Social Security benefits for spouses are a common source of confusion. In fact, the University of Michigan Retirement Research Center reports that only 46% of surveyed adults had even heard of spousal benefits. The survey also revealed other knowledge gaps:

• Only 34% of participants knew how spousal benefits are calculated.
• Only 27% of participants knew the eligibility criteria for spouses' benefits.

Those knowledge gaps could lead to costly financial mistakes. Here are three things married couples need to know about spousal Social Security benefits in 2026.

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1. Spouses can claim Social Security on their retired partner's work record

Social Security retirement benefits are available to retired workers and spouses, even when the spouse has no work history. Spouses can claim benefits based on the work record of their retired partner (i.e., the primary beneficiary) under the following conditions:

• The couple must have been married for at least one year.
• The spouse must be at least 62 years of age.
• The partner must be receiving retirement benefits.

In some cases, spouses will be eligible for retired-worker benefits based on their own earnings record and for spousal benefits based on the earnings record of their retired partner. In that case, the higher benefit will be awarded automatically.

2. Spouses will maximize their Social Security benefit by claiming at full retirement age

How much Social Security income spouses receive depends on their claim age and their retired partner's primary insurance amount (PIA). PIA refers to the benefit a person will receive if they claim Social Security at full retirement age (FRA), which is age 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later.

Spousal benefits equal up to 50% of the primary beneficiary's PIA. To get that amount, spouses must claim Social Security at FRA. Claiming earlier results in a smaller payout (less than 50% of the primary beneficiary's PIA). The exact reduction depends on how early benefits start, but it would be most severe at age 62.

The chart below shows the spousal benefit (as a percentage of the primary beneficiary's PIA) for anyone born in 1960 or later.

Data source: The Social Security Administration. The chart shows spousal benefits at different claim ages as a percentage of the partner's primary insurance amount (PIA).

Importantly, whereas retired workers earn delayed retirement credits that increase their benefit when they claim Social Security later than FRA, the same does not apply to spouses. So, retired-worker benefits are maximized at age 70, but spousal benefits are maximized at FRA.

3. Divorced spouses can collect Social Security benefits on their ex-partner's work record

How divorce impacts spousal benefits can be particularly confusing. While divorced spouses can still collect Social Security based on their ex-partner's work record, the eligibility requirements are different:

• The divorced spouse must be at least 62 years old.
• The marriage must have lasted at least 10 years.
• The divorced spouse must not have remarried.
• The spouse must have been divorced for at least two years.

There are three points of potential confusion. First, while spouses usually cannot collect benefits on their partner's work record unless that partner is also receiving retirement benefits, that rule does not apply to divorced spouses.

Second, divorced spouses can still collect benefits on their ex-partner's earnings work record even if that ex-partner remarries. Only the spouse's marital status impacts eligibility.

Third, some divorced spouses worry that claiming Social Security on their ex-partner's record will impact that person's benefit. Others worry their ex-partner will be notified. Neither is true. The ex-partner's payout does not change, nor will they be notified if their former spouse claims Social Security on their work record.