Bottom Line. Social Security for non-working spouses allows them to claim up to half of their partner's full retirement benefit. They can start receiving benefits at 62, but waiting until full retirement age increases the amount.
Nothing. If a person has never worked, they have never paid into Social Security and will not be eligible to receive Social Security on their own.
Social Security Program Rules
The wife of a retired worker is eligible for a spousal benefit of up to 50 percent of her husband's primary insurance amount ( PIA ), if claimed at her full retirement age ( FRA ).
Collecting unemployment insurance does not prevent you from receiving Social Security retirement benefits or vice versa. The same holds true for spousal or survivors benefits you claim on the earnings record of a retired or deceased worker.
Some government and railroad employees are not eligible for Social Security. American expatriates retiring in certain countries—and some retired immigrants to the U.S.—can't collect Social Security benefits. Divorced spouses married for fewer than 10 years cannot claim benefits based on the earnings of their ex-spouse.
Social Security can be considered your "portable pension." Social Security will follow you from job to job thus offering you continued protection under its Retirement, Survivors, and Disability programs.
Just because you don't bring home a paycheck doesn't mean you're not working. A stay-at-home parent can get a Social Security check just like any other worker.
If you stop working before you have enough credits to qualify for benefits, your credits will stay on your record. If you return to work later on, you can add more credits so you can qualify. Social Security can't pay benefits if you don't have enough credits.
Surviving spouse, at full retirement age or older, generally gets 100% of the worker's basic benefit amount. Surviving spouse, age 60 or older, but under full retirement age, gets between 71% and 99% of the worker's basic benefit amount.
If you worked outside the U.S., you may not have enough Social Security credits to qualify for Social Security retirement or disability benefits. But you may be able to count your work credits from another country. See if the country you have worked in has a retirement benefit agreement with the United States.
Each survivor benefit can be up to 100% of your benefit. The amount may be reduced if the women start benefits before their own full retirement age, but they don't have to share — the amount isn't reduced because you've had more than one spouse.
Social Security's special minimum benefit pays at least $49.40 per month in 2023 and $50.90 in 2024. Social Security's special minimum benefit tops out at $1,033.50 per month in 2023 and $1,066.50 in 2024. You'll receive 100% of the benefit if you file at full retirement age or later.
Although many of the programs base benefit amounts and eligibility to work history, there are some instances where a person who has never worked can collect benefits. One program that provides benefits to people, not based on their work history, is Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Have you heard about the Social Security $16,728 yearly bonus? There's really no “bonus” that retirees can collect. The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a specific formula based on your lifetime earnings to determine your benefit amount.
Stay-at-home and nonworking spouses are entitled to Social Security retirement benefits. The amount varies, though.
Although you need at least 10 years of work (40 credits) to qualify for Social Security retirement benefits, we base the amount of your benefit on your highest 35 years of earnings.
You can start receiving your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. However, you are entitled to full benefits only when you reach your full retirement age. If you delay taking your benefits from your full retirement age up to age 70, your benefit amount will increase.
A wife with no work record or low benefit entitlement on her own work record is eligible for between one-third and one-half of her spouse's Social Security benefit.
If you are in a nursing home for more than 90 days and Medicaid pays for more than half of your nursing home costs, your SSI benefits may be reduced. The amount of your reduction will depend on how much money you have in countable assets.
This is good news when former spouses are not on good terms. Your ex cannot “block” you from drawing your spousal benefit. In fact, he probably won't even know if you are drawing off him unless he calls SSA to ask.
If your spouse dies, do you get both Social Security benefits? You cannot claim your deceased spouse's benefits in addition to your own retirement benefits. Social Security only will pay one—survivor or retirement. If you qualify for both survivor and retirement benefits, you will receive whichever amount is higher.
If you've worked and paid Social Security taxes for 10 years or more, you'll get a monthly benefit based on that work.
We cannot pay benefits if you don't have enough credits. In 2025, you receive 1 credit for each $1,810 of earnings, up to the maximum of 4 credits per year. Each year the amount of earnings needed for credits goes up slightly as average earnings levels increase.