Most Americans contribute to the Social Security system without clearly understanding its benefits.
Although the majority know that Social Security is a significant source of income for retired employees, very few are aware of the additional spousal benefits offered to eligible couples.
You may wonder, “how much Social Security will my wife get if she never worked?”
If you are the primary recipient, your wife or other family members have the potential to receive up to 50% of your benefit. But how the benefit is calculated will depend on your primary insurance amount or the maximum benefits you would receive once you reach full retirement age.
This article will explain this in detail while answering other frequently asked questions regarding Social Security spousal benefits, such as who is eligible, how they work, and how to increase your post-retirement income.
Keep reading for a detailed explanation of Social Security spousal benefits.
Spouses, Survivors, and Social Security
Most American workers pay into the Social Security system, a government anti-poverty initiative that offers financial stability to elderly and disabled U.S. residents. But you can still be eligible for benefits through your spouse even if you do not pay into the Social Security system.
What Are Social Security Spousal Benefits?
Once a retired worker applies for retirement benefits at or after age 62, the Social Security Administration (SSA) starts making payments to supplement their income.
These Social Security benefits can be extended to an individual’s spouse, and are called SSA spousal benefits.
The following factors might impact a family’s Social Security retirement benefits:
- Whether either spouse keeps their your job while receiving benefits
- Different forms of income (farm work; federal employment; military service; self-employment; W2 wages; etc.)
- Social Security credits
- Government pension offset
Note: Besides retirement benefits, spousal benefits can be issued if a worker becomes disabled or dies.
How Do Spousal Benefits Work?
Many families have a single household head who pays into the Social Security system as their only source of income.
The non-working spouse would undoubtedly experience financial problems without the continuous support of spousal Social Security payments if the household head were to retire, become disabled, or die.
In addition to eligible children and widowers, spouses account for 8.2% of Social Security recipients.
What Are Other Available Benefits?
Some spouses never worked before, so they never paid Social Security tax. That means claiming their partner’s spousal benefits could be their only source of retirement income.
However, you could qualify to receive money from a foreign company or government pension that Social Security does not cover.
In that case, you may still be eligible for Social Security spousal benefits though the amount will be lower. Make sure you do thorough research as to other available benefits.
Social Security Spousal Benefit: Eligibility
A spouse must fulfill the requirements to be eligible for monthly payments from the SSA. Approximately three million individuals currently receive Social Security benefits as spouses or children of retired workers. Read the information below to know if you could qualify as a beneficiary.
Who Is Eligible for Social Security Spousal Benefits?
Before you claim your spousal benefit, your spouse must apply for their own Social Security benefit. Apart from this, applicants must be:
- 62 years of age or older
- Currently married to the primary recipient
Note: If you are collecting benefits as a dependent, you qualify for the spousal benefit irrespective of age.
How Are Spousal Benefits Calculated?
Spouses who meet the eligibility criteria can collect up to 50% of the primary recipient’s benefits. The average monthly payment for spouses of retired employees is $741.46.
However, how the amount is determined depends on the spouse’s primary insurance (PIA) or the highest benefits an employee is eligible to receive after they reach full retirement age (FRA).
Note: Collecting a Social Security spousal benefit will not affect the benefit your new spouse, ex-spouse, or new spouse of your ex-spouse may collect. However, the total benefits awarded to your entire family usually cannot go beyond 180% of your maximum retirement benefit if your spouse and your qualifying children are getting Social Security benefits.
Social Security Spousal Benefit: Rules
The regulations governing Social Security spousal benefits contribute a lot to the program’s effectiveness.
Alongside the eligibility requirements, there are rules concerning how the benefit amount is calculated and how retirement credits are impacted.
Social Security Rules for Non-worker Spouses
Many Americans are eligible for Social Security because of their marriage history, even though they have no employment history.
If you do not qualify to claim your benefits, you may still qualify to collect benefits based on your spouse’s benefits once you hit 62 years.
But you may be eligible earlier if you care for your spouse’s child under the age of 16 or are disabled.
So, how much Social Security will my wife get if she never worked?
After reaching her FRA, your non-working wife will receive 50% of your retirement benefits. The FRA is the age at which a person, if eligible, is entitled to receive their full Social Security benefit.
The FRA falls between 66 and 67 years old for the population born after 1954. Check out how a $500 spousal benefit at FRA may reduce by up to 35% if claimed at 62 in the table below.
| Birth Year | Full Retirement Age | At Age 62, a $500 Spousal Benefit Would Be Reduced to: | % Reduction |
| 1943-1954 | 66 | $350 | 30.00% |
| 1955 | 66 and 2 months | $345 | 30.83% |
| 1956 | 66 and 4 months | $341 | 31.67% |
| 1957 | 66 and 6 months | $337 | 32.50% |
| 1958 | 66 and 8 months | $333 | 33.33% |
| 1969 | 66 and 10 months | $329 | 34.17% |
| 1960 and later | 67 | $325 | 35.00% |
You may claim spousal Social Security as early as 62, provided your working spouse has already applied for their Social Security benefit. However, claiming your benefits before reaching your FRA will result in a lower monthly income.
Your benefit amount will reduce by the number of months you filed your early claim. On the other hand, Spousal benefits reduce by 25/36 of one percent for every month claimed early until 36 months and by 5/12 of one percent for early filings beyond 36 months.
Social Security Rules for Retired Worker Spouses
Spousal Social Security regulations limit you from filing claims on behalf of you and your husband if you have a work history and are eligible for Social Security benefits.
