If you are or were married in the past, you may be eligible to apply for spousal Social Security benefits. These are based on the work record of your spouse rather than your employment history.
“Social Security spousal benefits can provide major financial support for married couples, but it’s important to understand the eligibility requirements and timing considerations to get the most out of this program,” says Joseph Carpenito, a financial advisor at Materetsky Financial Group in Boynton Beach, Florida. There could be funds available if you’ve gone through divorce too. The exact amount you receive will be determined by factors including your age, work history and marital status.
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.
— You can apply for benefits if you have been married for at least one year.
— If you have been divorced for at least two years, you can apply if the marriage lasted 10 or more years.
— Starting benefits early may lead to a reduction in payments.
— If you have a work history, you’ll receive either your benefit or the spousal benefit, whichever is greater.
— To be eligible, your working spouse will need to have already claimed benefits.
To make the most of your spousal Social Security benefit, it can be helpful to understand the amount you might qualify to receive, and how claiming early can impact your monthly payment.
[See: 10 Ways to Increase Your Social Security Payments.]
Social Security Spousal Benefits Eligibility
You should be married for at least one year before applying for Social Security benefits. “Spousal benefits are based on the primary earner’s work record, and the spouse must be at least 62 years old, married to the primary earner for at least one year, and not receiving a higher benefit based on their own work record,” Carpenito says.
If you have a work history, you may be eligible for a personal benefit. In this situation, you can receive your own personal benefit if it is greater than the spousal benefit. If you are eligible for $2,000 as a personal benefit and $1,000 for a spousal benefit, Social Security will send you the higher amount of $2,000.
How Much to Expect for Spousal Social Security Benefits
Your spousal benefit will be 50% of your spouse’s benefit if you start payments at full retirement age or older. The full retirement age varies by birth year and is usually age 66 or 67. If you are married and your spouse begins collecting $3,000 per month at full retirement age, your spousal benefit will be $1,500 if you start payments at your full retirement age.
[READ: How Much You Will Get From Social Security.]
When to Claim Social Security Spousal Payments
If you decide to begin collecting spousal benefits before your full retirement age, you can expect to receive a lower amount. If your full retirement age is 66 and you begin to receive spousal benefits at age 62, you could receive 32.5% of your spouse’s monthly benefit. If you claim spousal benefits at age 65, you will receive slightly less than 50% of your spouse’s monthly benefit, based on the exact month you start collecting payments.
Depending on your circumstance, you may be eligible to receive spousal benefits early without reductions. If you have a child who is under age 16 or who receives Social Security disability benefits, you could start receiving benefits before retirement age. In this case, if you are caring for the child and meet the requirements, your spousal benefit will not be lowered.
Spousal benefits differ from personal benefits when it comes to delaying payments. If you delay personal benefits past full retirement age, the benefit increases over time. However, spousal benefits max out at full retirement age. There is no benefit to delaying your spousal benefit claim past your full retirement age.
To receive the benefit, your spouse will need to file for Social Security. “You can take advantage of spousal benefits if the primary worker has filed for their benefit,” says Chuck Czajka, certified Social Security claiming strategist and founder of Macro Money Concepts in Stuart, Florida. “The spouse will receive their own benefit first.”
Divorce and Social Security Spousal Benefits
Spousal benefits can be available if the marriage ends. “Even after a divorce, a spouse can still receive benefits based on their ex-partner’s record, provided certain requirements are met,” says Marina Shepelsky, CEO and founding attorney at Shepelsky Law in Brooklyn, New York. “This is true even if one spouse has never worked and has no earnings on record.”
If you are divorced, you must have been married for at least 10 years to be eligible for a spousal benefit through your ex-spouse. In addition, you’ll need to have been divorced for at least two years and be currently unmarried.
If you marry someone else after getting a divorce, you will not be eligible to receive spousal benefits through your ex-spouse. You will instead be eligible for spousal benefits based on your new spouse’s work record.
In the event that your second marriage ends in divorce, you can choose to receive whichever spousal benefit is highest, provided the other requirements are met and both marriages lasted at least 10 years. If your second marriage lasted less than 10 years, you could still be able to collect benefits based on your first spouse’s work history.
[Read: The Future of Social Security.]
What Happens to Social Security Spousal Payments if a Spouse Passes Away
Your benefits could be affected by certain events, including the death of your spouse. You may be eligible to receive a Social Security survivor benefit equal to the full benefit your spouse was receiving. “A surviving spouse or widower can receive Social Security benefits based on their age, with benefits becoming available between the ages of 60 and the age of retirement,” Shepelsky says.
If the deceased spouse had a higher benefit, the surviving spouse could opt to receive the higher amount in place of their own. If you got divorced and your ex-spouse passed away, you can still claim survivor benefits if you are 60 or older. To be eligible, the marriage will need to have lasted for at least 10 years.
If your spouse passes away and you get remarried, the benefits could change. If you remarry before you turn 60 years old, you will not be eligible to collect benefits based on your deceased spouse’s or deceased ex-spouse’s record.
If you get married at age 60 or older, you’ll have choices to make. You could collect the survivor benefits from your deceased spouse or deceased ex-spouse’s record. You might choose to let your own benefit grow until age 70. At that time, if your personal benefit is higher than the survivor benefit, you can change to receive your own benefits.
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How to Maximize Social Security With Spousal Benefits originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 03/15/23: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
