More than 2 million seniors receive spousal Social Security benefits, with an average monthly benefit of about $901 as of the end of 2022. Adding in the cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for 2023 and 2024, that averages about $1,011 per month for this year. But averages aren't all that useful when you're trying to budget for your own retirement costs.
You want to know exactly how much you're going to receive from the program. Fortunately, finding out isn't too complicated. Here's how spousal benefits are calculated and how you can estimate yours, even if you're a ways off from retirement.
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Who is eligible for spousal benefits?
Spouses and ex-spouses of qualifying workers can claim a Social Security benefit on their partners' work record. But there are a few stipulations, including:
- You are at least 62 or older, or you are caring for a minor child of your qualifying worker/spouse.
- You're currently married to a qualifying worker, or were married to one for at least 10 years and haven't remarried.
- The qualifying worker is already claiming benefits, or for ex-spouses, you divorced at least two years ago.
- The spousal benefit you're entitled to is larger than the Social Security benefit you could claim on your own work history.
Most of these requirements are pretty easy to understand, but the last one trips some people up. If you never worked, it's safe to say you'll be able to claim a spousal benefit if you meet the other criteria. But if you've also paid Social Security taxes over the years, understanding how the government calculates Social Security and spousal benefits is key to determining which type you'll get.
How the government calculates spousal Social Security benefits
The government calculates a worker's Social Security benefit by totaling their earnings during their 35 highest-earning years, adjusted for inflation, and dividing the sum by 420 -- the number of months in 35 years. The result is the worker's average indexed monthly earnings (AIME). The Social Security Administration then plugs this into the benefits formula to determine the size of the worker's checks.
This is called a primary insurance amount (PIA). That's the amount a worker qualifies for at their full retirement age (FRA), which is 66 to 67 for today's workers. Claiming under this age reduces Social Security checks by up to 30% while delaying benefits grows those checks slightly until the worker qualifies for their maximum benefit at 70.
Things are a little different for spousal benefits. The maximum spousal benefit is half the worker's PIA. So, for example, if your spouse, the worker, qualifies for a $2,000 monthly check at their FRA, the most you could get is $1,000 per month at your FRA.
But penalties apply for early claiming. Every month you receive benefits prior to your FRA reduces your benefit slightly. Those born after 1960 who claim as soon as they become eligible at 62 only get 65% of the maximum spousal benefit they qualify for. In the example above, this would be $650 per month.
Unfortunately, there are no delayed retirement credits for applying for spousal benefits after your FRA. It generally doesn't make sense to delay benefits past this age, unless you're unable to claim because your spouse hasn't signed up.
The easy way to calculate the size of your spousal benefit
Calculating your spousal benefit only takes a few steps. First, you need to know your spouse's PIA because that forms the basis for your benefit calculation. The easiest way to find this is to have your spouse create a my Social Security account.
They'll have to answer some identity verification questions the first time they open this account. Once they've set up the account, future log-ins shouldn't take as long.
In the account, look for the benefit calculator. This gives them their estimated benefit at all claiming ages from 62 to 70. You're looking for the estimated benefit amount at their FRA.
There are two ways to go from here: First, you can scroll down to the bottom of the page in your spouse's my Social Security account and look for the place where you can estimate potential benefits for a spouse. Enter your date of birth here and the age you plan to claim benefits to see what your spousal benefit would be.
You can also note your spouse's PIA and then open your own my Social Security account. Enter the PIA in the "See what you could receive from a spouse" section. Then, choose your claiming age or claiming date to get your results.
This isn't too difficult for married couples to follow, but it could be more challenging for some divorced people, especially if they didn't part on good terms with their ex. In this case, you may want to contact the Social Security Administration to learn more about how to estimate your spousal benefit. You'll need to provide some key information about your ex, including:
- Their name
- Their date of birth
- Their Social Security number, if known
- The date of your marriage
- The date of your divorce
If you don't know some of this information, the Social Security Administration may be able to help you track it down. Contact the organization by phone or set up an appointment at your local office for further assistance.
Keep in mind that if your spouse is still working, especially if they're far off from retirement, it's possible the spousal benefit estimate you get could change over time as their income changes. It doesn't hurt to follow the steps above every few years as you near claiming age to get a more accurate idea of how big your spousal Social Security checks will be.
