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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Margaret B.
My social security benefits are greater than 50% more than my husband’s. He currently receives his Full Retirement Age benefits. I will attain Full Retirement Age this year. When I start my retirement benefits, will he qualify to receive spousal benefits from my retirement benefits and if so, how are they calculated? Do we have to request the change or will it happen automatically if spousal benefits is greater for him than his own retirement benefits?
Vonda
Hi Margaret, thanks for using our blog. Once you apply for Social Security retirement benefits, your spouse may be eligible for benefits on your record. Your spouse will only receive additional benefits on your record if his own full retirement benefit (not a reduced benefit) is less than half of your full retirement benefit. Check out our Benefits For Your Spouse web page for additional details.
Annette
I’m helping my grandmother fill out her form for spousal benefits since my grandad passed away my question is. . . Does she list their two children or not since the children are both over 50?? One section said to skip that section or the form the next section said to go on the that section so we are confused. . . . .
Vonda
Hi Annette, thanks for using our blog. It sounds like you may be filling out a form for an underpayment? If your grandmother is the surviving spouse and they were living together at the time of death or she is eligible for a widow’s benefit, then you don’t need to complete the section regarding the children. If you have additional questions, your grandmother can call 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.
Mary R.
I am getting spousal benefits now but still working. I remarried and want to know if my new spouse will be able to collect MY social Security benefits in the event I die. I understand my spouse can’t collect my spousal benefits but will my spouse be able to collect mine as I have continued to work.
Vonda
Hi Mary, thanks for using our blog. Your current spouse may be eligible for survivor benefits on your record if you earned enough Social Security credits through your work. The survivor amount is based on your earnings. The more you paid into Social Security, the higher their benefit will be. If you are already receiving reduced benefits when you die, survivors benefits are based on that amount.
Widow(er)s benefit are payable as early as age 60 (for a reduced benefit) or a full widow(er)s benefit at full retirement age or older.
Check out our Planning For Your Survivors web page to see how your family members are protected if you die.
Mark C.
My wife is 63 and she has been a stay at home mom. She worked for short while but not enough to earn any points. I am 64 and do not plan to retire until my full retirement age and might even work until 70. Can she sign up now and draw off of my benefits. I know it will be a reduced amount until she reaches her full retirement age. At that time will she be eligible for her 50% benefit of mine.
Thanks
Vonda
Hi Mark, thanks for using our blog. Your wife may be eligible for spouse’s benefits if she is at least 62 years of age and you are receiving retirement or disability benefits. Check out our Benefits For Your Spouse web page for additional details.
Mike H.
Hello, I know that many changes have been made in recent years but don’t know, for sure, how they affected me. I reached FRA in 2019, I am currently collecting spousal benefits on my wife’s record. Is my retirement benefit (on my record) growing at the 8% per year deferred credit amount? Thanks.
Vonda
Hi Mike, thanks for using our blog to ask your question. When you delay collecting benefits beyond your full retirement age, the amount of your retirement benefit will continue to increase up until age 70. There is no incentive to delay claiming after the month you attain age 70.
Keep in mind that you can apply four months before you want your benefits to start. When you’re ready to apply for retirement benefits, use our online retirement application, the quickest, easiest, and most convenient way to apply.
Jeff C.
Why is my spouses benefit not processed in over three months? Applied for and received her benefit, applied for and received my benefit in October 2020, but have not received her spousal benefit as yet.
Vonda
For your security, Jeff, we do not have access to private information in this venue. We ask that members in our Blog community work with our offices with specific questions. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213 for assistance or you can call 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.
GLORIA F.
I am 63 yrs and currently working with an annual amount of about 15,000.
I am considering changing fields and will be over about 5,000 in income
How will this affect my monthly benefits?
Vonda
Hi Gloria, thanks for using our blog. You can get Social Security retirement or survivors benefits and work at the same time. However, there is a limit to how much you can earn and still receive full benefits. The amount you’re allowed to earn while receiving benefits depends on your age. If you attain full retirement age in 2021, the earnings limit is $50,520 but we only count earnings before the month you reach full retirement age. Beginning with the month you reach full retirement age, earnings no longer reduce your benefits, no matter how much you earn. If you’re under full retirement age for the entire year, then we deduct $1 from benefit payments for every $2 earned above the annual limit. For 2021, that limit is $18,960.
Visit our Receiving Benefits While Working web page and our Retirement Earnings Test Calculator for more details.
Linda N.
I am currently receiving spousal benefit. I will turn 70 in 04/21. How to I apply for my own social security?
Vonda
Hi Linda, thanks for using our blog to ask your question. You can apply four months before you want your Social Security retirement benefits to start. Once you’re ready to apply, the easiest way to complete your application is online.
If you need further assistance, 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.
Theresa M.
I will be 64 in May of this year and am considering taking my social security, however, my husband is only 62 and still working. If I take my social security now and something happens to him after I elect to pull mine will I be entitled to his social security benefit at the time he passes because his is much higher than mine? If so, what amount do I collet? At his age that he passes or his full retirement amount as stated on the reports we get from social security annually? Can you please clear this up for us? Thank you.
Sue
Hi, Theresa, and thanks for using our blog to ask your question. Typically, a widow at full (survivors) retirement age or older generally receives 100% of the deceased worker’s benefit amount, regardless of when you took your own retirement benefits. A widow younger than full retirement age receives 71-99% of the deceased worker’s benefit amount – the longer you wait, the higher your benefit. We are only going to pay the highest benefit amount from either record, meaning you won’t get both retirement and widow benefits but the higher of the two. For more information about how much your surviving spouse benefit would be, visit our If You Are The Survivor web page. We hope our explanation is helpful.
Harriet
I am collecting survivors benefits and turn 66.2 months in Jun and still working. I will get more on my ssn and will switch from survivors to mine. How does the $18,940 apply to this? When I turn 66.2, it doesn’t matter how much you make, so will the $18,940 only apply to the survivors benefits from Jan/Jun?
Harriet
I am trying to determine if I will get a survivors benefit check from Jan/Jun. In the past I have only got benefits from Jul/Dec.
Vonda
Hi Harriet, thanks for using our blog. If you attain full retirement age in 2021, the earnings limit is $50,520 but we only count earnings before the month you reach full retirement age. Beginning with the month you reach full retirement age, earnings no longer reduce your benefits, no matter how much you earn. Visit our Receiving Benefits While Working web page for more details.