Social Security is best known for providing monthly income to retirees based on their earnings over the course of their working lives, but there's more to the program than that. One important aspect of it that married (and divorced) couples ought to know about is its spousal benefit, which can provide retirement income to both spouses based on only one of their work records.
In this article, we'll explore what a spousal benefit is and how to qualify for one, as well as how you can get an estimate of what your future spousal benefit might be.
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What is a Social Security spousal benefit?
The Social Security spousal benefit provides additional retirement income to married couples where one spouse was the primary earner throughout their career. This is most common in situations where one spouse was a stay-at-home parent, but taking spousal benefits can also be a better option when one spouse earned significantly less than the other or didn't work for long enough in Social Security-covered employment to qualify for retirement benefits based on their own work history.
The base spousal benefit is equal to one-half of the higher-earning spouse's primary insurance amount -- i.e., the Social Security benefit they would be entitled to if they claimed at their full retirement age. Spouses who qualify can start collecting their benefits as early as age 62 (earlier if caring for a qualifying child), but their monthly payouts will be reduced if they claim early.
How to qualify for a spousal benefit
In order to qualify for a spousal benefit, you must meet a few conditions:
- You must be 62 or older, or care for a child who is under 16 or who has a disability.
- Your spouse must be receiving benefits, either in the form of a retired worker's benefit or Social Security disability. (Even if you have reached your full retirement age, you cannot collect spousal benefits unless your spouse has already started collecting Social Security.)
- You either don't have enough Social Security credits to qualify for a benefit on your own, or your expected benefit at full retirement age would be less than half of your spouse's.
Importantly, you don't need to still be married to the person to collect spousal benefits based on their work history. If you are divorced, but your marriage lasted for at least 10 years, you may still qualify for the benefit based on your ex's benefits.
It's also worth noting that the Social Security Administration will evaluate your work record when you apply. You will be paid either the benefit your earnings history would entitle you to or a spousal benefit -- whichever amount is higher.
How to check your estimated benefit
If you know what your spouse's benefit would be at their full retirement age, you can simply divide it in half to estimate the maximum spousal benefit you might qualify for.
However, the best way to get accurate estimates of your future benefits is for you and your spouse to create "my Social Security" accounts at www.ssa.gov, if you haven't already. First, have your spouse log in and view their benefit estimate at full retirement age. After you're logged in, you can go to the "Retirement Calculator" section and choose one of the following options:
- Calculate a Benefit as a Spouse if you don't qualify for your own Social Security benefits.
- Compare with Benefit as a Spouse if you are eligible for your own retirement benefit and want to see which is higher.
In either case, you'll be able to get an estimate based on your spouse's estimated benefit. You'll not only be able to see what you would get if you began taking benefits at full retirement age, but also at any future age at which you are allowed to start collecting them.
