Discovering if You're Eligible for Spousal Social Security Benefits: A Guide
Discovering if You're Eligible for Spousal Social Security Benefits: A Guide
Social Security is primarily recognized for providing retired individuals with a regular income, based on their earnings throughout their working years. However, it offers more than just that. A aspect that married and divorced couples ought to be aware of is the spousal benefit. This advantage can provide retirement income for both partners, using only one of their work records as a basis.
This article aims to clarify what a spousal benefit entails, how to qualify for it, and how to estimate your potential future spousal benefit.
What is a Social Security spousal benefit?
A Social Security spousal benefit is an additional retirement income source for couples where one spouse was the primary income earner throughout their career. This frequently happens in situations where one spouse was a stay-at-home parent, or when one spouse earned significantly less than the other, or didn't work long enough in Social Security-covered employment to qualify for retirement benefits based on their own work history.
The base spousal benefit equals half of the higher-earning spouse's primary insurance amount, which is the Social Security benefit they would receive if they claimed at their full retirement age. Spouses who qualify can start receiving their benefits from the age of 62 (before this if caring for a qualifying child), but their monthly payments will be reduced if they claim early.
How to qualify for a spousal benefit
To qualify for a spousal benefit, you must meet certain requirements:
- You must be 62 or older, or care for a child who is under 16 or has a disability.
- Your spouse must be receiving benefits, either from their retired worker's benefit or Social Security disability benefits. (Even if you've reached your full retirement age, you can't collect spousal benefits unless your spouse has already started collecting Social Security.)
- You either don't have enough Social Security credits to qualify for a benefit on your own, or your expected benefit at full retirement age would be less than half of your spouse's.
Notably, you don't have to be still married to the person to collect spousal benefits based on their work history. If you are divorced, but your marriage lasted for at least 10 years, you may still be eligible for the benefit based on your ex's benefits.
It's worth mentioning that the Social Security Administration will evaluate your work record when you apply. You will be paid either the benefit your earnings history entitles you to or a spousal benefit - whichever amount is higher.
How to check your estimated benefit
If you know what your spouse's benefit would be at their full retirement age, you can simply divide it by half to estimate the maximum spousal benefit you might qualify for.
However, the most accurate way to get future benefit estimates is for you and your spouse to create "My Social Security" accounts at www.ssa.gov, if you haven't already. First, have your spouse log in and view their benefit estimate at full retirement age. After you log in, you can go to the "Retirement Calculator" section and choose one of the following options:
- Calculate a Benefit as a Spouse if you don't qualify for your own Social Security benefits.
- Compare with Benefit as a Spouse if you are eligible for your own retirement benefit and want to see which is higher.
In either case, you'll be able to get an estimate based on your spouse's estimated benefit. You'll not only be able to see what you would get if you began taking benefits at full retirement age, but also at any future age at which you are allowed to start collecting them.
In the context of retirement planning, it's crucial to consider how your finances will be affected by Social Security spousal benefits. If you're relying on your spouse's higher earnings for retirement income, you might be entitled to receive up to half of their Social Security benefit, known as the base spousal benefit. Additionally, planning your retirement finances should include understanding how early claimage could affect your potential spousal benefit.