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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Abner H.
I created a my Social Security account about 5 years ago. I’m trying to recover my login information. When I click on Forgot username, it asks me for an email address. I no longer have access to the email address I used to set the account up with. How do I recover my username and password in this case?
Vonda
Hi Abner, thanks for using our blog. Sorry to hear you are having difficulties accessing a my Social Security account. For assistance with your account, you may call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) 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.
Nancy W.
My husband is retiring the end of May. I have been covered under his company health insurance plan. We both have Medicare part A. How do I apply for Medicare part B? When my husband applies, will it automatically generate an application for me? Do I sign up on my own? Do we buy a policy together or separately?
Vonda
Hi Nancy, thanks for using our blog. If you already have Medicare Part A and need to sign up for Medicare Part B, there are some forms that you will need to complete and submit. See our Frequently Asked Questions web page for options on how to submit those forms. We hope this helps!
KL M.
I will start receiving my SSA benefits in July 2021 at age 64 and 11 months. My former spouse is a retired school teacher and receives a full pension from CalSTRS. He did not pay Social Security taxes. Is he eligible to receive SSA spouse benefits based on my contributions?
SW
Called the Birmingham.AL office today and after automated answer and selection of WSU, the phone rang 30 minutes with NO answer. Is this the way the government works???? How do I find out status of application ..On MySSA , status never changes. Is this the best we can get?????
Vonda
We are sorry to hear about your experience with Social Security, SW. 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.
De A.
My husband died at age 46. I will turn 60 this year and was told I can receive survivor’s benefits. How does this affect my own benefits?
Vonda
Hi De Anna, thanks for using our blog. It is possible for a person to be eligible for benefits from different records at the same time. However, we are only going to pay the highest benefit amount from either record – meaning that you will only be allowed to receive one payment.
If you are the widow of a person who worked long enough under Social Security, you can start receiving reduced survivor’s benefits as early as age 60 (50 if disabled). If you are also eligible for retirement benefits on your own record, you may have an additional option. You can apply for retirement or survivors benefits now and switch to the other (higher) benefit at a later date.
The earliest age you can apply for your own (reduced) retirement benefits is 62.
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.
You would need to call and make an appointment to file for widow’s benefits as you cannot apply for that online. 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.
Lin H.
Married couple, husband 83, wife 69, both receiving SS because both worked. Both now retired. The husband dies, does wife receive any of husband’s monthly SS benefits? Does his benefit replace wife’s monthly benefit if his is higher??
Vonda
Hi Lin, thanks for using our blog to ask your question. Typically, a widow or widower at full (survivors) retirement age or older generally receives 100% of the deceased worker’s amount, a widow or widower under full retirement age receives about 71 to 99 percent of the worker’s benefit amount, and a widow or widower with a child younger than age 16 receives 75 percent of the worker’s benefit amount.
We are only going to pay the highest benefit amount from either record, meaning you don’t get both retirement and widow(er)s benefits but the higher of the two. For more information about how much your benefit would be, visit our If You Are The Survivor web page.
Anne S.
My marriage certificate. How I apply
Vonda
Hi Anne, thanks for using our blog. Check out our Apply for Social Security Benefits web page which provides the details on applying for Retirement or Spouse’s Benefits. We hope this is helpful!
Sue
Hi, Anne, and thanks for your question. To find out how to get a copy of your marriage certificate, visit Where to Write for Vital Records, a federal government website. To use the online tool, you must know the state or area where the marriage occurred, then click on that state or area. We hope this helps.
Anne s.
Would like to know what to do to get copy of marriage certificate
Faith R.
My husband began receiving SS in June, 2016. I turned 62 in 2018. Do I qualify to apply for spousal benefits now under his SS? I am still working full time and will not retire until December, 2022.
Alton R.
If I retire at age 63 and my wife is 58 is she entitled to any social security benefits?
Willis s.
I currently draw ssn at age 62 can my wife age 60 receive/draw on my ssn.
Vonda
Hi Willis, thanks for using our blog. Your wife may be eligible for spouse’s benefits but she must be at least 62 years of age. Check out our Benefits For Your Spouse web page for additional details.