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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R. B.
My question concerns spousal survivor benefit. Because of disability I was compelled to retire age 62. My spouse voluntarily elected to retire at 62. We both are currently receiving monthly SS early retirement benefits. Upon my death, what benefit would my surviving widow be entitled to receive based on my current monthly benefit? I’m currently 69, she is 68, and we’ve have been married for 41 years. Our normal full retirement age was to be 66. As a percentage of my retirement benefit, what would she, as my spousal survivor, be entitled to in addition to her own retirement?
V.V.
Hi R. Baker, thank you for your question. Typically, a widow or widower at full (survivors) retirement age or older generally receives 100% of the deceased worker’s amount, a widow or widower under full retirement age receives about 71 to 99 percent of the worker’s benefit amount, and a widow or widower with a child younger than age 16 receives 75 percent of the worker’s benefit amount. For more information about how much your benefit would be, visit our Survivors Planner. We hope this is helpful.
Judy H.
Applying for spousal benefit in addition to my SS.I tried my re-entry number and it would not accept.
C A.
I’m a widower at 69 yrs of age. I receive a spousal benefit. Am I required to switch to my benefit at 70 yrs of age or could I wait until 72 yrs of age ?
Joe
Like many others, I’m a Google Scholar (my publications are listed in the database) and I can not make any sense of these rules upon rules. Just give everyone a list of all the possible selections/benefits (let’s try to keep it to less than 10) and let them click on the most appropriate one for their circumstances. The default should automatically be the one that gives you the most money. If people need to hire lawyers and CPAs to game the system you have failed!!!!
Henry F.
She is filling out the form to apply for benefits but I don’t see where she is to specify what she is filing for, spousal benefits or retired worker benefits.
V.V.
Hi Henry, thank you for your question. You can apply online using one application to apply for retirement, spouse’s, divorced spouse’s or Medicare benefits. We hope this helps!
Henry F.
No, your answer doesn’t help! Where in the application does one specify which benefit they are applying for, retirement or spouse’s?
Henry F.
I delayed receiving my benefits until I turned 70. My monthly amount before deductions is $3330. My wife turns 66 on 6/2/20. Her Estimated Benefits are $1556 at FRA and $2391 at age 70. We both continue to work and are self employed. In order to receive the highest benefit now should she apply for my spousal benefit or her own benefit?
V.V.
Hi Henry, thank you for using our blog to ask your question. Under existing law, if your wife is eligible for benefits both as a retired worker and as a spouse, she must apply for both benefits and she’ll receive the higher of the two benefits. This requirement is called “deemed filing” because when you apply for one benefit you are “deemed” to have also applied for the other.
However, if she was born before 1/2/1954, deemed filing rules will not apply if she waits to file at her full retirement age or later. This means that she may file for either spouse’s benefit or retirement benefit without being required or “deemed” to file for the other. See our Deemed Filing For Retirement And Spouse’s Benefits FAQs web page for details.
Steven U.
My Mother passed 4-3-2020. I am trying to stop benefits payments. She lived in japan, and died in Japan. I do not have her SS number or her Birth certificate and no way to get these. I do have a copy of death certificate written 100% in Japanese, I have a recent application for an original Birth certificate, I helped her get several months ago. My question being: should I fill out the statement of death by Funeral Director, Provide the Birth certificate application along with the bank account information Mom’s SSA check was being deposited to help verify my mothers information? what is the best way to proceed, SSA offices closed, 800 # during Covid should be reserved for the living that require help now.
Thank You
A.C.
Hi, Steven. We are sorry to hear about your loss. You can also contact your local Social Security office for assistance. Look for the general inquiry telephone number under Show Additional Office Information. Please be aware that our call wait times are longer than normal. We hope this helps.
Margaret H.
I do not wish to sound like a person who is looking for something “free”.but I need to know the answer to this question since we are all cooped up and I Cannot get to my local SSI office. My husband is 71, receiving his SS, he is a disabled Vietman vet receiving benefits there, but he is still working a 40 hour week. AM I ENTITLED TO BENEFITS?
Thank you
V.V.
HI Margaret, thank you for your question. If you are asking about Social Security spouse’s benefits, check out our Frequently Asked Questions web page regarding who is eligible for spouse’s benefits. Hopefully this helps.
Nicole S.
I m so confused! I collect worker’s comp. death benefits after my husband was murdered at work in 2016. I receive the benefits every month and for my lifetime. It is my sole income. My husband was the provider for 30 years and I took care of the family. I did work from time to time. I turned 50 this year and I do not work. I wondered if I can collect my husband’s social security now, being I m a surviving spouse?
Also, my benefits are not taxable income, so I do not have to file taxes. Where is this portal that allows someone like me to register, so I can be sure to receive the stimulus money, I really need it and ASAP!
V.V.
Hi Nicole, thank you for your question. Check out our Frequently asked Questions web page for details on who is eligible for survivors benefits and how to apply. Hopefully this helps.
Timothy O.
My mother, who just turned 85, received a letter stating her widow’s benefits were to be reduced beginning August 2019, “because we started paying another person on this record”. What could be the cause of the reduction? My father remarried but I understood both my mother and my fathers second wife were entitled to a full widows pension? My father passed in 2001.
V.V.
Hi Timothy, thank you for using our blog to ask your question. For your security, we do not have access to private information in this venue. We ask that members in our Blog community work with our offices with specific questions. Your mother can call us at 1-800-772-1213 for assistance or she can contact her local Social Security office. Please look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Please be aware that our call wait times are longer than normal. We hope this information helps.