If you’re 62 years of age or older, Social Security can provide you a source of income when you retire or can no longer work due to a disability. When it comes to benefits, both spouses can receive Social Security, which is based on their individual earnings records and at what age they claim benefits. In other words, one spousal payment does not offset or affect the other.
That said, Social Security has a maximum family benefit, the maximum amount you can collect monthly based on your earnings record. Right now, the maximum amount is between 150% and 188% of your monthly benefit payment at full retirement age (FRA), according to AARP.
How does social security work for married people?
Retirees claiming Social Security have options. Married couples may have more options than a single person because each person in the marriage can claim benefits at different dates and may also be eligible for spousal benefits.
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When you reach age 62, for every year you delay taking Social Security up to age 70, you could receive up to 8% more in future monthly payments, according to Fidelity. However, once you turn 70, the increases stop. Each spouse can claim benefits. However, the amount they receive is based on their own work record.
Or, they can choose to claim up to 50% of their spouse's benefit at full retirement age. If one spouse earns more money than the other, claiming the spousal benefit may make sense. However, before you choose this option, find out how much your own estimated benefits will be at full retirement age.
Can you claim both retirement and spousal benefits?
According to the Social Security Administration, you and your spouse must be married for at least one year before qualifying for spousal benefits. If you parent your spouse’s child, the one-year rule does not apply. If you are or were entitled to benefits under Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Act in the month before you got married, you are also entitled to your spouse’s benefits. However, a divorced spouse must have been married for ten years to get the spousal benefits.
What you need to know:
- You must be at least 62 years of age to claim spousal benefits, and you and your spouse have to have been married for at least one year, in most cases.
- You can’t collect spousal benefits unless your spouse already receives Social Security. If your spouse claims their own benefit, you are dually entitled. This means you apply for both retirement and spousal benefits simultaneously, and you’ll get the higher of the two amounts.
- At age 62, you can receive spousal benefits equal to 32.5% of your spouse’s full retirement age benefit amount. The amount you receive increases each month until you reach full retirement age. You can collect 50% of your partner’s benefit at that time.
- Waiting to claim your Social Security benefits enables the benefit amount to grow. Plus, if your spouse draws spousal benefits on your record, it will not affect what you get from Social Security.
When is the best time to collect benefits?
Before claiming benefits, you must pay Social Security taxes for at least ten years. You can start receiving benefits as early as 62, and the amount you receive is based on your earnings each year. If your spouse has a lower earning record or no record at all, they can collect on your earnings record when they turn 62, and vice versa if you haven’t worked or have a lower earning record.
There are several reasons to take Social Security early, at age 62. If you decide to retire at this age, the benefit payment may be a necessary source of income each month. Or, you may be concerned you won’t live long enough to collect your full benefits due to a serious health condition. On the other hand, the earlier you start to collect Social Security, the less you’ll receive each month.
Planning ahead for retirement
Although many people don’t start planning for retirement until they reach their 60s, it’s always a good idea to plan ahead when you're young and to start putting money away in a savings account or 401(k). That’s because most financial planners recommend replacing about 80% of your pre-retirement income to maintain the same lifestyle after you retire.
Log into the Social Security site to apply for benefits and check eligibility.
Related Content
- Three Social Security Changes in 2024 to know
- When to Apply for Social Security Benefits: Your Age Is Key
- Taxes in Retirement: How All 50 States Tax Retirees
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FAQs
If you are married and you and your spouse have worked and earned enough credits individually, you will each get your own Social Security benefit.
Can both spouses collect full Social Security benefits? ›
You must be at least 62 years of age to claim spousal benefits, and you and your spouse have to have been married for at least one year, in most cases. You can't collect spousal benefits unless your spouse already receives Social Security. If your spouse claims their own benefit, you are dually entitled.
What are the rules for collecting your spouse's Social Security? ›
When a worker files for retirement benefits, the worker's spouse may be eligible for a benefit based on the worker's earnings. Another requirement is that the spouse must be at least age 62 or have a qualifying child in her/his care.
