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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Adeimantus
What a hideously confusing article! What a hideously confusing system, I’m a lawyer who reads complex (and often poorly written) legal documents every day, and I couldn’t figure out what you are trying to explain. No doubt, a person who already understands SS could follow your wording, but for the rest of us ordinary folks, it was impenetrable. For example, at no point do you offer any sort of definition of what a “spouse’s benefit” is. When you refer to “your spouse’s benefit,” it is unclear whether you mean a benefit paid to my spouse or a benefit I am entitled to receive based partly on my spouse’s earnings and status. Maybe you should call it a “spousal benefit,” instead of a “spouse’s benefit.” Of course, much of the problem is that the SS system is way too complicated, with the result that many people make an irreversible bad decision. You should “road-test” your articles by having ordinary people read them before publication. After they read your article, give your readers a test on the main points presented. If 80% of your readers can’t answer 80% of test questions correctly, you should redraft the article.
jill m.
my husband is 84, and i am 69. we both are retired and receiving ss. my husband retired at age 65, and quit wrking at age 70. I , the spouse, retired at age 62, When my husband dies, how much ss will I recieve?
Susan B.
Here is our scenario. My husband, at full retirement age, filled and suspended his social security benefits. He will start drawing in November 2021 at age 70.
I am on Social Security Disability and will reach full retirement at age 66 and 2 months in April 2021. I would also like to suspend my SS retirement benefits, at the time they convert until age 70.
My question is since we will both be fully retirement age elligable can I draw a spousal benifit from my husbands? If yes, will it be on the condition half of his would be greater than my own benefit?
Thank you,
Susan
A.C.
Hi, Susan. Thanks for your questions. if 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 As A Spouse for more information. Also, keep in mind, the rules for voluntary suspension have changed. For more information about the changes, visit here. We hope this helps.
Vickie s.
What is the situation if I was married over 10 years and then remarried after 60?
Deborah
I was approved for SSDI at age 54. I worked at USPS for 33 years, while my husband took care of home and children. My husband is now taking care of me. I clearly made more money than my husband throughput years. He will be age 60 in 2020. If he applies for SSA, will he receive 50% of my benefit SSDI?
A.C.
Hi, Deborah. Thanks for your question. In order for your husband to qualify for spouse’s benefits, he must be age 62. Also, if he qualifies for Social Security benefits on his own record, we pay that amount first. But if he also qualifies for a higher amount as a spouse, he’ll get a combination of benefits that equals that higher amount. Visit our Retirement Planner: Benefits For Your Spouse for more information. We hope this helps.
Arthur M.
Trying to determine if my wife qualifies for “Spousal” benefits. I am 68 and drawing SS. (d/o/b) is 2/15/51. I work part timeMy wife is 62 and her d/o/b is: 10/11/56. she works full time.
In a friendly discussion yesterday a friend told me his wife gets 50% of his benefit amount. No disability involved. He was 1 year older than me and works full time while he draws his SS. Wife was 61, I think.
Just thought I would ask.
A.C.
Hi, Arthur. Thanks for your question. In order for your wife to qualify for spouse’s benefits, she must be age 62. 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. We hope this helps.
Almendares
In the event of a spousal death who’s benefits are the highest of the two is the surviving spouse now entitled to recieve the higher benefit? How long does a couple need to be married before this benefit applies?
Judy S.
Hi I would like to apply for my Ex Spouses Social Security. I was married to him for 30 yrs. I am 71 yrs old. I have never remarried. How do I go about doing that?
Judy Scott
Phyllis L.
Is Social Security benefits received for the prior month.
Meaning, is june benefits paid in July!
Rita O.
When a person retires and collects his/her own SS benefits for a time, then subsequently dies, what happens to the funds that will never be collected by that person? Why don’t they all go into the deceased person’s spouse’s account? They rightly belong to the deceased and his/her family just like any other retirement plan, so where does that money go?