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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Cynthia B.
Can I still collect 1/2 of my husband’s
SS check amount when I turn 66 and 2 months and delay collecting mine until I’m 70 to let it grow the the full amount?
Patricia f.
I receive disability benefits and widow’s benefits. I wanted to know once I Reach retirement age of 65 does my widow benefits end.
V.V.
Hi Patricia, thanks for using our blog. If you are currently receiving disabled widow’s benefits and you are also eligible for retirement benefits (but haven’t applied yet), you have an option to file for retirement if it’s higher than what you’re currently receiving.
You can call us at 1-800-772-1213 for assistance or you can contact your 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.
Michael G.
For this item ~ “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.” ~ I have a question for my scenario. My wife is 63, I’ll be 65 later this year, if we start her small amount of retirement benefits (less than $300/month) now, when I retire next year will this amount stop for her, and she can switch over to spousal benefit based on my larger amount? We do not collect both her small amount plus her spousal benefit, correct?
V.V.
Hi Michael, thank you for using our blog. We will always pay a person’s own retirement benefit first. If their benefits as a spouse are higher than their own retirement benefits, they will get a combination of benefits equaling the higher spouse benefit. However, keep in mind that a spouse’s benefit cannot exceed one-half of the worker’s full retirement amount (not their reduced benefit amount). So, a person is only going to receive additional spouse’s benefits if their own full retirement benefit (not their reduced benefit) is less than half of their spouse’s full retirement benefit.
For example, if a worker’s full retirement benefit amount is $1,100, the spousal benefit is 50 percent of that, or $550. However, if that spouse is eligible for a full retirement benefit on their own record of $400, then their actual spouse’s benefit would be an additional $150 which equals that 50 percent. If the spouse waited until their full retirement age to file, they would receive one payment of $550, even though $400 was from their own retirement record and $150 was from their spouse’s record. Benefits are reduced if the individual files prior to their full retirement age.
ANDREW S.
I was told by a former employee that I can retire at 62 and collect half of my spouses SS until I reach full retirement age of 66 and 10 months. My spouse is 7 years younger than me. If so what does this do to her SS? Is this possible? My plan now is to work until the full retirement age as of now, but I never heard of this.
V.V.
Hi Andrew, 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.
The deemed filing rules do not apply to individuals that turn 62 before January 2, 2016. See our Deemed Filing For Retirement And Spouse’s Benefits web page for details.
Edwin C.
Please call me at (256) 758-8575
Ken H.
I turned 65 in June and have signed up for Medicare Parts A & B and have subsequently signed up for a Medicare Advantage Plan. I am still working and have 43 years of full employment. My wife is older than I and has been on Medicare since July 2016. She was advised that she was 3 units short and thus I have been paying for Part A as well as Part B for her. Now that I am 65 and enrolled in Medicare, should not her Part A premium stop being billed to me? We spoke with a representative on Friday and all she did was look at my wife’s file and say there is no letter saying her premium changes. She then scheduled a specialist phone call appointment for this Wednesday to discuss further and advised me to check out the website to get information on spouse benefits. I have and according to an article, we should not be paying for her Part A anymore. Please advise. Thank you.
A.C.
Hi, Ken. For your wife’s 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 wife can contact her local Social Security office for assistance. She can ask to speak to a supervisor on her next call. We hope this is resolved soon.
ruth v.
I am applying for my husbands social security as I retire in January 2021 at age 62 and 7months. Are there any limits on my income by future wages or an annuity that I receive that would impact the amount of that benefit?
A.C.
Hi, Ruth. First, to qualify for spouse’s benefits, your spouse must be receiving retirement or disability benefits. Keep in mind that if you qualify for your own retirement benefits and for benefits as a spouse, we always pay your own benefits first. If your benefits as a spouse are higher than your own retirement benefits, you will get a combination of benefits equaling the higher spouse benefit. Visit our Retirement Planner: Benefits For You As A Spouse for more information. Also, if you are younger than full retirement age during all of 2021, we must deduct $1 from your benefits for each $2 you earn above $18,240. Check out how work affects Social Security payments here. We hope this helps.
Yvette
Can you receive a spousal benefit if you on disability? When you reach age 62 and your spouse is at full retirement age.
A.C.
Hi, Yvette. If you’re referring to disability benefits (SSDI), these benefits automatically change to retirement benefits when disability beneficiaries attain their full retirement age. Generally, the benefit amount remains the same. To qualify for spouse’s benefits, your spouse must be receiving retirement or disability benefits. Keep in mind that if you qualify for your own retirement benefits and for benefits as a spouse, we always pay your own benefits first. If your benefits as a spouse are higher than your own retirement benefits, you will get a combination of benefits equaling the higher spouse benefit. Visit our Retirement Planner: Benefits For You As A Spouse for more information. We hope this helps.
Debra
My husband and I divorced several years ago. Neither of us has remarried. He past away last year. I will be 66 next month. Am I able to collect anything on him until such time that i retire and then collect on my own policy?
V.V.
Hi Debra. If you are the divorced spouse of a worker who died and you are not married, you could get benefits just the same as a widow or widower. For more information, please visit our Surviving Divorced Spouse webpage. If you never filed for your own retirement benefits, you can switch over later, up to age 70, if it’s advantageous to do so.
To make an appointment to apply for surviving divorced spouse benefits, call us at 1-800-772-1213 or you can contact your 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.
Cynthia H.
Hello, I am currently 62 years old.
My husband of 20+ years passed away in 2016. I receive widows benefits from him.
I also have disability benefits of my own since 2008.
Will my benefits change if I apply for my retirement instead of getting disability or will it automatically go to full retirement benefits when I reach 65 and no longer be disability benefits?
V.V.
Hi Cynthia, thanks for using our blog. Social Security disability benefits automatically change to retirement benefits when disability beneficiaries become full retirement age. The dollar amount of your benefit remains the same. The law does not allow a person to receive both retirement and disability benefits on one earnings record at the same time. We hope this is helpful.