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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Robert B.
I recently read about my spouse being eligible to receive my social security benefits after my death. There’s a significant age difference between myself and my spouse. Me being much older. Is this correct, that my younger spouse is eligible to receive my social security benefits in the event of my death?
A.C.
Hi, Robert. Thanks for your question. Your wife could be eligible for reduced widow’s benefits as early as age 60 (age 50 if disabled). For more information, please go to our Survivors Planner page and read our publication, How Social Security Can Help – When A Family Member Dies. We hope this helps.
Donna S.
Thing about getting married. My fiance is receiving SSI I am receiving SS Retirement and working part-time. What are the benefits and/or penalties?
A.C.
Hi, Donna. Thank you for your question. If your fiance is receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), your marriage may affect his benefit. If you receive retirement or Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) benefits, your marriage will not affect your benefit. For more information on how marriage affects benefits, visit our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.
Susan C.
My husband will begin receiving his SS in November at 70. He was born in 1949 and would have been able to file and suspend under the old law when he was full retirement age, however, he did not. Our daughter was 16 at the time and would have been able to receive child benefits from that time until May 2018 when she graduated from high school. Is there any way to retroactively apply for child benefits for her. She is a young child with retiring parents and we just discovered this missed $30,000.00 that could have helped her.
kathy
My husband died at age 59-in 2007. 5 years later at age 62 I took my SS Benefit. At full retirement age, 66, I switched to his retirement SS, because it was higher.
How is this amount figured out- is the SS I receive partially my SS and partially his?
A.C.
Hi, Kathy. If you were eligible for retirement benefits (but had not applied yet), you had an option. You could apply for retirement or survivors benefits then and switch to the other (higher) benefit at a later date. It sounds like this is your case. However, for security, we do not have access to private information in this venue. For further specific questions regarding your benefits, you can contact us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. We hope this helps.
Mary L.
I am a Civil Service Retiree, my husband of 66 years passed away on 2/14/2019. Am I entitled to any of his Social Security?
Thanks for any information.
A.C.
Hi, Mary Lou. We are sorry to hear about your loss. Keep in mind that 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 survivors benefits can be reduced based on the Government Pension Offset provision. For more information, check out our Benefits Planner: Government Pension Offset (GPO) web page. We hope this helps.
SHIRLEY l.
I am on social security for my retirement so was my spouse how do I apply to get benefits based on his higher social security payments
A.C.
Hi, Shirley. It sounds like you are referring to survivors benefits. 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 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). Generally, you will have a shorter wait time if you call later in the day. If you have not reached the required age, you can also visit our page, Survivor Planner: If You Are The Survivor. We hope this helps!
Delores B.
I am disabled and I lost my benefits because he started making more money, but now my husband has found someone else and wants to divorce me but I will not be able to support myself and he doesn’t make enough money to support the both of us. I need to ask for his benefits in order to be able to support myself
tom
Could you please explain how much a spouse gets when the worker is still ALIVE? Thanks, lots of articles about survivors benefits, can’t find any definitive answer if both husband and wife are still living.
A.C.
Hi, Tom. Thank you for your question, Teri. To qualify for spouse’s benefits, your spouse must be receiving retirement or disability benefits. Also, when you qualify for Social Security benefits on your own record, we pay that amount first. But if you also qualify for a higher amount as a spouse later on, you’ll get a combination of benefits that equals that higher amount. Visit our Retirement Planner: Benefits For You As A Spouse for more information. We hope this helps.
Marta R.
My husband died and he would have been 65 this year. I am 58 and would like to know when I can receive his ss benefits. Would I receive more if I waited until I was 65. I can’t seem to find where I can calculate this or find more details. Thank you,
JO A.
My friend was married to a man in the Navy. While he was there, he got injured. He died at 46 yrs. old, and my children received Social Security. Was she, or is she, entitled to Widows’ Pension at the time ? I am writing for her, as she is unable to type, and would like to get a quick answer.
V.V.
Hi there. It sounds like she may be eligible for mother’s benefits. Those are typically payable to the deceased’s’ widow at any age if caring for a child under the age of 16 or disabled.
To inquire about potential benefits, she will have to contact her local office or call our toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213. Representatives are available Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.