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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Andrew S.
This does not clearly state whether my spouses benefit will be reduced if I collect benefits though her account. I do not have sufficient quarters to qualify for benefits. My wife does and has been receiving them for a number of years We are both past the age for getting maximum benefits. Will my applying for spousal benefits through her account reduce her benefits?
Veronica H.
Back when my husband became disabled they told us that i could draw on his but at that time we had 3 children under the age of 18 yrs old that were eligible and that if a was to go on it would be split with the children so i didn’t get it now the children are grown up would i still be eligible for benefits now and how do we go about filling.
tina
renewing their relationship i was convinced and i contacted him and just in 7 days after the spell was caste my beloved husband came looking for me and right now we are together again and he is taking care of me and the little kids as his responsibilities and family. Once again thank you here are his contact to reach him. lovesolutiontemple1@ gmail. com or priestmanuka@ yahoo. com
tina
Thank you very much Priest manuka. i never thought any thing could make my husband come back to me as his wife again, after he broke up with me and left to settle down with another woman who never Knew how we both suffered and share feelings together, thank God today i was lucky to see this great spell caster on a site after seeing a lots of testimony and good work he have done in the lives of people helping them to get their ex husbands and wives
tina
Thank you very much Priest manuka. i never thought any thing could make my husband come back to me as his wife again, after he broke up with me and left to settle down with another woman who never Knew how we both suffered and share feelings together, thank God today i was lucky to see this great spell caster on a site after seeing a lots of testimony and good work he have done in the lives of people helping them to get their ex husbands and wives renewing their relationship i was convinced and i contacted him and just in 7 days after the spell was caste my beloved husband came looking for me and right now we are together again and he is taking care of me and the little kids as his responsibilities and family. Once again thank you here are his contact to reach him. lovesolutiontemple1@ gmail. com or priestmanuka@ yahoo. com
Paul R.
Why is my social security Payment a different date each ?
Susan
Hello, Can you please confirm that if I am receiving spouse benefits for the past several years due to a minor child in the house, that unpon my retirement collecting years the amount I receive now is the total amount max. The spousal benefits would be highter than my monthly at age 62. I don’t collect both correct? Thanks
Joyce P.
My mom passed away recently and I need to get her ssa check stopped or ??
Thank you!
Nancy S.
My husband is deceased and had been receiving Social Security disability. I would like to make an appointment to discuss Social Security Disability benefits for surviving spouse. My husband took the lower amount so I can receive checks after he passes.
Nancy M. Shuster
352-650-2065
SS#*** – ** – ***
Email Silverneon1999@aol.com
Michael Shuster
DOB 2-13-1957
DOD 1-21-2920
SS#*** – ** – ***
George R.
I cannot locate the specific regulations governing legal residence requirements for a spouse to receive benefits. Can you please point me to the regulation that covers this eligibility requirement?