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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jj
Excellent article, I fully understood every detail.
Robert
Very poor explanation-confusing!
Tom
If you wait and take SS at age 70 then pass will your spouse be able to claim the amount you received at age 70 when you pass? What amount will the survivor receive .
Owen D.
if your spouse is at full ss age they will get what you were getting.
PeePaw K.
Isn’t it nice that everyone is confused after reading this article, and they all have questions, but all of those questions are unanswered!
Is that because of the government shutdown, or because you don’t answer questions left as comments on your blog?
David L.
I believe there is an error due to miscalculations by a SS worker, in my SS, how can I appeal this for review and corrections?
OP
You only have about 60 or 90 days to appeal.
Vonda V.
Thank you for contacting us, David. To inquire about your benefit calculation, you will have to contact your 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.
Gilda G.
I worked for LACCD and was told I could also contribute to SS to have this retirement. I contributed for 11 years to SS and to CalPERS. Then I got a job with CalSTRS and have worked for 22 years. I now find out that I have lost my social security. I worked and contributed for 11 years!! Why? I cannot even get derivative benefits thru my ex, who makes well over 150,000 per year. I have twice met with SS agents in Roseville, CA…only to get incorrect information.
My estimated combined PERS/STRS is about $3000. My own SS estimate now is about $1000. I have lost this money??? Why? Thanks.
Please let all teachers know that if they decide to teach before they have certain number of years contributing to SS they lose that in addition to losing derivative rights if they join CalSTRS!!
Vonda V.
Hi Gilda. Some federal employees and employees of state or local government agencies may be eligible for pensions that are based on earnings not covered by Social Security. If they didn’t pay Social Security taxes on their government earnings and they are eligible for Social Security benefits, the formula used to figure their benefit amount may be modified, giving them a lower Social Security benefit. For additional details, check out our Information for Government Employees web page.
Dazi
I was married almost 20 yrs when divorced. Neither of us have remarried. I understand I may collect off of his. BUT If mine is more than half of what his SS check is, I would or could not. Did I understand that correctly?
OP
If you file for his, you also file for yours, and you only get whichever one is HIGHER.
Vonda V.
Hi Dazi, thank you for reading our blog post. You are correct. You would only file for divorced spouse’s benefits if your own full retirement benefit amount was less than half of your ex-spouse’s full retirement benefit amount.
If your former spouse passes away, you could be eligible for survivors benefits. Check out “If You’re The Worker’s Surviving Divorced Spouse” for details.
michael s.
How long do couples have to be married for a wife to collect husbands benefits upon his death? Thank you.
OP
At least 10 yrs.
Vonda V.
Hi Michael, thank you for the question. Generally, a surviving spouse or widow meet the marriage requirement if the marriage took place no later than 9 months immediately preceding the day on which the worker died. To learn more, visit our Survivors Planner: Survivors Benefits For Your Widow Or Widower.
Bill
Please clarify the statement: “For example, you are eligible for $400 from your own retirement and $150 as a spouse for a total of $550.” versus the website referenced at the end of the third paragraph.
The statement seems to say you get the sum of the own retirement benefit and spousal benefit, but the website seems to say you get the higher of own retirement benefit vs. spousal benefit.
I struggled to understand parts of this blog post. For example, the second paragraph says “If a spouse accepts reduced retirement benefits before starting spouse’s benefits (his or her spouse is younger), the spouse will not receive 50 percent of the worker’s benefit amount”. It uses the word spouse 4 times, and it’s not clear to me which spouse it is sometimes referring to.
Vonda V.
Hi Bill, thank you for reading our blog post. We will always pay a person’s own retirement benefit first. If their benefits as a spouse are higher than their own retirement benefits, they will get a combination of benefits equaling the higher spouse benefit. However, keep in mind that a spouse’s benefit cannot exceed one-half of the worker’s full retirement amount (not their reduced benefit amount). So, a person is only going to receive additional spouse’s benefits if their own full retirement benefit (not their reduced benefit) is less than half of their spouse’s full retirement benefit.
For example, if a worker’s full retirement benefit amount is $1,100, the spousal benefit is 50 percent of that, or $550. However, if that spouse is eligible for a full retirement benefit on their own record of $400, then their actual spouse’s benefit would be an additional $150 which equals that 50 percent. If the spouse waited until their full retirement age to file, they would receive one payment of $550, even though $400 was from their own retirement record and $150 was from their spouse’s record. Benefits are reduced if the individual files prior to their full retirement age.
Lesley E.
What happens when the retiree and or spouse draws a federal retirement check in their own right? Why don’t you explain why a retired federal retiree cannot draw survivor benefits of the spouse?
Vonda V.
Hi Lesley: Some federal employees and employees of state or local government agencies may be eligible for pensions that are based on earnings not covered by Social Security. If they didn’t pay Social Security taxes on their government earnings and they are eligible for Social Security benefits, the formula used to figure their benefit amount may be modified, giving them a lower Social Security benefit. For additional details, check out our Information for Government Employees web page.