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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Maria L.
Good evening. I watch the video this morning about 2:00 o’clock in the morning about VA, I was about to ask about my stolen US Soc. Sec. Card because that is my Permanent Card Number when I work in USA 1981 and I did not change my name and I have my own email address. I have two sisters from the 2nd husband of my mother, their name was Elena Dulay born Feb.15/1948 and Teacher where she sponsored us to come to NZ and my ex husband passaway I have here his Death Cert. and I have two adult son now. They are both singles and studying. My “Medicare A’ was already expired since I turn 65 yrs old last 2015 and I did not received retirement check. I also have another youngest sister Adelaida Seekopp Whermke but she is already widow and German citizen w/her one daughter and a grandkids. we never seen her for ages. I hope, for such a long time losses might be recover as I will watch again the next video, and I said to the lady I will call back, I spoke to her thru tel. con. this day when I watch the video of Mr.Robert Wilkie. OK thank you and have a wonderful day.
Barbara B.
I have a question. My child is getting Social Security because she had to apply for child’t insurace benefits-Life Claim as she was born is C.P. The question is why does she get part of my Social Security benefits. They took 1/2 of my money to pay for her money. She had been on SSI till my husband retired. I work for the railroad and was getting close to $700 a month then when my husband started to receive his social security money I started to get 1,200 till they put our daughter on it and they she got half..I lost half. I don’t understand….
V.V.
Hi Barbara. When a parent gets Social Security retirement or disability benefits, his or her disabled adult child also may get benefits. Disabled adult children also can get benefits when a parent dies. The disabled adult child is eligible for 50% of the parent’s full benefit if the parent is retired or disabled, and 75% if the parent is deceased. However, if there are additional beneficiaries on the record such as a spouse, the Social Security benefits may be subject to a “family maximum”. Unfortunately, but for security reasons, we do not have access to personal records in this venue to determine if that is the case in your situation. We encourage you to contact your local office or call our toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213. Representatives are available Monday through Friday, between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
OP
Why is COMMENT not a required field?
OP
Why is COMMENT not a required field *
OP
You only have about 60 or 90 days to appeal.
O P.
If my spouse took benefits at age 62 and her amount was reduced by 25%, four yrs later when I begin my benefits, will her spousal supplement (about $300) also have the same 25% penalty applied to it? FRA for both is 66. Mine is $2400 and hers alone is $900.
Gail S.
I need to know about benefits I may be entitled to after divorce. We were married 36 years and I believe his social security is higher than mine.
How do I find out.
V.V.
Hi Gail, thank you for your question. To inquire about the potential benefit as a divorced spouse, please call our toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. to speak to one of our representatives.
Lori
My husband is on Social Security, I’m disabled, so what are the rules for a disabled spouse that never got the chance to work?
V.V.
Hi Lori. For you to qualify for spouse’s benefits on your husband’s record, you must be 62 years old. Visit our Retirement Planner: Benefits For Your Spouse for more information.
Gloria
I’m divorced and would like to know about benefits if any I have from my ex husband. He is 3 yrs younger than me. He was self employed, so how will this affect me if and when he gets his benefits?
V.V.
Thank you for your question, Gloria. Please check out our Social Security divorced spouse’s benefits web page for all the details.
If you are divorced and currently unmarried, you may be able to receive benefits on your ex-spouse’s record if your marriage lasted 10 years or longer. We will always pay your own retirement benefit first. If your benefits as a divorced spouse are higher than your own retirement benefits, you will get a combination of benefits equaling the higher divorced spouse benefit. However, the divorced spouse’s benefit cannot exceed one-half of your ex-spouse’s full retirement amount (not his reduced benefit amount). So, you can only receive additional divorced spouse’s benefits if your own full retirement benefit (not your reduced benefit) is less than half of your ex-husband’s full retirement benefit.
Donald W.
I no longer have the email address when signing up for MY Social Security online. Could you please change my email address to : Dojier824@gmail.com
DOB: SS: Thanks,
Donald Murphy
V.V.
Hi Donald, thank you for your question. After you sign in to your my Social Security account, you can update your email address. After inputting your username and password, you will be at the security code screen. If you receive your security code via email only, then indicate that you cannot access the options listed above and need to reset where you receive security codes. We will then send you a letter with a reset code and instructions.