Here’s How Spousal Benefits Can Boost Your Social Security Payment by Thousands of Dollars

When you make your retirement plan, it's important to understand all of the different sources of income available to you. Social Security is likely going to be one of the most important of those sources since benefits are guaranteed to last for life, plus keep pace with inflation.

Social Security benefits are based on your work history, so if you didn't work much, you may assume your benefit won't be very big, or even that you won't qualify for benefits at all. And in some cases, that's true.

However, if you're married, or divorced after at least 10 years of marriage, you may actually be able to collect thousands of dollars in benefits based on your spouse's earnings.

You don't want to leave this money on the table, so make sure you're aware of exactly how Social Security spousal benefits work, how you qualify for them, and how much money they may bring in.

What are Social Security spousal benefits?

Social Security spousal benefits are based on your spouse's work record. Specifically, you may be eligible for up to 50% of your husband or wife's standard benefit (aka their primary insurance amount). That's the benefit they receive at their full retirement age.

Say, for example, that your husband made more money than you did and his wages come in at around $80,000 (as Social Security bases benefits on average wages in your 35 highest earning years). Social Security estimates his standard benefit at around $2,128.00 if he was born in 1960. You could collect half that amount. Of course, these are rough numbers because the formula is complicated. But they give you an idea of what you might collect.

If you didn't work at all, or your own income was much lower than your husband's, at, say, $15,000, then collecting half of his benefit or $1,064 might be more than you'd collect on your own, given that Social Security estimates your benefits on a $15,000 income at around $751.00 per month.

How do Social Security spousal benefits work?

Social Security spousal benefits are a little complicated, because typically you'll still claim your own retirement benefit if you're eligible for one. But if your benefit is less than 50% of your spouse's primary benefit amount, then Social Security pays the difference. It essentially tops off your benefits.

So, in our above example, if you'd collect $751 on your own work history but half your husband's benefit is $1,064, Social Security would pay you your $751 in retirement benefits plus another $313 in spousal benefits.

You don't get to collect the full amount of both benefits simultaneously. So, you aren't allowed to collect your $751 retirement benefit and a $1,064 spousal benefit. But they still increase your income substantially over time by adding to your own retirement checks.

Who is eligible for Social Security spousal benefits?

You are eligible for Social Security spousal benefits if:

• You're married or are divorced (and not currently remarried) after at least 10 years of marriage.
• You've been married for at least a year
• You're 62 or older
• Your spouse has already claimed their retirement or disability benefits (or you have been divorced for at least two years)

You do not need to have any work history of your own. Your eligibility for these benefits is entirely based on your husband or wife's earnings.

When should you claim Social Security spousal benefits?

As mentioned above, you are eligible to claim Social Security spousal benefits as soon as age 62. However, doing so is considered an early claim, which means you get hit with early filing penalties. This could reduce the amount you collect substantially, down to as little as 32.5% of your spouse's primary insurance amount.

If you want to collect the full 50% of your spouse's benefits, then you'll need to wait until your full retirement age. That's 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later.

Unlike when you claim your own retirement benefit, though, you don't benefit from waiting beyond your full retirement age. While you increase your retirement payment by claiming after your FRA and earning delayed retirement credits until 70, this isn't an option with spousal benefits.

That means you should claim at your full retirement age if you're eligible at the time. The key is you aren't allowed to claim until your spouse does, unless you're divorced. So even if you hit 67 and want to start your spousal benefits, you'll have to wait if your husband or wife hasn't started their own payments yet.

Working while collecting benefits could reduce your checks

It's also worth noting that if you claim your spousal (or retirement) benefits before your full retirement age and decide to work while getting those benefits, you could end up temporarily forfeiting some of your payments.

Specifically, if you won't reach full retirement age during the entire year, you'll lose $1 for every $2 you earn above $24,480. If you'll reach full retirement age at some time during the year, Social Security deducts $1 in benefits for every $3 you earn above $65,160.

Those are the limits for 2026. They adjust for inflation over time. Eventually, your benefit is recalculated at full retirement age to account for the income you forfeit. But that doesn't help much if you were hoping to double dip and get both benefits.

How couples could maximize their Social Security income

Couples may benefit from coordinating when each spouse claims Social Security, but the best strategy depends on their ages, earnings records, health, and expected longevity.

In some cases, the lower-earning spouse may claim their own retirement benefit while the higher earner delays claiming, potentially until age 70, to earn delayed retirement credits. Once the higher earner files, the lower earner may become eligible for an additional spousal benefit if their spousal benefit exceeds their own retirement benefit.

However, claiming your own retirement benefit before full retirement age can permanently reduce that portion of your benefit. Becoming eligible for a spousal benefit later doesn't erase that early-filing reduction.

Because Social Security generally considers you to have applied for both your own retirement and spousal benefits when you're eligible for both, couples should compare different claiming ages before deciding when each spouse should file.

Bottom line

Not being strategic about your Social Security benefits is one of the biggest financial mistakes you could make. Try to avoid this error by looking into all of the benefits you're entitled to, including your own retirement benefits, spousal benefits, and survivor benefits if your spouse has passed away.

Spousal benefits, in particular, often provide substantial income for a spouse who is eligible, so check with the Social Security Administration to find out if you're eligible, then work with your spouse to decide on the claiming age that's right for you.

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