Social Security isn’t only an individual benefit. If you are married, divorced or widowed, you may be able to claim a benefit based on a spouse’s work record, sometimes worth far more than your own. Spousal and survivor benefits are among the most valuable and most misunderstood parts of the system.
This guide explains who qualifies, how much you can get, how claiming age changes the amount, and the strategies couples use.
Key takeaways
- A spouse can receive up to 50% of the other spouse’s full retirement benefit, if claimed at the spouse’s own full retirement age.
- Claiming a spousal benefit early reduces it, to as little as 32.5% at 62. Unlike your own benefit, it doesn’t grow past full retirement age.
- You don’t get your own benefit plus a full spousal benefit. SSA pays your own benefit first, then tops it up to the spousal amount if that is higher.
- Divorced spouses can qualify if the marriage lasted 10 years or more.
- Survivor benefits can be up to 100% of what the deceased spouse was receiving, so the higher earner’s claiming age matters for both of you.
Who qualifies for spousal benefits
- You are at least 62, or any age if you care for the worker’s child under 16 or disabled.
- You have been married for at least one year.
- Your spouse has already filed for their own retirement or disability benefit.
The Social Security Fairness Act, signed in January 2025, repealed the Government Pension Offset. Spouses with pensions from jobs that didn’t pay Social Security tax, such as some teachers and public employees, are no longer reduced or blocked from spousal and survivor benefits.
How much you can get
The maximum spousal benefit is half of your spouse’s primary insurance amount (their benefit at full retirement age), regardless of when your spouse claims. What reduces it is your claiming age:
| Your age when claiming (FRA 67) | Spousal benefit as % of spouse’s full benefit |
|---|---|
| 62 | 32.5% |
| 64 | 37.5% |
| 67 (full retirement age) | 50% |
| After 67 | 50% (no further increase) |
Example: if your spouse’s full benefit is $2,400 a month, your maximum spousal benefit is $1,200. If your own benefit is $700, SSA pays your $700 plus a $500 top-up at full retirement age.
“Deemed filing”: you can’t pick and choose
When you apply for either your own benefit or a spousal benefit, you are treated as applying for both and receive the higher combined amount. The old strategy of taking a spousal benefit while letting your own grow to 70 is no longer available to anyone born after January 1, 1954.
Divorced spouse benefits
You can claim on an ex-spouse’s record if the marriage lasted at least 10 years, you are currently unmarried, and you are 62 or older. If you have been divorced for at least two years, you can claim even if your ex hasn’t filed yet. Your claim doesn’t reduce your ex-spouse’s benefit or that of their current spouse, and they aren’t notified.
Survivor benefits
When a spouse dies, the survivor can receive up to 100% of the deceased’s benefit, including any delayed retirement credits they earned. Key rules:
- Survivor benefits can start at 60 (50 if disabled), reduced to about 71.5%, rising to 100% at the survivor’s full retirement age.
- The survivor keeps the larger of their own benefit or the survivor benefit, not both.
- You can take one benefit first and switch to the other later. For example, take a survivor benefit at 60 and switch to your own at 70 if it will be larger.
- Remarrying after 60 doesn’t stop survivor benefits.
- Divorced spouses married 10 or more years can also qualify.
Strategies couples use
- Higher earner delays to 70. This maximises their own check and the survivor benefit, protecting whichever spouse lives longer.
- Lower earner claims earlier. This brings in household income while the higher earner waits, but remember the spousal top-up only starts once the higher earner has filed.
- Don’t delay a spousal benefit past full retirement age. There is nothing to gain.
See the best age to claim Social Security and Social Security for singles vs couples.
Frequently asked questions
Can both spouses get Social Security?
Yes. Each receives their own benefit, and the lower earner may receive a top-up to the spousal amount.
Does a spousal benefit reduce my spouse’s benefit?
No. It is paid in addition to your spouse’s benefit.
Can I get spousal benefits if I never worked?
Yes. You can receive up to 50% of your spouse’s full benefit once they have filed and you meet the age rules.
The bottom line
For married and divorced couples, Social Security is a joint decision. Coordinating who claims when, and protecting the survivor benefit, can add tens of thousands of dollars to lifetime household income.
Want the full playbook? The Essential Social Security Retirement Guide includes worked examples for spouses, divorced spouses and survivors.
This article is for education only and is not financial advice. Check your own figures at ssa.gov/myaccount.
See how your claiming age affects what a spouse could one day receive with the Social Security Claiming Age Calculator.
