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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Gayle H.
This doesn’t address how to switch from spousal benefit to my own benefit since I turned 70. Do I need to reapply for Social Security?
Vonda V.
Hi Gayle, thanks for using our blog. If you’ve never applied for retirement benefits on your own record, you will need to apply as they will not start automatically. Our system is set up to take applications four months in advance, and when you’re ready, you can apply for your benefits online.
If you are unable or do not want to apply for benefits online, you can schedule an appointment by calling 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.
Andrea S.
how does a spouse apply if husband is over 62 but she has minor children receiving benefits? Which form?
Vonda V.
Hi Andrea, thanks for using our blog. 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.
Reva S.
I would like to see about wether I can receive halo of my spouse ss
Vonda V.
Hi Reva, thanks for using our blog to ask your question. We will always pay your own retirement benefit 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. However, the spouse’s benefit cannot exceed one-half of your husband’s full retirement amount (not his reduced benefit amount). So, you can only receive additional spouse’s benefits if your own full retirement benefit (not your reduced benefit) is less than half of your husband’s full retirement benefit.
Generally, during the initial interview when applying for Social Security benefits, we typically explore all other benefits that could yield you a higher benefit amount. To find out if you are eligible for a higher benefit amount, 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.
Roxanne L.
Would a recent widow, who only has collected a teachers pension (no SS) be able to collect her deceased husbands survivors social security? He retired passed 70…she is over 80.
Vonda V.
Hi Roxanne, thanks for using our blog. If you receive a pension from a government job in which you did not pay Social Security taxes, some or all of your Social Security spouse’s, widow’s, or widower’s benefit may be offset due to receipt of that pension. This offset is referred to as the Government Pension Offset, or GPO. For additional details, check out our Government Pension Offset factsheet.
Laura T.
Why don’t I get my deceased spouse full SS?
We both were getting our SS checks at 62 ..
He passed away at 78.
Vonda V.
For your security, Laura, 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. 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.
maxwell g.
I retired at 70 years of age. My wife turns 65 on 10/25/2020 She does not have enough points of her own to qualify for Medicare. How can I get Medicare for her? We have been married for 36 years.
Vonda V.
Hi Maxwell, thank you for using our blog. She can apply for Medicare on your record during her initial enrollment period. Her initial enrollment period begins three months before her 65th birthday, includes the month she turns age 65, and ends three months after that birthday.
She can call us at 1-800-772-1213 to make an appointment to apply 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.
Earnest R.
Is my wife eligible for spousal SS benefits after 10 yrs of marriage or ten yrs of us filing taxes together?
Vonda V.
Hi Earnest, thank you for the question. According to current policy, a spouse must meet a 1 year duration-of-marriage requirement just before filing for the spousal benefit. Check out our Benefits For Your Spouse web page for more details.
Virginia K.
my husband will begin collecting ss benefits soon and I want to know how this will increase my benefits?
Vonda V.
Hi Virginia, thanks for using our blog to ask your question. We will always pay your own retirement benefit first. Once your husband files, we will look into additional spouse’s benefits for you. 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. However, the spouse’s benefit cannot exceed one-half of your husband’s full retirement amount (not his reduced benefit amount). So, you can only receive additional spouse’s benefits if your own full retirement benefit (not your reduced benefit) is less than half of your husband’s full retirement benefit.
Generally, when your husband applies, we typically explore all other benefits that could yield you a higher benefit amount. If you have additional questions, 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.
Peggy
I turn 70 in December and am currently receiving survivor’s benefits. My benefits will be higher than my deceased spouse’s. How and when do I change over to my benefits? There are no clear instructions online, no one answers the phones, and offices are closed due to Covid-19.
Vonda V.
Hi Peggy, thanks for using our blog. Our system is set up to take applications four months in advance, and when you’re ready, you can apply for your retirement benefits online.
If you are able or do not want to apply online, 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.
Henry S.
Article should be titled “Understanding deceased spouse’s benefits” as that’s what it winds up explaining.
Explanations under the current title should refer to living people’s situations, which is what I was expecting