Social Security spousal benefits are designed to provide much-needed retirement income to married couples where one spouse was the primary earner. Situations where one spouse had a particularly high-paying career or where one spouse was a stay-at-home parent are two common examples.
As of March 2024, nearly 1.9 million people received spousal retirement benefits, with an average monthly payment of $911.68. When combined with the average retired worker's benefit of $1,913.31, the typical household that receives a spousal benefit generally gets approximately $2,825 per month (or $33,900 per year) in inflation-protected retirement income from Social Security.
With that in mind, here's a rundown of how to qualify for spousal benefits, some important rules to know, and more.
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Do you qualify for Social Security spousal benefits?
To qualify for Social Security spousal benefits, there are a few basic criteria that need to be met.
First, the spouse must be at least 62 years old or caring for a qualifying child. The Social Security Administration (SSA) defines a qualifying child as one under 16 or who receives disability benefits from Social Security. In other words, if you're 60 years old and have a 14-year-old child, you can qualify for spousal benefits.
Another important rule is that in order to collect a spousal benefit, the primary earner must be collecting their own Social Security benefits. These benefits are officially listed as being for "spouses of retired workers," so the primary worker must claim their own retirement benefit before any spousal benefit can be paid on their work record.
Important things to know
In addition to the qualifications, there are a few other important things couples should know about spousal benefits.
First, the maximum spousal benefit is one-half of the primary earner's full retirement benefit. For example, if you would receive $2,000 per month if you started collecting Social Security at full retirement age, your spouse could receive up to $1,000 per month. Second, you can get a spousal benefit or the benefit based on your own work record if eligible -- whichever is higher.
Additionally, while spousal benefits require an age of 62 (or having a qualifying child), the full Social Security retirement age is 67 years old for people born in 1960 or later. If you claim a spousal benefit before you reach full retirement age, the benefit will be permanently lowered.
If you claim a spousal benefit at age 62, it can be as little as 32.5% of the primary earner's full retirement benefit, not half of it. Note that the reduction doesn't apply in cases where the beneficiary has a qualifying child in their care.
Finally, while spousal benefits are reduced for early retirement, they're not increased if the spouse waits beyond their full retirement age to claim them. (This is unlike benefits for retired workers.) In other words, if a retired worker waits until 70 to claim their benefit, it will be much higher than it would have been at their full retirement age. Spousal benefits don't increase in this way.
If your spouse is entitled to a spousal benefit on your work record, it rarely makes sense to delay your own Social Security filing beyond their full retirement age. After all, they can't start collecting spousal benefits until you claim your own Social Security.
The bottom line on spousal benefits
Spousal benefits can provide additional inflation-protected retirement income and be an important component of a couple's financial security in retirement. By knowing the qualification rules and how they work, you'll be in a better position to incorporate them into your retirement income strategies.
