouse. You would need to call and make an appointment to file for that benefit. You can call your local Social Security office. Look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Please be aware that our call wait times are longer than normal.
You may be eligible for reduced widows benefits as early as age 60 (age 50 if disabled) and at any age if caring for the deceased’s child who is under age 16 or disabled and receiving benefits on the deceased’s record. Survivor benefit amounts are based on your husband’s earnings. The more he paid into Social Security, the higher the benefits would be. The benefits will not be established automatically, you will have to contact us.
Check out our If You Are The Survivor web page for details. We hope this helps!
Jossette M.
I cannot find my question anywhere. It is that my ex spouse who has remarried and has been a government worker all his working life having never paid into social security (he is a GS rank and has good retirement from the government). If I die, can he collect on my social security as well since I have never remarried and can he still collect from the government from his retirement there as well? I have never remarried and get over $3000 a month social security. He has remarried and his wife collects around $870 a month and he collects a fair amount as a GS that he would not want to lose it. Any advice here what to expect under these circumstances???
Gwendolyn S.
My ex-spouse retired over 2 years ago, and now I will be 62 next year, what I want to know how can I receive is social security and or retirement from him. He has been married twice, are we both entitle to his retirement and social security.
V.V.
Hi Gwendolyn, thank you for the question. If your ex-spouse qualifies for retirement benefits but hasn’t applied, you may be able to receive benefits on their record if you have been divorced for at least two years.
Your benefit as a divorced spouse can be equal to one-half of your ex’s full retirement amount only if you start receiving those benefits at your full retirement age. If you begin to receive benefits at age 62 or prior to your full retirement age, your benefits are reduced. The reduction factors are permanently applied to all of the benefits you qualify for once you opt to start benefits at age 62 or at any time prior to your full retirement age.
Remember, if you qualify for your own retirement benefits and for benefits as a divorced spouse, we always pay your own retirement benefits first. If your benefits as a divorced spouse are higher than your own retirement benefits, you will get a combination of benefits equaling the higher divorced spouse benefit. However, the divorced spouse’s benefit cannot exceed one-half of your ex-spouse’s full retirement amount (not the reduced benefit amount). So, you can only receive additional benefits if your own full retirement benefit (not your reduced benefit) is less than half of your ex-spouse’s full retirement benefit.
Check out our Benefits for a Divorced Spouse web page for other eligibility requirements and more detailed information.
To inquire about potential benefits on your ex-spouse’s record, you can call us at 1-800-772-1213 or you can contact your local Social Security office. Please look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Please be aware that our call wait times are longer than normal. We hope this information helps.
William B.
My wife and I are both 67. we were planning to work to 70 but she lost her job, If she were to apply for SS would she receive the amount based on her earnings or the 50% of my amount at FTA?
Then what if she gets a part time job?
V.V.
Hi William, thanks for using our blog to ask your question. Your wife will need to apply for retirement benefit first. If benefits as a spouse are higher than her own retirement benefits, she will get a combination of benefits equaling the higher spouse benefit. However, the spouse’s benefit cannot exceed one-half of your full retirement amount. So, she can only receive additional spouse’s benefits if her own full retirement benefit is less than half of your full retirement benefit. You must be receiving retirement or disability benefits before your wife can apply for additional spouse’s benefits on your record. Check out our Benefits For Your Spouse web page for additional details.
Our system is set up to take applications four months in advance, and when your wife is ready, she can apply for her retirement benefits online.
If she is unable or would rather not apply online, she can call us at 1-800-772-1213 for assistance or she can contact her local Social Security office. Please look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Please be aware that our call wait times are longer than normal. We hope this information helps.
Janice L.
I am age 60 and looking at the survivor benefits available from my deceased ex-husband. How do I find out what the full amount of his benefit would be?
Thank you
Debra J.
I started drawing Social Security @ 62. My x-husband is 74. He made more money working then I did. I would like to draw on his Social Security benefit and my own Social Security benefits. Can this be done at the same time.
Jeannette
My spouse will be retiring very soon like 3 months. He is only 56. He works for the city has a pension and pays into Soc Sec. Is it true that even though he pays into Soc Sec he cannot collect it when he becomes of age but do to his line of work an cannot collect?
V.V.
Thank you for the question, Jeannette. If your husband is eligible for or receiving a non-covered pension, a pension based on work that is not covered by Social Security (for example, Federal civil service and some State or local government agencies such as police officers and some teachers), it could cause the amount of his Social Security benefit to be reduced. His benefit can be reduced based on one of two provisions: The Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision. See our Information for Government Employees web page for details.
Lola S.
I divorced after 17 years of marriage from first spouse. I then remarried to second spouse before age 60 (I’m not disabled).
Can I collect benefits from first spouse since I’m no longer married to second spouse? Thank you.
V.V.
Hi Lola, thanks for using our blog to ask your question. As long as you are unmarried, you may be able to receive divorced spouse’s benefits. Your benefit as a divorced spouse can be equal to one-half of your ex’s full retirement amount only if you start receiving those benefits at your full retirement age. If you begin to receive benefits at age 62 or prior to your full retirement age, your benefits are reduced. The reduction factors are permanently applied to all of the benefits you qualify for once you opt to start benefits at age 62 or at any time prior to your full retirement age.
Remember, if you qualify for your own retirement benefits and for benefits as a divorced spouse, we always pay your own retirement benefits first. If your benefits as a divorced spouse are higher than your own retirement benefits, you will get a combination of benefits equaling the higher divorced spouse benefit. However, the divorced spouse’s benefit cannot exceed one-half of your ex-spouse’s full retirement amount (not the reduced benefit amount). So, you can only receive additional benefits if your own full retirement benefit (not your reduced benefit) is less than half of your ex-spouse’s full retirement benefit.
Check out our Benefits for a Divorced Spouse web page for other eligibility requirements and more detailed information.
To inquire about potential benefits on your ex-spouse’s record, you can call us at 1-800-772-1213 or you can contact your local Social Security office. Please look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Please be aware that our call wait times are longer than normal. We hope this information helps.