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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Anna
I am 59 and have been on disability since 2019. My ex spouse just started receiving social security retirement benefits. We have been divorced 10 years and married for 20 years. Will I be able to collect money from his retirement social security, or will I have to wait until I am 62?
V.V.
Thank you for your question, Anna. If you are divorced, you can receive benefits on your ex-spouse’s record if you are 62 or older and your marriage lasted 10 years or longer.
See our Retirement Planner: If You’re Divorced for other eligibility requirements and more detailed information.
Marraina L.
My name is Marraina. I am 42 yrs. old and am currently recieving SSI. I have been married for ten yrs. and was wanting to know if i could draw on my husbands social security? He is currently unemployed and he will be 56 April 30,2020. I am curious to know how all this social security stuff works. It is all a little bit confussing. Please help me to understand.
V.V.
Hi Marraina, thank you for using our blog to ask your question. Check out our Benefits Planner page If You Are Divorced for details on the various benefits. We hope this helps.
Thomas
I am 63 years old, I thinking about retiring this year, my wife has never worked, can she get a spouse benefit off of my earning and at what % of my benefit.
V.V.
Hi Thomas, thank you for using our blog to ask your question. Even if your wife has never worked under Social Security, she may be able to get spouse’s retirement benefits on your record if she is at least 62 years of age and you are receiving retirement or disability benefits. She can also qualify for Medicare at age 65. Visit our Retirement Planner: Benefits For You As A Spouse for more information.
Benny T.
My wife will turn 70 next month and has filed on line for her SSA benefits to start in June of this year.
1) Can I apply for spouse’s benefits using the “on line form”?
2) Can I ask for spouse’s benefits to start this June or should I wait until this July so my wife’s benefits get started first?
3) Since I was born in 1952 I understand that the “deemed filing rules” don’t apply to me and I can apply for my own benefits when I turn 70 in 2022. Is this correct?
Thank you for your assistance
V.V.
Hi Benny, thank you for your question. You may be able to get spouse’s benefits but, under existing law, if you are eligible for benefits both as a retired worker and as a spouse, you must apply for both benefits and you’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 you turn 62 before January 2, 2016, deemed filing rules will not apply if you wait to file at your full retirement age or later. This means that you may file for either your spouse’s benefit or your 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.
Your spouse’s benefits can begin the same month as your wife’s retirement benefits if you’re eligible. Use our Social Security Retirement/Medicare Benefit Application to apply for retirement, spouse’s, divorced spouse’s or Medicare benefits. We hope this helps!
humberto a.
I’m early retired at 62, now I have 72, my wife 56, she stop working two years ago, does she can claim SS benefit now as part of my retirement. Or she has to wait until the edge
V.V.
Hi Humberto. For your wife to qualify for spouse’s benefits on your record, you must be receiving retirement or disability benefits and she must be 62 or older. Also, if your wife is receiving Social Security benefits on her own record, we pay that amount first. But, if she also qualifies for a higher amount on your record as a spouse, she may be able to get a combination of benefits that equals that higher amount. Visit our Retirement Planner: Benefits For A Spouse for more information.
David
I didn’t get it. If I wanna divorce, and I’m 68, my wife’s 66, will she have half of my benefits? And can I use https://www.onlinefloridadivorce.com/? Did anybody do it before? Is they promise truth?
Phyllis S.
If I take half of my husbands social security does it affect his retirement amount when he retires.
Diane G.
Gm Orlando Fla..If i were just approved for my survivors benefits..I was informed my first check would come home mail …so would my Economic Stimulas Check be sent at that time or when Direct Deposit is set up. since gov states Social Sec S B will auto receive…Thank You
Paul B.
I am 72 receiving social security benefits. My wife is 55. If I pass away today will she receive any of my social security benefits?.
V.V.
Hi Paul, thank you for your question. Your wife’s survivor amount is based on your earnings. The more you paid into Social Security, the higher her benefit will be. If you are already receiving reduced benefits when you die, survivors benefits are based on that amount. Widows benefit are payable as early as age 60 (for a reduced benefit) or a full widows benefit at full retirement age or older. Use our Survivors Planner to look at how your family members are protected if you die. We hope this is helpful.
Julie a.
I will be 63 in June 2020. I filed for primary SS and will receive $2002 effective May 1, 2020 when I retire from my full-time job. I will continue to work part time. My husband is 661/2 and filed ‘file and restrict’ on my account. We have not received his award letter, but the SS office said he (Mark) will receive 50% of my FRA benefit which will be a payment of $1300 per month effective May 1, 2020. Question: I understand by working part-time, from May through Dec 2020, my monthly SS benefit payment ($2,002) will be reduced $1 for every $2 earned greater than $1,520 per month. We were told if I earn more than $1,520 per month, my husband’s monthly file and restrict benefit ($1,300) will also be reduced, even though he is full retirement age, but the SS representative could not tell us by how much. Can you please tell us how my earnings over $1,520 per month will impact my husband’s file and restrict monthly benefit payment? Will his $1,300 per month file and retrict benefit also be reduced $1 for every $2 I earn over $1,520 per month? We also understand that he could earn any amount and not have that file and restrict payment reduced because he is full retirement age. I hope our question (about the impact of my part-time monthly earnings on his file and restrict benefit monthly payment is clear). Thank you! Julie Toskey/Mark Toskey
V.V.
Hi Julie and Mark, thank you for your questions. You can work and receive Social Security retirement benefits; however, because you are younger than full retirement age, there are earnings limits. For 2020, the yearly limit is $18,240. Because you are filing for retirement in the middle of the year, and if you have already earned more than the yearly limit, there is a special rule that applies to earnings for one year. Under this rule, you can get a Social Security benefit for any whole month that you are “retired” and earning $1,520 or less. You can use our earnings test calculator to see how earnings can affect your benefit payments.
Because your spouse is receiving benefits on your record, your earnings from work you do after you start getting retirement benefits could reduce his spouse’s benefits, too. If your spouse was receiving benefits on his own record, he would have unlimited earnings because he is full retirement age.
For additional details, check out the publication How Work Affects Your Benefits.
julie a.
Hi Vonda,
Can you remove our last names from the Julie/Mark post above? If not can you remove the entire post please? Thank you.