(You must be at least age 62 to begin receiving benefits.). 1. That allowed them to rack up delayed retirement credits until they turned 70. For 2020, the earnings test limit is $18,240. If you’ve been divorced more than once, your benefit can be based on your highest-earning spouse if that marriage meets the qualifications. A: When a claimant is on a Social Security disability claim, spousal benefits are payable under that claim as soon as the spouse reaches age 62, says David Cechanowicz a … Another requirement is that the spouse must Who is eligible for spousal benefits from Social Security? My fathers social security check is significantly larger than hers so I suggested she look into claiming 50% spousal benefit based on his check amount. Spousal benefits are based on the income earned during a qualifying worker’s life, as well as the retirement age of both the worker and their spouse. When a worker files for retirement benefits, the worker's spouse may be eligible for a Survivor benefits are for people whose spouse or ex-spouse has passed away. Eligibility requirements and benefit information. Prior to the law change, people who were eligible for earned benefits and spousal benefits were required to file for both at the same time, a practice known as deemed filing. we mean a child who is under age 16 or who receives Social Security disability benefits. But you have the advantage of not needing to wait for your ex to file for his or her own benefits first. Your spousal benefit is not affected by the age at which your husband or wife claimed Social Security benefits. For example, if the worker's primary insurance amount is $1,600 The criteria for spousal benefits varies depending on whether you’re married or divorced: If you’re married, to qualify for spousal benefits you must: If you’re divorced, your benefits aren’t connected in the same way, so you can claim spousal benefits even if your ex isn’t collecting Social Security yet. You can file for spousal benefits the same way you would earned benefits: on the Social Security Administration website, by phone at 1-800-772-1213, or by visiting your local Social Security field office. Indeed, to claim Social Security spousal benefits, you’ll need to meet certain criteria. Instead, you will receive whichever benefit is higher. normal retirement age, we first take 50 percent of $1,600 to get an $800 base spousal If your spouse or ex-spouse dies and has earned benefits that are higher than yours, you could be eligible for survivor benefits.The size of survivor benefits is based on 1) Your spouse or ex-spouse’s earnings; 2) Your full survivors retirement age; and 3) Whether your spouse or ex was receiving reduced benefits (meaning they started taking Social Security before their full retirement age). People receiving spousal benefits based on ex-spouses will continue to get their benefits even if the spouse suspends theirs. If you receive spousal benefits and are also entitled to disability. If you receive a pension based on work not covered by Social Security (for example government work), you can still collect Social Security spousal benefits, but the amount will be reduced. How retirement benefits, spousal benefits, and widow(er) benefits are calculated, How to decide the best age to claim your benefit, How Social Security benefits are taxed and how that affects tax planning, Click here to see the full list. What are Social Security spousal benefits? 2. If the spousal benefit is more than your own, you’ll get your own earned benefit plus an additional amount to bring you up to that higher spousal benefit amount. 3. File and suspend was a popular method used by married couples to get the most out of their Social Security benefits. A Social Security spousal benefit is calculated as 50% of the other spouse’s PIA. You may decide to restrict your benefits application by: 1) filing for benefits under your own work record, or 2) filing for benefits as a widow/widower. There are many differences between spousal benefits and survivor benefits. If your spouse is not yet receiving retirement benefits, you can claim your own Social Security starting at 62, and later switch to spousal benefits when your spouse files. His or her spouse, however, was still allowed to start collecting spousal benefits. A surviving spouse can collect 100 percent of the late spouse’s benefit if the survivor has reached full retirement age , but the amount will be lower if the deceased spouse claimed benefits before he or she reached full … Social Security spousal benefits are a part of a worker’s retirement or disability benefit given to their spouse. You may receive spousal survivor benefits as early as your 60th birthday if your deceased spouse was eligible for Social Security insurance benefits. You can file a restricted application for spousal benefits at your full retirement age. Otherwise we pay the spousal benefit. If your spouse’s full retirement age benefit amounts to $2,000 per month, your spousal benefit at your full retirement age could amount to $1,000 per month. primary insurance amount. be at least age 62 or have a qualifying child in her/his care. Lower-earning spouses who claim their own Social Security benefit before full retirement age take a cut of as much as 25%. We are often asked “How do you qualify for spousal benefits from Social Security”? Compute the effect of early retirement for spouses When you apply for benefits, Social Security will automatically consider you to be applying for both your own benefits and any spousal benefits. Will My Wife Get Social Security Spousal Benefits When I Start My Retirement Benefits? If they qualify, your ex-spouse, spouse, or child may receive a monthly payment of up to one-half of your retirement benefit amount. Then we compute the reduction factor, which is 36 times 25/36 of one percent, or PIA is the amount of Social Security benefits that your spouse is entitled to at his or her full retirement age (which is based on birth year, and could be between age 65 and 67 – see table in “How are spousal benefits calculated for Social Security?” section). Before you reach full retirement age, the Social Security Administration deducts $1 from your benefits for every $2 you earn above the annual limit. Spousal benefits allow you to get up to 50 percent of the total benefits your spouse is eligible for without taking away from their benefits. When you turn 70, you would then switch to those earned benefits (assuming they are larger). In those cases, you can file a restricted application for spousal benefits without also applying for earned benefits. Here are two of the major exceptions: An individual seeking spousal benefits may qualify if married to the worker for less than one year if he or she is the natural (biological) parent of the worker’s child. Social Security's history goes back to a time when one-worker families were much more common than they are today, and some believe that spousal benefits have become obsolete. Calculate the Social Security you’re owed, which is based on birth year, and could be between age 65 and 67, Have a spouse that is already collecting