What is the Social Security spousal benefits loophole? ›
The first exception, which can be deemed as the Social Security spousal benefits loophole, works where an individual who remarries at 60 or later may still be entitled to Social Security survivors' benefits if the second marriage ends before the death of the first spouse.
What is the new Social Security spousal rule? ›
The current spouse benefit is based on 50 percent of the PIA of the other spouse. Reduce this percent each year by 1 percentage point beginning with newly eligible spouses in 2024, until the percent reaches 33 in 2040.
What is the best Social Security strategy for married couples? ›
In this common situation, the optimum strategy is often to have the husband begin his Social Security benefits at age 70, with the wife starting her Social Security benefits at her full retirement age, or even earlier.
Can a second wife collect Social Security from her husband? ›
If you've been married multiple times, your current and former spouses could be eligible for Social Security benefits based on your earnings record, subject to certain requirements. Dear Liz: I'm in a second marriage that's lasted 10 years.
What is the Social Security 5 year rule? ›
• If you become disabled before your full retirement age, you might qualify for Social Security disability benefits. You must have worked and paid Social Security taxes in five of the last 10 years.
When a husband dies, does the wife get his Social Security disability? ›
A surviving spouse, surviving divorced spouse, unmarried child, or dependent parent may be eligible for monthly survivor benefits based on the deceased worker's earnings. In addition, a one-time lump sum death payment of $255 can be made to a qualifying spouse or child if they meet certain requirements.
Can my wife take Social Security at 62 and then switch to spousal benefit? ›
If your spouse is not receiving any retirement benefits yet, then you could technically take your regular Social Security benefit as early as age 62. When your spouse files for their benefit later you could switch to spousal benefits.
Social Security income can be taxable no matter how old you are. It all depends on whether your total combined income exceeds a certain level set for your filing status. You may have heard that Social Security income is not taxed after age 70; this is false.
What percentage of a husband's Social Security does a wife get? ›
Social Security Program Rules
The wife of a retired worker is eligible for a spousal benefit of up to 50 percent of her husband's primary insurance amount ( PIA ), if claimed at her full retirement age ( FRA ).
What is the Social Security spousal bump? ›
If you're getting Social Security retirement benefits, some members of your family may also qualify to receive benefits on your record. If they qualify, your ex-spouse, spouse, or child may receive a monthly payment of up to one-half of your retirement benefit amount.
How do I get the $16728 Social Security bonus? ›
Have you heard about the Social Security $16,728 yearly bonus? There's really no “bonus” that retirees can collect. The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a specific formula based on your lifetime earnings to determine your benefit amount.
Can both living spouses collect Social Security? ›
Coordinating your benefits with your spouse's benefits can help you both get the most out of your Social Security payments. In some cases, it makes sense for both spouses to claim on the same spouse's earnings record. Many couples use a "split strategy," which means they begin claiming at different ages.
When can a wife collect half of her husband's Social Security? ›
If you are receiving retirement or disability benefits, your spouse may be eligible for spouse benefits if they are: At least age 62. Any age and caring for a child who is under age 16 or who has a disability that began before age 22.
Is there a maximum Social Security benefit for husband and wife? ›
The maximum monthly Social Security retirement benefit for a married couple is $9,110 in 2023 and $9,746 in 2024 if each spouse waits until age 70 to receive benefits and paid the maximum Social Security tax over 35 years of earnings. Typically, the couple must be married at least a year.
When a husband dies, does the wife get his Social Security? ›
A surviving spouse, surviving divorced spouse, unmarried child, or dependent parent may be eligible for monthly survivor benefits based on the deceased worker's earnings. In addition, a one-time lump sum death payment of $255 can be made to a qualifying spouse or child if they meet certain requirements.
Why isn't my wife's spousal benefit 50% of my Social Security retirement benefit? ›
Can I Collect Half of My Spouse's Social Security at Age 62? Not quite. The percentage of your spouse's full retirement benefit that you receive could be as little as 32.5% at age 62. It steps up gradually to 50% as you near your full retirement age, which is 65, 66, or 67, depending on your birth year.
At what age can a wife take half of her husband's Social Security? ›
Here's how that works: The worker's spouse must be at least 62 years old or be caring for a qualifying child.