Instead, you may only collect the higher of the two payments.
Social Security rules for spouses with dependent children under 16
There will be no reduction in spousal benefits if you apply before 62 years as long as you provide care for your spouse’s underage or disabled child.
However, the SSA will subject your benefit to the maximum benefit rules, which limit payments to family members per a worker’s Social Security record.
The maximum benefit can be 150% or 180% of the worker’s FRA benefit amount. The SSA determines the family maximum based on benefit categories and wage levels.
Spousal and dependent benefits are evenly reduced if they exceed this cap.
Social Security Rules for Same-Sex Couples
The SSA acknowledges same-sex marriages across all states, including certain nonmarital legal unions. That implies same-sex spouses and their families could qualify for Social Security benefits.
Social Security Rules for Ex-Spouses
Social Security benefits for divorced couples are contingent on various factors. You could be entitled to file a benefits claim on behalf of your ex-spouse if:
- The marriage lasted more than ten years.
- You are not yet remarried.
- You are 62 or older
- Your ex-spouse is entitled to Social Security retirement or disability payments; and
- The benefit you qualify for with your employment history is less than what you would qualify for per your ex-spouse’s employment history (you can claim a spousal benefit on your ex-partner’s record even if they are yet to file for their benefit, but the ex must have attained their FRA at the time of filing).
Note: If you get remarried, you might lose your right to your ex’s spousal benefits. Contact an attorney with questions concerning how marriage impacts retirement income, including the effects of a reverse mortgage on a non-borrowing spouse.
If your marriage lasted a minimum of ten years and you were raising an eligible child, you may be entitled to the regular spousal benefit if your ex-spouse dies.
Social Security Rules for Widows and Widowers
You could be eligible to receive Social Security survivor benefits as soon as you turn 60 if your spouse passes away.
Widows and widowers must have attained their FRA to receive the total benefit amount—100% of the deceased’s benefit amount.
But if you claim survivor benefits before reaching your FRA, the benefits will be lowered to 71.5-99% of what they would have otherwise been, depending on your age.
Widows and widowers can limit their claims and apply for their benefits first, then switch to the survivor benefit.
For instance, if your Social Security benefit would be more than your survivor benefits at age 70, you could claim the lower one as a widow(er) for a short period and then switch to your benefit after maximizing its value.
Social Security Spousal Benefit: Strategy
New Social Security regulations effective since 2016 may impact how married couples manage their Social Security claims.
You cannot file a limited application for spousal benefits or submit a file-and-suspend application for extra credits unless you and your spouse fulfill the 2016 cutoff date (except for a widow or widower).
When Can I Claim Spousal Benefits?
You can apply for your spousal benefit at 62 years once your spouse has applied for their Social Security benefit.
But it is advisable to wait to file for benefits until you attain the FRA to maximize your benefit amount.
What Happens If I Retire Early?
Your benefit amount will permanently reduce if you receive spousal benefits before attaining FRA unless you raise an eligible child.
Your benefit might be cut by up to 35%, according to the SSA, depending on how soon you retire since the penalty for early retirement accrues interest each month.
Think long and hard about the long-term effects of filing for spousal benefits early. You will be lowering both the lifetime benefit awarded to you and the survivor benefit to which you or your spouse may be eligible.
How Can I Maximize Social Security Spousal Benefits?
While filing early decreases your benefit, delaying retirement past the FRA up to age 70 increases your Social Security income.
The basic premise is that the longer you delay benefits, the more your monthly benefits will grow. The extent to which your benefit will increase depends on your birth year and the time you delay retirement.
If your birth year is between 1943 and 1954, for instance, then 66 is your full retirement age. You will receive 100% of your benefits if you decide to retire at that age, and your spouse will qualify for 50% of the value.
But you can boost your benefit by postponing until age 67 in exchange for a 108% monthly benefit for a delay of 12 months or until age 70 in exchange for the benefit of 132% for a delay of 48 months.
Note: Social Security credits do not accumulate past the age of 70. Spouses with average to high life expectancies, comparable incomes, and intend to work until 70 years of age or have sufficient resources to cover essential expenses during the deferred period are the ideal candidates for this Social Security filing plan.
Will I Receive Delayed Retirement Credits?
No. Your spousal benefits do not include any delayed retirement benefits your spouse could get.
Can I Switch from My Social Security Benefit to a Spousal Benefit?
It is only possible to switch to a spousal benefit if your partner is yet to claim their Social Security benefit at the time of your initial application.
According to the AARP, you are bound to the “deemed filing,” which does not offer you the option to wait or switch if your spouse is already collecting Social Security when you apply for retirement benefits.
This clause assumes that you will apply for spousal benefits if you are eligible for them.
The SSA will not pay the total of your benefit and your spouse’s benefit; instead, you will get a monthly payment that is equal to whichever amount is higher of the two.
Bottom Line
So, how much Social Security will my wife get if she never worked? The bottom line is that a non-working spouse can get half of their eligible partner’s Social Security benefits.
However, the amount they get will depend on various factors, including the age at which they claim benefits and whether they care for their spouse’s underage or disabled child. Furthermore, if you are an ex-spouse, it could also change some of the dynamics.
In the end, Social Security disability attorney is a great way to receive advice and prepare you with your spousal benefits claim. Let Legal Giant link you up with an experienced attorney today.
Contact us at (833) 641-1650 for a free consultation.
