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.
Did you find this Information helpful?
Tags: retirement, Social Security benefits
See CommentsAbout the Author
Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
Comments
Comments are closed.
Charlene B.
My spouse is at full retirement age & is collecting SS Benefits. I reach full retirement age in September 2019. I was born in 1953. May I file a restricted application on my spouse’s earnings & start collecting in September 2019 & then receive higher benefits when I reach 70 years old?
D N.
IM DISABLED, & UNABLE TO WORK. I HAVE BEEN RECEIVING DISABILITY SS BENEFITS EVER SINCE MY SS BENEFITS WERE COURT ORDERED.
MY EX-WIFE IS GOING TO TRY AND SUE ME ONCE AGAIN TO RECEIVE MY SS BENEFITS, EVEN THOUGH SHE HAS WORKED MOST OF HER ADULT LIFE!
IF I COULD WORK, BELIEVE ME I WOULD IN A HEART BEAT, BUT I CAN’T,; FURTHERMORE, MY HEALTH CONTINUES TO WORSEN!
AT ANYTIME, IS MY EX-WIFE ENTITLED TO ANY OF MY SS BENEFITS? MY ATTORNEY STATES NO! JUST FOR MY OWN PIECE OF MIND, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT, PLEASE???
DANIEL D.
IM DISABLED, & UNABLE TO WORK. I HAVE BEEN RECEIVING DISABILITY SS BENEFITS EVER SINCE MY SS BENEFITS WERE COURT ORDERED.
MY EX-WIFE IS GOING TO TRY AND SUE ME ONCE AGAIN TO RECEIVE MY SS BENEFITS, EVEN THOUGH SHE HAS WORKED MOST OF HER ADULT LIFE!
IF I COULD WORK, BELIEVE ME I WOULD IN A HEART BEAT, BUT I CAN’T,; FURTHERMORE, MY HEALTH CONTINUES TO WORSEN!
AT ANYTIME, IS MY EX-WIFE ENTITLED TO ANY OF MY SS BENEFITS? MY ATTORNEY STATES NO! JUST FOR MY OWN PIECE OF MIND, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT, PLEASE???
Anne R.
Am I entitled to spousal benefits? My husband died January 7, 2019. His name – John Earl Pingo
His Social Security # *** – ** – ***
My social security # *** – ** – ***
roberta a.
I am trying to find out estimated monthly SS payment under my deceased husband’s benefit and when I go under MY SS and sign in I only see my benefit. I am planning on retiring December 31 2019. If you could please direct me I would most appreciate this. Thank you and have a nice day.
Kathleen P.
Will I loose any of my benefits if I remarry? I’m 67
Ray M.
If I remarry after age 70 and my new spouse is also over 70, how long must we be married to receive our spouses benefits if they pass on and are higher than my own?
Valerie W.
The only income of a person is social security and he is be forced to pay a weekly amount to his wife during a divorce. I did not think that if social security is the only income that is not to happen. Could you please clear this up
Doug D.
Can I ask SS question here? It is hard to get a good answer locally.
L.A.
Hi, Doug. Thanks for your question. Through our Blog we respond to questions and provide general information on our Retirement, Survivors, Disability, Medicare and SSI programs. If you have a general question, we encourage you to ask it here. But remember; never post personal information on social media. For specific questions, feel free to call us at 1-800-772-1213 (1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday, between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. We hope this helps.
Kate M.
I started collecting my full workers benefit at 66. If my husband decides to file and collect his benefits at 63 will be both be able to collect our benefits with no reductions?
A.C.
Thanks for your question, Kate. Your husband’s payment amount is based on when he decides to start his benefits. If he chooses to get benefits before full retirement age, they will be reduced. The amount he receives when he first gets benefits sets the base for the amount he will receive for the rest of his life. His benefits are reduced a fraction of a percent for each month before his full retirement age. For more information, visit our Benefits Planner:Retirement web page. We hope this helps.