Social Security Spousal Benefits — In Plain Words

Spousal benefits are benefits for a living spouse, based on a living worker's earnings record. Benefits after a worker's death are a different kind of benefit. Those are called survivors benefits, and they are covered on a different page: “Social Security Survivors Benefits — Who Can Get Them and How to Apply — In Plain Words.”

When a spousal benefit may be possible

SSA says when a worker files for retirement benefits, the worker's spouse may be eligible for a benefit based on the worker's earnings.

That is the starting point SSA gives on its “Benefits for Spouses” page.

SSA states the rest of the rules on that page, and the sections below print them in SSA's order.

The age rule and the qualifying child rule

SSA says the spouse must be at least age 62 or have a qualifying child in her or his care.

By a qualifying child, SSA means a child who is under age 16 or who receives Social Security disability benefits.

Both parts of that rule come from SSA's “Benefits for Spouses” page.

How much the spousal benefit can be

SSA says the spousal benefit can be as much as half of the worker's “primary insurance amount,” depending on the spouse's age at retirement.

Half is 50%.

The worker's primary insurance amount is the figure SSA uses in the math on its page.

The worked example further down this page shows that math with SSA's own numbers.

If the spouse begins before normal retirement age

SSA says if the spouse begins receiving benefits before “normal (or full) retirement age,” the spouse will receive a reduced benefit.

SSA also says if a spouse is caring for a qualifying child, the spousal benefit is not reduced.

A qualifying child has the meaning SSA gives in the section above: a child under age 16 or a child who receives Social Security disability benefits.

If the spouse has a retirement benefit of her or his own

SSA says if a spouse is eligible for a retirement benefit based on his or her own earnings, and if that benefit is higher than the spousal benefit, then SSA pays the retirement benefit.

Otherwise, SSA says it pays the spousal benefit.

This page prints that rule as SSA states it.

Only SSA can decide what applies in a real claim.

Early retirement reduces benefits — SSA's math

SSA says a spouse can choose to retire as early as age 62, but doing so may result in a benefit as little as 32.5 percent of the worker's primary insurance amount.

SSA states the reduction this way:

• A spousal benefit is reduced 25/36 of one percent for each month before normal retirement age, up to 36 months.
• If the number of months exceeds 36, then the benefit is further reduced 5/12 of one percent per month.

SSA says, for a spouse who is not entitled to benefits on his or her own earnings record, this reduction factor is applied to the base spousal benefit, which is 50 percent of the worker's primary insurance amount.

SSA's worked example

SSA gives this example on its “Benefits for Spouses” page:

• The worker's primary insurance amount is $1,600.
• The worker's spouse chooses to begin receiving benefits 36 months before his or her normal retirement age.
• First, SSA takes 50 percent of $1,600 to get an $800 base spousal benefit.
• Then SSA computes the reduction factor, which is 36 times 25/36 of one percent, or 25 percent.
• Applying a 25 percent reduction to the $800 amount gives a spousal benefit of $600.
• Thus, in this case, the final spousal benefit is 37.5 percent of the primary insurance amount.

Those are SSA's numbers, printed as SSA states them.

A different worker, a different amount, or a different starting age gives a different result.

Only SSA can work out a real claim.

Topics this page does not cover

SSA's “Benefits for Spouses” page, as read for this page, does not state a rule for how long a marriage must have lasted, does not state rules for a divorced spouse, and does not state how to apply.

This page prints nothing on those three topics, because nothing on them was in the source read for this page.

SSA can advise on how long a marriage must have lasted, on the rules for a divorced spouse, and on how to apply.

This page is general information only. It is not financial advice and it is not benefits advice.