Benefits For You As A Spouse?

If you are under full retirement age and qualify on your own record, we will pay you that amount first. But if you also qualify for a higher amount as a spouse, widow or widower on another record, you'll get a combination of benefits that equals that higher amount.

Note: If you or your spouse are full retirement age, you may have some additional options.

If your spouse is already receiving benefits when you apply online, or if you and your spouse apply online at the same time, we will also check your eligibility for benefits as a spouse. If you qualify, your application will also automatically serve as a request for spousal benefits.

Note: If you will receive benefits on someone else's Social Security record and you also will receive a pension for your work that was not covered by Social Security, your Social Security benefits may be affected by your pension.

For information about potential benefits on someone else's record, you should call our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), or visit your local Social Security office.

We can tell you what benefits you may be entitled to, after we have established your relationship to your spouse.
 

If you or your spouse are full retirement age

If your spouse is full retirement age, he or she can apply for retirement benefits and then request to have payments suspended. That way, you can receive a spouse's benefits and he or she can continue to earn delayed retirement credits until age 70.

If you have reached your full retirement age, and are eligible for a spouse's or ex-spouse's benefit and your own retirement benefit, you may choose to receive only spouse's benefits. If you do that, you can delay receiving your own retirement benefit until a later date to take advantage of delayed retirement credits.
 

If you do not qualify on your own record

If you did not work long enough to qualify, but your spouse is receiving Social Security benefits, you can

• begin collecting the benefits as early as age 62. However, if the benefit begins early, the amount will be permanently reduced by a percentage based on the number of months up to your full retirement age.

• qualify on your spouse's record for Medicare at age 65.

• receive a benefit equal to one-half of your spouse's full retirement amount if you start receiving benefits at full retirement age.

  Note: Your benefits as a spouse do not include any delayed retirement credits he or she may receive.

• receive the spouse's benefit no matter what your age is if you are caring for his or her child who is also receiving benefits.

  You would receive these benefits until their child reaches age 16. At that time, the child's benefits continue, but your spouse's benefits stops unless you are old enough to receive retirement benefits (age 62 or older) or survivors benefits as a widow or widower (age 60).

Note: If you will receive a pension for work not covered by Social Security such as government or foreign employment, the amount of your Social Security benefits on your spouse's record may be reduced.

Benefits paid to you as a spouse will not decrease his or her retirement benefit. In fact, the value of the benefits you may receive, added to their benefits, may help your spouse decide if taking benefits sooner may be more advantageous.

If one of your spouse's children also qualifies for benefits, there is a limit to the amount we can pay family members. The total depends on their benefit amount and the number of family members who also qualify on the same record. The total varies, but generally the total amount your family can receive is about 50 to 80 percent of your spouse's full retirement benefit.

Note: If there is a divorced spouse who qualifies for benefits, it will not affect the amount of benefits you or your family may receive.