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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John H.
I receive s s d i benefits and my grandson that Im Legal Guardian of receives dependent benefits ,can my spouse who is 58 years old as of 08/13/2019 receive benefits based on she cares for my grandson who is under 16 years old, under the rules Im reading she may still Qualify for spousal benefits could you verify this rule and can I apply online or do I need to come into the office, thank you John Hammond
Leonel B.
Please help me
My wife just died overseas and I’m living now overseas, How can I report do Social Security this unfortunate event?
I’m retired so was my wife and we receive SS benefits, do I have any rights as a survivor on my wife benefits?
How should I apply?
Thank you for your kind attention
Duane F.
Spouse Benefits? Wife turns 62 in September 2020, she may apply for SS benefits then. I am 66, born before 01/02/1954 but have not yet files for SS. Do I qualify for spouse benefits based on wife earnings; assuming she files at age 62? I see I might get 36.46% of her primary insurance amount – is this 36.46 of her FRA benefit or the reduced amount at age 62?
Lloyd w.
I am older than my spouse and drawing social security already. I don’t quite understand something…
When my husband reaches retirement and starts drawing his social security, does that mean I will loose 50% of my social security? Diane
Gordon N.
My wife is 83 (received 2019 total $7,758) Iam 77 & receive SSDI (received 2019 total $22,866) Can she receive half my SSDI.
Richard E.
I am 80 years old and started receiving SS benefits at age 62… currently receiving $1,598.60/month gross. My wife, age 78, began benefits at age 62 and receives $637.50/month gross. Is it true that she should receive at least 50% of my monthly benefit? Somewhere we have heard that this is the case.
Can you please clarify if this is correct?
Thank you very much.
John H.
Can my wife receive 50% of my benefits. We are both on social security. I’m 85 and she is 80.
Connie P.
Information about divorced spousal benefits from a living spouse
David R.
May I draw SS from my divorced wife if we were only married for 2 years?
Janice C.
How do I change my mailing address for social security documents?