When Can My Spouse Collect Half of My Social Security?
Key takeaways
Once you turn 62, you typically qualify for a spouse’s Social Security benefit.
The spouse’s Social Security benefit amount is up to one-half the amount that the wage-earning spouse is eligible to receive at full retirement age.
If you qualify for Social Security on your own, you can still claim Social Security spousal benefits.
Glenn R. Kirst is a lead planning excellence consultant at Northwestern Mutual.
Timing is really important when it comes to Social Security—especially for married couples. When you begin to take Social Security benefits impacts your total benefit amount, but when considering your spouse as well, there are many more variations on how Social Security can impact your financial situation for years to come.
Let’s learn how Social Security spousal benefits work so you can decide how and when you and your spouse might want to claim benefits.
Who is eligible to receive spousal Social Security benefits?
A current spouse, a divorced spouse and a widowed spouse may all be eligible to collect Social Security benefits. Let’s dig into some of these specific situations.
Currently married spouses
If you’re currently married, you’re able to collect spousal Social Security benefits if your spouse is already collecting benefits. To claim spousal benefits based on your spouse’s record:
- you must be at least 62 years old; OR
- you need to be the primary caretaker of a child who is under 16 (or an older child who has a qualifying disability)
Maybe your own work history makes you eligible to receive retirement benefits on your own record. You’ll get whichever amount is higher—benefits on your own record or spousal benefits on your spouse’s record.
Workers often think of retiring and then claiming Social Security. But it doesn’t have to happen in that order. You can claim while still working, but your benefit may be reduced, depending on your income.
Claiming a spousal benefit on your spouse’s record does not impact the benefit amount your spouse receives. Your spouse will continue to receive benefits earned on his or her own record.
Divorced spouses
A divorced spouse may claim a spousal benefit on their former spouse’s record if all of the following are true:
- The couple were married for at least 10 years.
- They are divorced.
- The ex has filed for benefits—or if the ex-spouse hasn’t yet filed, they have been divorced for at least two years and the former spouse is at least 62.
- The claimant is currently unmarried.
Someone who divorced more than once can claim on any former spouse’s benefit record as long as each marriage lasted at least 10 years.
Widowed spouses
Widowed spouses are typically able to claim Social Security survivor benefits. The best time for them to claim can be different depending on the situation. Here are two examples.
Let’s say one spouse, Joe, worked and earned enough credits to claim Social Security. Then Joe passed away before filing for Social Security. His surviving spouse, Cathy, was at least full retirement age when Joe passed. Cathy can claim a survivor benefit, which means she can collect up to 100 percent of Joe’s benefits. (Cathy may be able to start claiming as early as age 60, but the benefit will be less than if she waited until full retirement age.)
Now let’s say Joe had worked and earned enough credits to claim Social Security but started taking his benefits early—for example, at age 62. If Joe passes away, the best claiming strategy for Cathy may be different.
In either scenario, Cathy also wants to think through her own benefits—if she’s eligible. She may be better off claiming her own Social Security benefit and timing her decision differently.
Same-sex couples
Good news! There’s no difference in the process for same-sex and LGBTQ married couples. This includes divorced people and people whose spouses have died. Legal domestic partnerships and civil unions are treated the same as marriages for Social Security claiming purposes.
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When can my spouse collect half of my Social Security?
In order to claim spousal benefits, you must be (or have been) in a legal marriage, civil union or domestic partnership.
- If you’re currently married, your spouse can collect Social Security on your record if you have begun to claim benefits.
- If you’re divorced, your ex-spouse can begin collecting Social Security on your record as long as the eligibility criteria are met.
In either situation, if spouses/former spouses are eligible to collect their own benefits, they cannot collect benefits on someone else’s record while delaying their own benefits. Older relatives or friends may tell you they were able to do this—but legislation passed in 2015 closed a loophole that allowed spouses to delay (and grow) their own benefits by claiming a spousal benefit.
Many people don’t realize that when spouses file for spousal benefits, they actually trigger their own benefits if they’re eligible. The amount they end up receiving is the benefit amount they’re eligible for at the time they start claiming, plus any additional excess from the spousal benefit.
How are Social Security spousal benefits calculated?
Let’s say you worked and you’re trying to determine the amount your spouse will get when claiming the spousal benefit. As with your own Social Security benefits, spousal benefits on your record are determined based on your wage history (which determines your primary insurance amount) and your spouse’s age. The spousal benefit is 50 percent of your primary insurance amount minus any reductions if your spouse files before the full retirement age.
Whether or not your spouse collects spousal benefits has no impact on your benefit amount. You’ll still be eligible to receive the full benefit you earned through working, regardless of how much your spouse receives.
Social Security is an important part of your financial plan.
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Find a financial advisorHow can I get the most from Social Security spousal benefits?
Spousal benefits can be beneficial if one spouse did not work for a long period of time. In that situation, half of the spouse’s benefit could be more than the amount the individual would qualify for on his or her own. However, in situations where both spouses worked, strategically timing your claiming decisions could result in a total higher than if you’d collected spousal benefits.
Deciding when you and your spouse should begin to take Social Security will depend on many factors, like how long you each plan to work, how much you each made, and what other retirement savings you have in play.
You can get some useful information—like a benefits estimate—online at ssa.gov, but to really understand the impact of your claiming decisions, it’s best to talk with a financial advisor. Your situation will really be unique to you, and you’ll want to make sure you understand how Social Security will fit into your bigger financial picture.
A Northwestern Mutual financial advisor can help you figure out how to make the most of what’s coming your way. The advisor will get to know you and your goals, helping you create a plan that protects and maximizes what you and your spouse worked hard for.
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