Here's the Average Spousal Social Security Benefit at Ages 62 and 67

MassMutual recently published results from its 2024 Social Security survey, which quizzed 1,500 adults near retirement (ages 55 to 65) with 13 true-or-false questions. As usual, most respondents scored poorly. Less than 1% of participants answered every question correctly, while 78% failed or barely passed.

Of particular concern, 25% of participants incorrectly marked the following statement as false: "If I have a spouse, he or she can receive benefits from my record even if he or she has no individual earnings history." Married couples who misunderstand spousal benefits could make costly mistakes when planning for retirement.

Read on to see the average spousal benefit at different ages, and to learn why your claiming age matters.

Image source: Getty Images.

The average Social Security benefits for spouses of retired workers

Spouses with no work history or low earnings can collect Social Security based on the work record of their retired partner, provided the three conditions listed below are satisfied.

• The spouse must be at least 62.
• The spouse and partner must have been married for at least one year.
• The partner must be receiving Social Security benefits.

Married couples planning for retirement should know how much income Social Security will provide. The most accurate estimates can be obtained by creating a my Social Security account, but retired workers and spouses can get an idea of their future benefits by reviewing average payment data from the Social Security Administration.

The chart below shows the average Social Security benefit for spouses 62 through 67. The information comes from a biannual report last updated on Dec. 31, 2023, and it pertains specifically to the spouses of retired workers.

Source: Social Security Administration.

As shown above, Social Security spousal benefits tend to increase with age, such that the average 67-year-old spouse receives $217 more per month ($2,604 more per year) than the average 62-year-old spouse. The primary reason for that trend is discrepancies in claiming age.

I mention spouses age 62 and 67 specifically because those groups cover the entire spectrum of possible outcomes. By that I mean, 62 is the earliest possible claiming age, and 67 is the latest sensible claiming age for any spouse born in 1960 or later. To understand why, spouses must first understand how their benefits are determined.

How Social Security spousal benefits are determined

The Social Security benefit for the spouse of a retired worker depends on two things: the primary insurance amount (PIA) of the retired worker and the claiming age of the spouse.

PIA refers to the monthly benefit workers will receive if they claim Social Security at their full retirement age (FRA). The spousal benefit will equal 50% of that amount if the spouse claims Social Security at FRA. For instance, the spousal benefit will be $500 if the retired worker has a PIA of $1,000, provided the spouse claims Social Security at FRA.

However, the spousal benefit will be reduced by a certain percentage if the spouse claims Social Security before FRA. That means the spouse will receive less than 50% of the retired worker's PIA. The precise reduction depends on how many months early benefits start.

The chart below shows how birth year relates to FRA, and it details the benefit (as a percentage of the retired worker's PIA) spouses will receive if they claim Social Security at age 62. In other words, the chart shows the smallest possible spousal benefit for each age group.

Data source: Social Security Administration.

There is another important difference between retired-worker benefits and spousal benefits. Workers earn delayed-retirement credits that increase their benefit if they claim Social Security after FRA (up until 70). But spouses cannot earn delayed-retirement credits. That means retired-worker benefits are maximized at age 70, while spousal benefits are maximized at full retirement age. In other words, it typically doesn't make sense for a spouse to claim Social Security after FRA.

There is one exception to that rule: It might be advantageous to start spousal benefits after FRA if doing so allows the partner to earn a bigger retired-worker benefit. Remember, spouses can only collect Social Security on their partner's work record if the partner is already receiving benefits. That means workers who delay Social Security until after FRA might also force their spouses to delay Social Security. Even so, the married couple should come out ahead because a bigger retired-worker benefit should more than offset the lost income from claiming spousal benefits late.