There are many factors that influence the amount you'll receive from Social Security, including your age, earnings history, and the length of your career. But your marital status can also affect your benefit amount. Depending on your situation, you could potentially earn hundreds of dollars more per month in spousal, divorce, or survivors benefits -- even if you've never worked.
There are a few requirements you'll need to meet for each benefit type, however. Here's everything you need to know about how your marital status impacts your Social Security.
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1. If you're married...
If you're currently married to someone who's eligible for Social Security retirement or disability benefits, you could qualify for spousal benefits. You don't need to have worked in the past to receive spousal Social Security; you could still collect this type of benefit even if you're eligible for payments based on your own earnings.
The maximum you can receive in spousal benefits is 50% of your partner's benefit at their full retirement age (FRA). You'll also need to wait until your own FRA to collect this amount. If you file early, you'll receive a reduced payment each month.
If you're also entitled to retirement benefits based on your work history, you'll only receive the higher of the two amounts -- not both. So, for instance, if your spouse will collect $2,000 per month at FRA, your maximum spousal benefit would be $1,000 per month. If you're eligible for, say, $800 per month, based on your own earnings, your total benefit amount would still be $1,000 per month -- not $1,800 per month.
2. If you're divorced...
Divorce benefits are similar to spousal benefits except they're available to those who are divorced. To qualify, you can't currently be married (but if your spouse has remarried, it won't affect your ability to take divorce benefits). Your previous marriage also must have lasted for at least 10 years.
Like with spousal benefits, your maximum benefit amount is 50% of what your ex-spouse will receive at their FRA. If you're also entitled to Social Security based on your own work history, you'll collect the higher of the two amounts.
Claiming divorce benefits will not impact your ex-spouse's benefit in any way. Also, if they've remarried, it won't affect their current partner's ability to claim spousal benefits based on their work record.
3. If you're widowed...
Survivors benefits are a little different from spousal and divorce benefits. Available primarily to widow(er)s, many people can collect their spouse's entire benefit amount in survivors benefits after their loved one has passed.
While this type of benefit is most often available to spouses, other family members are sometimes eligible -- including parents, children, and divorced spouses. Your benefit amount will vary based on your relation to the deceased, as well as other factors, like your age and the deceased-person's work record.
The average survivors benefit amount among nondisabled widow(er)s is around $1,717 per month, as of October 2023, and the average spousal/divorce benefit is roughly $887 per month.
If you qualify for any of these types of Social Security, it pays to make the most of them. When you know what you're entitled to, based on your marital status, you can ensure you're squeezing every penny out of your benefits.
