There are a lot of articles about how retired workers can know when they're ready to claim Social Security, but there's a lot less advice about claiming spousal benefits. The decision is equally important, though. Your checks will make a big difference to your household budget, and your age at sign-up dictates how much you receive each month.
If you're thinking about claiming Social Security spousal benefits in 2024, it's a big milestone. But before you apply, ask yourself the following three questions.
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1. Is your spouse claiming?
It's important to ask this question first because you cannot claim Social Security spousal benefits unless your spouse is already receiving checks. If they aren't, you need to decide together if it makes sense for them to sign up as well so you can both begin claiming benefits.
If your spouse isn't signed up yet, you may be able to qualify for a benefit on your own work record, if you're eligible for one. Then, when your spouse chooses to sign up, the Social Security Administration will automatically switch you to a spousal benefit if it's worth more than what you're receiving on your own.
2. Do you know how your claiming age will affect your benefit?
Your age at sign-up affects the size of your Social Security checks for the rest of your life. You become eligible at 62, but claiming then will shrink your monthly checks by up to 35%. You gain a little bit for every month you delay benefits.
Unlike workers' retirement benefits, spousal benefits reach their maximum benefit amount at the spouse's full retirement age (FRA). This is somewhere between 66 and 67, depending on your birth year. If you wait until then, you'll qualify for half of the benefit the worker is eligible for at their FRA.
But you don't have to wait this long if you don't want to. It often makes sense to claim earlier if you have a short life expectancy or you're in a financial bind and need the extra cash. But if neither of those things apply, you may prefer to wait a little while before signing up to claim larger checks.
3. Do you have all the information necessary to apply?
Your Social Security application will go a lot faster if you have all the information and documentation you need ready to go. You'll need as much of the following as you can provide:
- Your Social Security number
- Your date and place of birth
- The name of your spouse
- Your spouse's date of birth
- Your spouse's Social Security number
- Date and place of marriage
- Your military type of duty, branch, and service dates, if applicable
- Your employer name and employment start and end dates for all employers within the previous two years, if applicable
- Your bank account routing and account number where you'd like your checks deposited to
If you don't have access to all the information you need, contact the Social Security Administration. It may be able to help you obtain the required records.
You can apply for spousal benefits online by creating a my Social Security account. Or you can schedule an appointment at your local Social Security office. You may apply as early as four months before you'd like to receive benefits.
It's often best to sign up a little in advance of when you'd like to claim checks in case you run into any hiccups with your application. And if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to the Social Security Administration.