their Social Security benefits, Have an earned benefit that is lower than your potential spousal benefit, Be age 62 or taking care of a child who is age 16 or younger or disabled, who is the child of your spouse and who is also receiving Social Security benefits based on the spouse’s work record, Have been married to the relevant ex-spouse for at least 10 years, Be unmarried (your ex, however, can be remarried), Have been divorced for two years before you claim, If you’re taking care of a child who is younger than 16 or who is disabled. However, with spousal benefits, you have to apply for both your own earned benefit and spousal benefit at the same time. Normally a spousal benefit is 50% of the spouse's FRA benefit amount, reduced if the spouse claiming the spousal benefit is filing for benefits early. Note that the full retirement age for survivors is different than the full retirement age for Social Security retirement benefits. Under the new law (which affected everyone going forward, regardless of birth year) if your spouse suspends his or her earned benefits, your spousal benefits also will be suspended. You will reach normal retirement age Your full spouse’s benefit could be up to one-half the amount … the worker's primary insurance amount. on your spousal benefit as a percentage of the worker's primary insurance amount. who do not have a qualifying child in their care, If you enter your date of birth and the effective month for which you would (month/day/year format): ), Enter your date of birth Once approved, you will receive monthly payments by check or direct deposit. When you’re ready to apply, we recommend using a checklist to ensure you take the right steps and have the right documentation. You can expect the following when applying for Social Security spousal benefits: You can receive up to 50% of your spouse’s Social Security benefit. retirement benefit. This benefit is even more important for many divorced spouses, as it might represent the only benefits available to many divorcees. Note that you do not need the consent of your ex-spouse. If you claim benefits before your Full Retirement Age, they will reduce your spousal benefits. However, if a spouse is caring Spousal benefits from Social Security When a worker files for benefits from Social Security, the worker's spouse may be able to claim a benefit based on the worker's contributions. But all's not lost. /, Enter the effective month and year for which you would like to begin receiving benefits: Social Security calculates and pays the higher amount. depending on the spouse's age at retirement. Jennifer Thomas is a Chicago-based writer and editor who writes about social security, retirement, business, finance, health and lifestyles. If you continue to work while receiving benefits, the retirement benefit earnings limit still applies until you reach full retirement age. Benefits that are taken more than 36 months early are reduced an additional 5/12 of 1%. The many rules can feel confusing, and the best way to calculate your own benefit is to use a Social Security benefits calculator. Economic Security Planning, Inc. Today’s column addresses questions about when it’s possible to file for spousal benefits, who can still file restricted applications for spousal benefits only, divorced spousal benefits after early retirement benefits and eligibility for disability benefits … Note that the age at which the other spouse files for Social Security benefits doesn’t affect this calculation. If you qualify for Social Security spousal benefits, the size of your benefit can be up to 50% of your spouse or ex-spouse’s primary insurance amount (PIA). Hi, Maureen. To qualify for spouse’s benefits, you must either be: At least 62 years of age. like to begin receiving benefits, we will tell you the effect of early retirement If you claim benefits before your full retirement age (table directly below), your benefits will be permanently reduced based on the number of months until you reach that age. The spousal benefit can be as much as half of the worker's The Government Pension Offset rule reduces spousal benefits by one-third of the public pension amount. If you were born on Jan. 2, 1954 or later, and you are married, the higher earning spouse may consider delaying claiming their benefits until age 70 to increase the benefit with delayed retirement credits. Example: Jane files for her retirement benefit at age 63 and is therefore receiving a retirement benefit that is smaller than her PIA. However, spousal benefits are reduced by 25/36 of 1% for each month before your full retirement age, up to 36 months early. 25 percent. The one exception is divorced couples. Typically, that means you’ve paid into Social Security for at least 10 years over the course of your life. doing so may result in a benefit as little as 32.5 percent of the worker's When you apply for Social Security spousal benefits, they may ask you to provide the following documents to confirm you are eligible: Applying and ensuring you claim the right benefit at the right time for your personal finances can be confusing. However, your benefit does not depend on when your spouse claims. The earliest you can claim survivor benefits is age 60 (whereas the earliest you could be eligible for retirement or spousal benefits is age 62). En español | When a Social Security beneficiary dies, his or her surviving spouse is eligible for survivor benefits. / They can even provide a nice supplement to your 401(k) or IRA distributions. and the worker's spouse chooses to begin receiving benefits 36 months before his or her for a qualifying child, the spousal benefit is not reduced. insurance amount. You can get Social Security survivors or retirement benefits and work at the same time. If you’re eligible and can qualify, the spousal benefit can be as much as 50% of the higher-earning spouse’s full retirement age benefit. It will always be based on your mate’s primary insurance amount. of $600. That 50% is the most you could be eligible for—but as with earned benefits, you’ll receive less if you claim before your full retirement age. But that was only until they reached full retirement age. Thus, in this case, the final spousal benefit is 37.5 percent of the primary If the number of months exceeds 36, then the benefit is further reduced 5/12 of one percent per month. Note that eligibility for the spousal disability benefit will end if he or she becomes eligible to receive significantly higher Social Security benefits on his or her own record. What are Social Security spousal benefits? Calculate what you're owed from Social Security in 2 minutes. Calculate your Social Security benefits with a 4-question quiz. With survivor benefits, you also are allowed to file a restricted application (applying just for your own earned benefits or just for survivor benefits). With survivor benefits, if your late spouse boosted his or her Social Security payment by waiting past FRA to file, your survivor benefit would also increase. If you're eligible for your own retirement benefits, you'll get those first. 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