The vast majority of Social Security retirement benefits are paid to retired workers. Their monthly checks are essentially based on how much money they paid into the system during their careers. However, there's an exception to this.
Spouses can also receive retirement benefits based on the earnings of their husband or wife. How do Social Security spousal benefits work? Here's what you need to know.
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Who's eligible?
There are three general eligibility requirements for collecting Social Security spousal benefits:
- You must have been married for at least one year.
- You must be at least 62 years old.
- Your spouse must already receive Social Security retirement benefits.
The requirement to be married for one year, however, doesn't apply if you're the parent of your retired spouse's child, who is under age 16.
Ex-spouses can also qualify for Social Security spousal benefits even after a divorce if the following conditions are met:
- You must have been married for at least 10 years.
- You must currently be unmarried. (Your ex-spouse could have remarried, though.)
- You must be at least 62 years old.
- Your spousal benefit is greater than the retirement benefit you'd receive based on your own earnings.
How much can a spouse receive?
You can receive up to 50% of your spouse's Social Security retirement benefits. However, you must have attained your full retirement age (FRA) to collect this full amount. Also, if the retirement benefits based on your own earnings record are higher, you'll receive those benefits instead of spousal benefits.
Your spousal benefits will be reduced if you begin receiving payments before your FRA. For the first 36 months before reaching your FRA, the benefits will be reduced by 25/36 of 1% per month. If you begin collecting spousal benefits earlier than that point, the benefit will be reduced by another 5/12 of 1% per month. If you begin receiving spousal benefits at age 62 (the earliest age possible), you'll only collect 32.5% of your spouse's retirement benefit.
You can, however, begin collecting Social Security retirement benefits, based on your own earnings history, at an early age with an early retirement penalty if your spouse hasn't begun receiving benefits yet. You could then switch to a spousal benefit once your spouse starts collecting retirement benefits.
By the way, waiting until age 70 can boost your spouse's retirement benefits. However, that won't increase the amount of the spousal benefit. It's capped at up to 50% of a spouse's benefit at his or her FRA.
Also, if you begin receiving spousal benefits and continue to work, you'll be subject to the standard earnings limits. For 2024, $1 in benefits will be withheld for every $2 in annual earnings above $22,320. During the year an individual attains FRA, $1 in benefits will be withheld for every $3 in annual earnings above $59,520.
Special rules for surviving spouses
There are some special rules for surviving spouses, as summed up in the following table:
| Age at Which Benefits Begin | Special Eligibility Criteria | Amount of Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Any age | Surviving spouse has not remarried and cares for the child of a deceased spouse who is under age 16 or who has a disability and receive's child's Social Security benefits | 75% |
| 50-59 | If the surviving spouse has a disability AND the disability began before or within seven years of spouse's death | 71.5% |
| 60-FRA | None | 71.5% to 99% |
| FRA | None | 100% |
Data source: Social Security Administration. Table by author.
Note that if a surviving spouse remarries after reaching age 60 (or age 50 if they have a disability), their survivor benefits won't be affected by their remarriage.
