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.
Timothy W.
i believe that it is outrageous that perra will effect my wifes right to half of my social security.The way it is calculated is wrong.We were told that say I was getting 2000.00 per month in the end she would only get around 300.00 per month . Because of perra that will greatly effect our income that was counted on. Please help me to understand.
DANIEL J.
QUESTION – does a surviving spouse have the option of switching to the deceased spouse’s social security amount if it is higher?….both are at full retirement age.
L.A.
Hi Daniel. We are sorry for your loss. If a person already receives retirement benefits on his or her own record, they can only apply for benefits as a widow or widower if the retirement benefit that the person receives is less than the benefits she or he would receive as a survivor. Generally, survivor’s benefits are paid at a higher percentage than regular spouse or divorced spouse benefits. For more information, visit our Survivors Benefits webpage. We hope this helps.
ROBERT J.
can I receive my wife social security benefits . MY wife passed away at 641/2 years of age. We were married for 37 years. Linda worked since she was 16 years of age and paid into social security almost her whole life after
she turned 16. I’m semi-retired at 70 and I do receive a federal pension of approximately 40,000 a year. I also have my wife’s daughter and her two children living with me at the present time, if that is a consideration. The children are 8 and 9 years old.
Maureen B.
What are reasons SS benefits can be suspended. My husband died in August 2018 and I received his benefits until Feb 2019 and they have been suspended. WHY ?
george s.
i just applied for ss benefits. but
i also checked the box for spousal benefits.
i think i made a mistake, i cannot receive both right? i was the higher wage earner, and she retired a few years ago, and is receiving her retirement already. did i screw thos up?
thanks
A.C.
Hi, George. 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, 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. For additional specific questions, you can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. Generally, you will have a shorter wait if you call later in the day. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Jeanne M.
THIS LEFT ME MORE CONFUSED THEN EVER
Bryan F.
Can my spouse receive social security she is a retired teacher. We have heard she may be eligible for partial social security. She doesn’t have 40 quarters so my question is can she collect some portion of social security?
A.C.
Hi, Bryan. Generally, your wife will need to have 40 credits, or 10 years of work paying Social Security taxes, to qualify for any type of Social Security benefit. For a complete explanation of credits needed for the different types of benefits, visit our Benefits Planner: Social Security Credits. Also, keep in mind, if she is entitled to a pension based on work that is not covered by Social Security (for example, Federal civil service and some State or local government agencies, such as police officers and some teachers), it may cause the amount of her Social Security benefit to be reduced. Your benefit can be reduced based on one of two provisions: The Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision. We hope this helps.
ANGEL L.
If my spouse collects Spousal benefits at a reduce rate (43.06%) of my Primary Insurance Amount. What occurs if I die before; will she be entitle to 100% of my Primary Insurance amount as death benefit or will the Primary benefit will also be reduce? Or does she just keep collection the reduced spouse benefits?
A.C.
Hi, Angel. For your wife to qualify for spouse’s benefits, you must be receiving retirement or disability benefits. Also, if she qualifies for Social Security benefits on her own record, we pay that amount first. But if she also qualifies for a higher amount as a spouse, she’ll get a combination of benefits that equals that higher amount. Visit our Retirement Planner: Benefits For Your Spouse for more information. Typically, a widow 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. For more information about how much your wife’s benefit as a widow would be, visit our Survivors Benefits page. We hope this helps.
Linda S.
I will be getting eary survivors benefits this December. My two questions are, How do they calculate earnings net or gross for the 17,640. Limit? Second question when I come of retirement age 62 to 67, Do I get my deceased spouse’s benefits as well as what I earned or just one or the other whoch is higher? Thanks
Eugene C.
If the spouse begins social security at 70 (received the additional benefit of waiting) and his wife is 8 years younger will she be eligible for half of the full spousal benefit at her full retirement age.
A.C.
Hi, Eugene. Thanks for your question. Keep in mind, if the spouse qualifies for Social Security benefits on her own record, we pay that amount first. But if she also qualifies for a higher amount as a spouse, she’ll get a combination of benefits that equals that higher amount. Visit our Retirement Planner: Benefits For You As A Spouse for more information. Also, at their full retirement age, the spouse’s benefit cannot exceed one-half of the husband’s full retirement amount. For any specific questions, you can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. Generally, you will have a shorter wait if you call later in the day. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.