Does taking a spousal benefit reduce my spouse's check?
No. Your spousal benefit does not reduce the benefit your spouse receives.
Social Security and pensions
How Do Spousal Social Security Benefits Work?
A spousal benefit lets a husband or wife receive Social Security based on the other spouse's work record. If you claim at your own full retirement age, it can be up to 50% of your spouse's full benefit. Claiming earlier reduces it, and there are no extra credits for waiting past full retirement age. You receive the higher of your own benefit or the spousal amount, not both added together.
Written and reviewed by Dan Hopwood, Retirement Income Specialist · Retirement Income Knowledge Center
Who can get a spousal benefit
- You are married, and your spouse has already filed for their own retirement benefit.
- You are at least 62, or caring for a qualifying child.
- Divorced spouses may qualify if the marriage lasted at least 10 years and they have not remarried.
How the amount works
Illustrative couple
- Higher earner's benefit at full retirement age
- $2,600
- Maximum spousal benefit (50%)
- $1,300
- Lower earner's own benefit
- $900
- Lower earner receives at full retirement age
- $1,300 total
Illustration only. The lower earner receives their own $900 plus a $400 spousal top-up. Claiming early would reduce the amount.
Spousal benefits are not survivor benefits
A spousal benefit is paid while both spouses are living. A survivor benefit is paid after one spouse dies and can be up to 100% of what the deceased was receiving. Because the survivor keeps the larger of the two checks, the higher earner's claiming age can affect the surviving spouse for many years.
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Common questions
Should the lower earner wait until 70 for a spousal benefit?
Spousal benefits do not earn delayed retirement credits, so there is no increase in the spousal amount for waiting past full retirement age.
Can I get spousal benefits if I'm divorced?
Possibly, if the marriage lasted 10 years or more, you are unmarried and at least 62, and other rules are met. The Social Security Administration can confirm eligibility.
How much is a spousal Social Security benefit?
A spousal benefit can be up to half of the worker's full-retirement-age benefit if the spouse claims at their own full retirement age. It is lower if claimed earlier. If your own benefit is higher, you generally receive your own.
When can I start a spousal Social Security benefit?
Generally, you can start a spousal benefit as early as 62, but only after your spouse has filed for their own benefit. Starting before your full retirement age reduces the amount. Divorced spouses have separate rules.
What is the difference between a spousal benefit and a survivor benefit?
A spousal benefit is paid while both spouses are alive and is up to half of the worker's full benefit. A survivor benefit is paid after the worker dies and can be up to 100% of what the worker received. The rules and ages differ.
Can spouses claim Social Security at different ages?
Yes. Each spouse chooses their own claiming age, and many couples intentionally stagger them. A common approach is for one spouse to claim earlier for income while the higher earner waits.
Does delayed retirement credit raise my spousal benefit?
No. Waiting past full retirement age does not increase a spousal benefit. The spousal amount reaches its maximum at your full retirement age.
Authoritative sources
This page is educational and general in nature. RetirementLeverage™ and Retirement Planning Store, Inc. do not provide individualized investment, securities, tax, or legal advice; please consult a qualified tax professional or attorney about your own situation. Insurance products and services may not be available in every state, and any guarantees are subject to the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.