Social Security Spousal Benefits | Nasdaq

Social Security established spousal benefits in the 1930s to provide retirement income to spouses who had spent most of their working years on domestic labor inside the home.

Eligible Americans can receive up to 50% of their spouses’ retirement benefits at full retirement age, although this benefit is becoming less relevant today since both spouses typically work outside the home. Nevertheless, more than 2 million of the 67 million Americans that currently receive Social Security payments get spousal benefits.

Who Qualifies for Social Security Spousal Benefits?

If you’re receiving Social Security payments in retirement, your spouse (or former spouse) may qualify to receive up to 50% of the amount of your benefits. These payments don’t reduce the value of your Social Security benefits in any way.

To be eligible for spousal benefits, a current spouse must:

• Be at least 62 years old or be caring for a child (under 16 or disabled) of a Social Security recipient.
• Be married to someone currently receiving Social Security Retirement benefits
• Have been married at least one year to the Social Security recipient.
• Not be receiving a higher Social Security retirement benefit based on their own work history.

The Congressional Research Service points out that spousal benefits often are more important to women than men. Why? Because women are more likely to leave the workforce temporarily to care for family members. These employment gaps can result in fewer years of contributions to the Social Security system.

As of December 2022, more than 2 million spouses of retired workers—predominantly women—received Social Security benefits averaging $901 a month, according to the Social Security Administration.

Social Security benefits are also available to surviving spouses, based on a deceased spouse’s lifetime earnings.

“Spousal and survivors benefits play an important role in ensuring women’s retirement security,” states the Congressional Research Service.

Can an Ex-Spouse Claim Social Security Spousal Benefits?

A divorced spouse can qualify for benefits based on an ex-spouse’s work record if they:

• Are divorced from someone who is eligible for Social Security benefits.
• Are at least 62 years old and aren’t married. You can still draw benefits if your ex-spouse is remarried and their current spouse is collecting benefits based on your ex-spouse’s work record.
• Were married to the Social Security recipient for at least 10 years before their divorce was finalized. If you remarried and then divorced your second spouse, you can claim benefits from either your first or your second spouse as long as each marriage lasted at least 10 years.
• Aren’t entitled to an equal or higher amount of benefits from your own earnings history.

If your ex-spouse is deceased and you remain unmarried, you can collect benefits as early as age 60 as a surviving divorced spouse. And if your ex-spouse is deceased and you become disabled within seven years of their passing, you can collect benefits as early as age 50.

Can a Same-Sex Spouse Get Social Security Spousal Benefits?

Yes, the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage across the country paved the way for same-sex spouses to receive spousal benefits from Social Security in the same way that opposite-sex spouses already did.

Previously, spousal benefits were available only to same-sex spouses in states that recognized same-sex marriage rights for residents.

How Do Social Security Spousal Benefits Work?

As a spouse, you can claim Social Security benefits based on your own earnings history or collect a spousal benefit that’s up to 50% of your spouse’s Social Security benefit. You don’t get both.

“You are automatically entitled to receive whichever benefit provides you the higher monthly amount,” the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER) explains.

When your spouse starts receiving their Social Security work benefits before their full retirement age, those benefits are decreased. If you take Social Security benefits before your full retirement age as well, your benefits will be decreased too.

“If your spouse takes Social Security early, and you also take Social Security early, you will be significantly reducing the amount of benefits that may be paid out over your lifetime. This is because the earlier you take your benefits before your full retirement age, the more your benefits are reduced,” according to WISER.

How Spousal Benefits Are Reduced by Age

For example, if a worker’s full retirement age is 66, these benefit reductions would affect spousal benefits:

• At age 62, you’d get 35% of your spouse’s benefits.
• At age 63, you’d get 37.5% of your spouse’s benefits.
• At age 64, you’d get 41.7% of your spouse’s benefits.
• At age 65, you’d get 45.8% of your spouse’s benefits.

A spouse can retire as early as age 62, but doing so may mean getting as little as 32.5% of their spouse’s Social Security work benefit, according to the Social Security Administration. The spousal benefit is reduced 25/36 of 1% for each month before the normal retirement age, up to 36 months. If the number of months exceeds 36, then the benefit is further cut by 5/12 of 1% each month.

For a spouse who doesn’t qualify for Social Security benefits based on their own work history, the benefit reduction is applied to the base spousal benefit, which is 50% of the worker’s primary benefit amount.

How to Apply For Social Security Spousal Benefits

To find out whether you qualify for Social Security spousal benefits, use the Social Security Administration’s Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool, or BEST.

If you qualify for benefits, you can apply completely online by visiting ssa.gov. You will complete all the steps to apply for retirement benefits and the system will automatically screen you for spousal benefit eligibility.

When you’re applying for spousal benefits, you should:

• Know your spouse’s or ex-spouse’s date of birth.
• Know your spouse’s Social Security number.
• Know the date of your marriage and the location of your marriage.
• Know where your marriage certificate is and be prepared to send it in as proof if asked.

Bottom Line

Social Security spousal benefits can offer a solid financial foundation for a current spouse or ex-spouse with limited work outside the home. If you’re unclear how these benefits might help you, set up a My Social Security account at SSA.gov or contact your financial planner or financial advisor.

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