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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Donna
My husband gets his social security disability. I just turned 62 and was wondering if I filed to receive a spousal check on him, would that effect the amount he get now, or lower his social security amount later.
Thank you
V.V.
Hi Donna, thanks for using our blog. Benefits paid to you on your spouse’s record will not decrease your spouse’s benefit. Check out our Benefits for Your Spouse web page for more details.
Katie
Can I put my husbands name on Mysocialsecurity online, or does he have to have his own account one line??
Marc D.
My father, Wilbur A. Drehsen, SSN *** – ** – ***, passed away 9/18/20. Please stop his SS payments. (I could not find a category in your menu that allows me to do this.)
V.V.
We are very sorry for your loss, Marc. Typically, the funeral director notifies us of an individual’s passing by contacting the local Social Security office. To verify this information was reported, you can 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.
For additional information, check out our factsheet on How Social Security Can Help When a Family Member Dies.
DONNA A.
If a wife dies can the husband receive her SS benefits even though she only receives half of her husbands amount. She did not have enough credits on her own so she gets half of her husbands.
V.V.
Hi Donna, thank you for your question. To be eligible for a survivor benefit, the deceased must have worked long enough under Social Security. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions web page for details on who can get Social Security survivors benefits. We hope this helps!
Jennifer C.
I am a 46 yr old widower. My husband died at 53 can I get benefits
V.V.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for using our blog. If you are the widow of a person who worked long enough under Social Security, you can receive full benefits at full retirement age for survivors or reduced benefits as early as age 60. If you qualify for retirement benefits on your own record, you can switch to your own retirement benefit as early as age 62 or as late as age 70.
Check out our Survivors Planner web page for additional details.
Bonnie L.
If a spouse passes & the SS is higher than the survivor,;
Does the survivor receive the larger benefit & forfeit his or hers
V.V.
Hello Bonnie. It is possible for a person to be eligible for benefits from different records at the same time. However, we are only going to pay the highest benefit amount from either record – meaning that you will only be allowed to receive one payment. Typically, a widow or widower at their 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.
Ashley
I am a second wife and my husband been divorced for almost 25 years when we get married. He is now retired and getting his pension. We are now married for 20 years . If he passed away, does the ex wife still entitled for his pension if they were married for more than 10 years? Am I entitle too for her pension?
Quince a.
My wife is fully retired and drawing 2389.00, I took early @ 62 I get 978, if my wife passes first what will I be able to get from her SS payment on top of mine or is it combined, i need to know a ballpark number for our investment purposes, please. And also need to know if I pass first what could she expect from mine, With Kindest Regard, Quince A Hobbs Jr & Debra l Hobbs
V.V.
Hi Quince, thanks for using our blog. The amount of your widows benefit is based on several factors, including: the earnings of the person who died, when the deceased worker started receiving their benefits, your age at the time of your spouse’s death, and the amount of your own retirement benefit. We compare your own benefit with your potential survivor benefit. If your survivor benefit would be higher than your own current retirement benefit at the time of your spouse’s passing, you would be eligible for survivor benefits. You don’t receive both benefits but the higher of the two.
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.
Bettina L.
I hope to retire next year; if I take my social security 4 months early versus waiting until “FULL” retirement how does that impact my benefit as a divorced (not remarried) spouse.
V.V.
Hi Bettina, thanks for using our blog. If you are divorced and currently unmarried, you may be able to receive benefits on your ex-spouse’s record if your marriage lasted 10 years or longer. Your benefit as a divorced spouse can be equal to one-half of your ex’s full retirement amount only if you start receiving those benefits at your full retirement age. If you begin to receive benefits at age 62 or prior to your full retirement age, your benefits are reduced. The reduction factors are permanently applied to all of the benefits you qualify for once you opt to start benefits at age 62 or at any time prior to your full retirement age.
Remember, if you qualify for your own retirement benefits and for benefits as a divorced spouse, we always pay your own retirement benefits first. If your benefits as a divorced spouse are higher than your own retirement benefits, you will get a combination of benefits equaling the higher divorced spouse benefit.
Check out our Retirement Planner: If You’re Divorced for other eligibility requirements and more detailed information.
You can apply online by using our Social Security Retirement/Medicare Benefit Application to apply for retirement, spouse’s, divorced spouse’s or Medicare benefits.
Julie W.
I am 69 and currently receiving spousal benefits on a restricted application. When I turn 70 in December, will my benefits on my own record automatically be activated?
Thank You!
V.V.
Hi Julie, thanks for using our blog. Our system is set up to take applications four months in advance of when you want your benefits to begin. You can apply for your retirement benefits online as they will not start automatically.
If you are unable to apply online, you can 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.