Spousal benefits are worth up to 50% of the higher-earning spouse’s benefit at full retirement age.
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When you apply for Social Security, your spouse becomes eligible to receive payments known as spousal benefits. However, they will not receive these payments automatically. Instead, they must apply to the Social Security Administration, whether they receive their own retirement benefits or not.
A financial advisor can help you plan for Social Security and create a comprehensive retirement income plan. Connect with a fiduciary advisor.
For example, imagine that a man will receive $3,000 when he reaches full retirement age. Your wife can collect up to $1,500 in spousal benefits based on her earnings history, but she must apply. Here’s a closer look at how spousal benefits work.
Spousal benefits are a form of Social Security payments to recipients’ spouses. If you are married or were previously married, you can claim benefits worth up to 50% of your spouse’s full retirement benefit. For most people, this means the benefits they would receive at age 67. These payments are not deducted from your spouse’s payments, and your spouse cannot alter your right to receive them.
To claim spousal benefits, the SSA requires the following:
If both criteria are met, the secondary spouse can apply for spousal benefits. However, there are two exceptions to these rules:
If the spouses have been divorced for more than two years, the secondary spouse can claim spousal benefits regardless of the primary spouse’s retirement status.
If the secondary spouse is caring for a child under the age of 16 or receiving disability benefits through the SSA. can apply for spousal benefits before age 62
You can also apply for retirement benefits based on a former spouse’s benefits if you were married for at least 10 years and have not remarried. This is not affected by the primary spouse’s marital status, and in some situations you can claim benefits before the primary spouse has retired.
Whether it’s guidance on spousal benefits or advice on how and when to make withdrawals from retirement accounts, a financial advisor can help you plan for retirement.
A woman watches as her husband applies for spousal benefits with the Social Security Administration.
Spousal benefits are capped at 50% of the higher-earning spouse’s “primary insurance amount” (PIA) – their benefit at full retirement age. For example, if you receive $3,000 per month in Social Security, your spouse can receive up to $1,500 per month in spousal benefits if you wait until full retirement age.
While spouses are eligible to claim spousal benefits starting at age 62, doing so will reduce their lifetime benefits by a certain percentage for each month before age 67. Claiming spousal benefits at age 62 may result in a benefit worth only 32.5% of the higher-earning spouse’s primary insurance amount. That is, if you claim spousal benefits at age 62, you would receive $32.50 for every $100 of the primary spouse’s PIA.
Unfortunately, delaying spousal benefits beyond full retirement age does not have the opposite effect. Spousal benefits do not increase if you claim them after age 67.
The SSA runs this calculation automatically when you apply for benefits. If you are entitled to your own retirement benefits, as well as spousal benefits, the SSA will issue the greater payment. If you have already started receiving benefits based on your own earnings history, you can switch payments to spousal benefits once your spouse retires. Typically, this is done if your spousal benefits will exceed your own retirement benefits.
And if you need help calculating Social Security benefits and deciding when to claim them, talk to a financial advisor.
Once eligible for Social Security spousal benefits, the recipient must apply for those benefits, regardless of whether they have begun receiving their own retirement benefits or not.
To understand how this works, let’s look at our hypothetical situation from above. Imagine you expect to collect $3,000 per month from Social Security when you reach full retirement age.
In all cases, your wife’s spousal benefits would be based on her primary insurance amount of $3,000, as well as her age. For example, if she retires at age 67, this is the amount of her spousal benefits based on the age at which she decides to claim them:
62: $975 per month ($3,000 * 0.325)
67: $1,500 per month ($3,000 * 0.5)
70: $1,500 per month ($3,000 * 0.5)
As you can see, claiming spousal benefits at age 62 would leave her with just $975 per month, which is 32.5% of her primary insurance amount. Once you reach your full retirement age, you will be eligible for your maximum spousal benefit of $1,500 per month. Before applying for Social Security, consider speaking with a financial planner to discuss how your benefits will affect your retirement income plan.
But what if your wife also has her own retirement benefits? How would spousal benefits affect the amount I ultimately collect?
For example, let’s say your wife is eligible to receive $1,200 in retirement benefits based on her own earnings history. Since your own retirement benefit is less than your spousal benefit, the SSA would pay the latter. And if you were eligible to receive $1,600 based on your own work history, the SSA would simply pay that amount.
Spousal benefits are Social Security payments made based on the earning history of the higher-earning spouse. A spouse can receive up to 50% of his or her spouse’s Social Security benefits at full retirement age, but these payments are not issued automatically. Like all benefits, you must apply to the SSA to receive them.
Social Security plays a critical role in the retirement plans of many Americans. In fact, two people receiving the maximum benefit in 2024 can generate a household income of almost $117,000. With that in mind, here are some strategies to maximize Social Security for you and your spouse.
A financial advisor can help you strategize for Social Security and create a comprehensive retirement plan. Finding a financial advisor doesn’t have to be difficult. SmartAsset’s free tool connects you with up to three vetted financial advisors serving your area, and you can take a free introductory call with your matched advisors to decide which one you think is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Keep an emergency fund on hand in case you have unexpected expenses. An emergency fund should be liquid, in an account that is not at risk of significant fluctuations like the stock market. The downside is that inflation can erode the value of liquid cash. But a high-interest account allows you to earn compound interest. Compare savings accounts at these banks.
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