You may be able to collect up to half of your husband’s or wife’s retirement benefit, even if you have little or no work history of your own. Many couples overlook this option, or they claim it too early and lock in a much smaller check.
Spousal benefits follow a few simple rules, and the age at which you file makes a big difference. We explain who qualifies, how much you could get and how this fits with what we covered in our look at what couples receive in 2027.
Who can get a spousal benefit?
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), you may qualify if you meet these conditions:
- You have been married for at least one year
- You are 62 or older, or you are caring for a child under 16 or a child of any age who gets disability benefits
- Your spouse has already filed for retirement benefits
That last point catches some couples by surprise. Until your spouse files, you cannot receive a benefit on their record, even if you are old enough.
Former spouses can be eligible too. In general, the marriage must have lasted at least 10 years.
How much would you receive?
The maximum is 50% of your spouse’s primary insurance amount, which is the benefit they would get at full retirement age. It is not half of what they actually collect, so their own early or late claim does not change this base.
If you start before your own full retirement age, the amount is permanently reduced. With a full retirement age of 67, here is what a spouse could get if the worker’s primary amount is $2,000:
- At 67: $1,000 a month (50%)
- At 64: $750 a month (37.5%)
- At 62: $650 a month (32.5%)
The reduction is 25/36 of one percent for each of the first 36 months before full retirement age, and 5/12 of one percent for each additional month.
What if you have your own work record?
You don’t get to add both benefits together in full. If your own retirement benefit is higher than the spousal amount, you get your own. If it is lower, the total you receive comes up to the spousal level.
Your own benefit can be 30% smaller if you claim at 62, so it pays to compare both numbers before filing.
Should you wait past full retirement age?
For spousal benefits, waiting beyond full retirement age does not help. The delayed credits that raise a worker’s own check until age 70 do not apply to this benefit, so the amount stops growing once you reach that age.
There is one exception on the early side. If you are caring for a qualifying child, the spousal benefit is not reduced for age. The full retirement age itself also depends on when you were born, and it is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later.
How to check your numbers
Both of you can create a my Social Security account and see your estimated benefits. Use your spouse’s full retirement age estimate as the starting point, divide it by two and compare it with your own estimate.
You can apply online or call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213. The agency also has a guide to family eligibility, and it can review which benefit is higher when you file.
