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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Teresa C.
My spouse was receiving SSI benefits before his death .He was 68yrs old when he started SSI, Can I receive his benefits now? I have not remarried and I am 55 yrs old now.
A.C.
Hi, Teresa. In order for you to be eligible for your husband’s survivors benefits, your husband must have worked long enough to be insured under Social Security. In addition, a disabled widow may be eligible for benefits if you are between ages 50 and 60, you meet the definition of disability for adults and the disability started before your husband’s death or within seven years after your husband’s death. To learn more about benefits that may be available to you, please visit here. If you have specific questions about your situation, please contact your local office. We hope this helps.
Laurence A.
My wife and I are on SS, and my wife has been in nursing home for 6 months. I was told that if she does not qualify for more physical therapy treatments she will have to go into long term care. At that point they said they would take her whole SS payment to cover the cost. If I don’t receive her check I won’t be able to pay the bills. How do I get help?
A.C.
Hi, Laurence. We are sorry to hear about your wife’s condition and your situation. You may be eligible to receive social services from the state in which you live. These services include Medicaid, free meals, housekeeping help, transportation or help with other problems. To find out whether you may qualify and if you need to file a separate application call the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services at 1-800-633-4227 (TTY, 1-877-486-2048). You also can get information about services in your area from your state or local social services or welfare office. We hope this helps.
Donna I.
I am turning 65 on Jan. 22 2020. I am applying for social security income . My husband is retired and his Social security income is a lot higher than mine. Can I get more retirement income than what I have earned over the years and if so how does that effect my husband’s retirement income ?
A.C.
Hi, Donna. Thank you for your question. To qualify for spouse’s benefits, your husband must be receiving retirement or disability benefits. Also, 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. We hope this helps.
Michelle
That was just another pile of wet, hot mess. I have NO IDEA, what they are saying. Instead of helping me, they have scared hell out of me. AGAIN….
My husband left me when my medical issues became, TOO MUCH, for HIM to endure. And then… he was gone. He retired way early, he said, why work my butt off to just support you?
He didn’t seem to understand, his benefits would not be reduced because of me. After 14 years of marriage, he left me for another woman, who was, able, to take care of HIS, needs. She was more interested in his 401k and the money I squirled away for OUR retirement.
I now have more metal in my body than a Buick. I have Fibromyalgia also, but hardly even notice it because my bone and structural pain makes it so easy to forget.
My husband had a good income, as did I before I started breaking, now, he feels I am dead weight and worthless. He was never thinking this way before. We were dedicated to our relationship, “In sickness and in health”…. Then, he met this little Latina gal on Facebook that tripped his trigger and made him understand, “The error of his ways”. He in fact, never had to face me again since he left, so, why beat himself up with the guilt he was once feeling for leaving me? LITERALLY AT DEATHS DOOR.
When both his parents died, I was the only one in a large family that took care of both of them until their demise. I wasn’t even blood. It was just my duty I believed to take care of family. Even when I was dealing with hip and shoulder replacements, dislocations, a rod up my back and neck, etc; I still managed a 66 mi journey, by myself to care for them best I could for a few days at a time. Heck, I WAS THE ONE, who needed a caretaker.
My disability is not NEAR paying my add on health insurance, my rent, utilities, etc. His alimony support that barely kept me floating, has since ended.
My Mom, God bless her has taken up the slack, but, she deserves the retirement she worked all her life for.
This BS I was just sent by Soc. Sec., DOES NOTHING FOR ME. I am a smart, educated woman, but this pile of double-talk is beyond my reasoning and understanding right now. I am medicated, overwhelmed and sad that the ‘Help’ the Govt. offers is just dead end alleys that neither helps me, or even keeps me on the phone long enough to explain my life problems vs. solutions that they might have to help me., so that they may grasp what exactly i am dealing with. The customer support ‘team’, grows bored and transfers me around to a full circle of other bored, frustrated, abused case workers.
I have gone through SO MANY merry go rounds, double speak, I can endure no more.
Now, I just received this email promising me glorious days and rainbow farts, that soon, all will be well.
As I have grown older, I have learned 2 VERY IMPORTANT THINGS.
#1) NEVER pass an available bathroom without using it. You may not make it to the next one.
#2) NEVER trust a fart.
This S.S., “Update seems like a fart to me. A mess I will have to deal with later.
Good luck to all who are in my same boat.
Michelle D.
Michael L.
Is there a separate application for spousal benefits.
A.C.
Hi, Michael. A spouse can apply for benefits at the same time when an individual files an application for their retirement benefits. See our Retirement Planner: Benefits For Your Spouse for more information. We hope it helps.
Patricia O.
I went to our local Social Security office and asked this ? I am currently 62 and 7 months my husband is planning to retire at the FRA of 66.5. My working record would entitle me to $846 monthly. My question, in which I could not get a clear answer to is; when he retires at his FRA can my SS go up to half of his in which it would be more than what I would be getting now?
A.C.
Hi, Patricia. Thank you for your question. If you begin to receive benefits at age 62 or prior to your full retirement age, your benefits are reduced. The reduction factors are permanently applied to all of the benefits you may qualify. You may still be eligible to collect reduced benefits on your husband’s record when he applies. Remember, if you are eligible for both, your own benefit and for benefits as a spouse, we always pay your own first. If your spousal benefits are higher than your own retirement benefits, you will get a combination of benefits equaling the higher spouse benefit. Please visit our Retirement Planner: Benefits For You As A Spouse for more information. We hope this helps.
Barbara T.
Can a husband receive a deceased wife’s benefits. She retired at 63, he retired at 65. She passed away and he went to SS to see if he could draw any of her benefits. He was told no and that a man could not draw off his wife. This was about 6 years ago. She made more working than he did. He only draws from his work history. Any advise. Why can a man not draw on his wife?
A.C.
Hi, Barbara. The amount of a widower’s benefit is based on several factors, including: the earnings of their spouse, when the spouse started receiving their benefits, the widower’s age, and the amount of their own retirement benefit. We compare their own benefit with their potential survivor benefit. If their survivor benefit would be higher than their own current retirement benefit, they would be eligible for survivor benefits. For more information about Survivors benefits, visit here. We hope this helps.
Korea M.
I’m I allowed to have a roommate while receiving SSI
A.C.
Hi, Korea. Thanks for your question. Supplemental Security Income (SSI), is a benefit program for disabled adults and children who have limited income and resources. There are times when SSI benefits are affected by an applicant’s living arrangements. For more information, visit here. For specific questions, please 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.
LAURA P.
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BRUCE D.
The preceeding post about “Dr. Larry” is NOT relevant to this blog Q&A. Please REMOVE it !!
Joseph C.
From this guidance, if a couple is to receive maximum social security retirement benefits (primary and spousal), both need to claim at their respective full retirement ages (please let me know if my understanding is in error).
Does the spousal retirement benefit earn delayed retirement credits similar to the primary beneficiary if delayed claiming beyond full retirement age? Thanks
A.C.
Hi, Joseph. If you delay your own retirement benefits until after your full retirement age, you may be eligible for delayed retirement credits. For more information about delayed retirement credits, visit here. we hope this helps.