Social Security is a vital source of retirement income for nigh women.  For this reason, information technology is important to empathize how the spousal benefit works and how it can impact the corporeality of Social Security income y'all receive.

As a spouse, you can claim a Social Security benefit based on your own earnings tape, or collect a spousal do good in the amount of fifty% of your spouse'south Social Security do good, simply not both.  You are automatically entitled to receive whichever do good provides yous the higher monthly amount.  In order to qualify for Social Security spousal benefits, you must be at least 62 years old and your spouse must also be collecting his or her own benefits.  Additionally, if you are the college earner, your spouse tin can apply to collect spousal benefits based on your work record.  It is important to note that challenge a spousal benefit does not impact the do good amount received by the worker whose earning record is existence used.

Taking Benefits Early on

If your spouse takes Social Security before his full retirement age, his or her monthly benefits volition be reduced.  Your spousal benefits in plow will be calculated based on this reduced amount, thereby reducing your monthly benefits.  If your spouse takes Social Security early, and yous also have Social Security early on, you will be significantly reducing the amount of benefits that may exist paid out over your lifetime.  This is because the earlier you take your benefits before your total retirement age, the more than your benefits are reduced.  For instance, if your full retirement age were 66, then the post-obit reductions to benefits would apply:

  • At historic period 65, you would receive 45.eight% of your spouse's benefit.
  • At historic period 64, you would receive 41.vii% of your spouse'southward benefit.
  • At age 63, y'all would receive 37.5% of your spouse'southward benefit.
  • At age 62, you lot would receive 35% of your spouse's do good.

Recent Changes to Claiming Strategies that Affect Spousal Benefits

In 2016, changes were made to Social Security that essentially concluded the choice to "file and append"—a strategy that allowed one spouse (the higher earner) to file for a retirement benefit at full retirement historic period and suspend (filibuster) receiving the benefit.  By filing for the benefit, the lower-earning spouse could so merits a spousal benefit.  The new laws besides ended the power to file a "restricted application" for spouse's benefits. This strategy applied to workers who reached full retirement age, and whose spouse was already receiving worker benefits. This allowed workers to file only for their spousal do good while delaying their own retirement benefits to age 70 in guild to accrue delayed retirement credits and maximize benefits.  This strategy was usually applied if the worker delaying retirement benefits would have a higher do good based on their ain work record. In other words, they could receive their spousal benefit while waiting for their own benefit to grow. These options are no longer available for anyone who turned 66 after May 1, 2016.  Also important to note: There were no changes to survivor benefit rules. Widows or widowers can still claim a survivor's benefit as early as age sixty before they claim their own worker benefit. Learn more most these changes in WISER's fact sail, Changes to Social Security Claiming Strategies .

Divorced Spouses

You lot can receive benefits as a divorced spouse on your ex-spouse's Social Security record, even if they remarried and their current spouse is collecting benefits based on their tape.  However, at that place are a few eligibility requirements:

  • You must accept been married to your ex-spouse for at least 10 years.
  • You must be at least 62 years old. However, if your ex-spouse is deceased and y'all are currently single, you may collect benefits as early every bit historic period lx as a surviving divorced spouse.  If he or she is deceased and you lot are disabled, you can collect benefits as early on every bit age l.
  • Your ex-spouse must be eligible for benefits and currently receiving benefits for you to qualify for spousal benefits. If you were built-in later on Jan 1st, 1954, you will be required to merits all benefits at in one case (both spousal and retirement) and receive whichever is higher.
  • If y'all were born before January 2, 1954, yous may all the same collect on an ex-spouse's record first while allowing your own benefits to grow and so take your own benefits at historic period 70.
  • If your ex has reached retirement historic period and is eligible to receive retirement benefits but has non yet practical, you tin can nevertheless use for ex-spousal benefits if y'all have been divorced for at least two years.
  • You must not be currently married. If you remarried and divorced your 2d spouse, you lot can claim benefits from either your first or your second spouse every bit long as each union lasted at to the lowest degree 10 years.

Surviving Spouses

  • If your spouse passes abroad, you can collect survivor'south benefits as early as age 60. You are eligible to receive benefits based on his or her full Social Security benefit amount (just note that that amount will still be reduced if you claim the benefits before your own total retirement age.)
  • If your ex-spouse is deceased and you remarry before historic period 60 (or 50 if yous are disabled), you cannot receive survivor'due south benefits unless the latter marriage ends (whether it be through death, divorce, or disparateness). If you lot remarry afterwards historic period sixty, you can continue to receive benefits on your former spouse's Social Security record.  Yet, if your current married man is besides a Social Security casher and you lot would receive a larger benefit from your second spouse'southward work tape than you would from your deceased spouse's record, you should apply for spousal benefits on your current spouse's record.  You cannot receive both benefits.
  • Regardless of your historic period or marital condition, if you are caring for your deceased spouse's child or children, you would be eligible to receive benefits for raising them until they are 16 years old. These children tin then continue to receive benefits based on your spouse's piece of work record until they are eighteen or 19, every bit long every bit they are unmarried.  If a child is even so a full-time student (no higher grade than class 12) when they turn eighteen, they can continue to receive benefits until 2 months afterwards they turn xix or until they graduate, whichever comes outset.  Children who are disabled can likewise go along to receive benefits after they turn 18 years sometime.

Applying for Benefits

Y'all can apply for benefits online past going to ssa.gov.  You can also apply over the telephone by calling 1-800-772-1213, or apply in person past visiting your local Social Security function.

To brand the application process easier, y'all should know your spouse's (or ex-spouse's) date of birth and Social Security number.  You may also be asked to provide certain documents as proof of eligibility, such as your birth certificate or other proof of birth, naturalization papers, West-ii forms, a union certificate, or divorce papers if yous're applying as a divorced spouse.

Finally, educate yourself about your options and what benefits you are eligible for earlier you claim. Unfortunately, in that location are cases where applicants receive misinformation from Social Security representatives; it is a complicated system and every person'southward state of affairs is unique.  Larn every bit much every bit you tin can to maximize your do good.

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