Can my spouse collect Social Security on my record before I retire? No. You have to be receiving your Social Security retirement or disability benefit for your husband or wife to collect spousal benefits. ... In this way, both could earn delayed retirement credits that boosted their eventual Social Security payments.
Surviving Spouses
If your spouse passes away, you can collect survivor's benefits as early as age 60. You are eligible to receive benefits based on his or her full Social Security benefit amount (but note that that amount will still be reduced if you claim the benefits before your own full retirement age.)
That means most divorced women collect their own Social Security while the ex is alive, but they can apply for higher widow's rates when the ex dies. A widow is eligible for between 71 percent (at age 60) and 100 percent (at full retirement age) of what the spouse was getting before they died.
You can receive up to 50% of your spouse's Social Security benefit. You can apply for benefits if you have been married for at least one year. If you have been divorced for at least two years, you can apply if the marriage lasted 10 or more years. Starting benefits early may lead to a reduction in payments.
You can only collect spousal benefits and wait until 70 to claim your retirement benefit if both of the following are true: You were born before Jan. 2, 1954. Your spouse is collecting his or her own Social Security retirement benefit.
If you are already receiving retirement benefits on your own work record, you can also claim any ex-spousal benefits you are eligible for, but Social Security will not pay you both combined. You'll receive whichever amount is higher and no more.
If you are divorced, your ex-spouse can receive benefits based on your record (even if you have remarried) if: Your marriage lasted 10 years or longer. ... You are entitled to Social Security retirement or disability benefits.
Now, to answer your question: If you claim your Social Security retirement benefits early, this will not affect your wife's dependents benefits, which are also called spousal retirement benefits. As long as your wife waits until her full retirement age to claim her spousal benefits, she can collect the full amount.
Your full spouse's benefit could be up to one-half the amount your spouse is entitled to receive at their full retirement age. If you choose to begin receiving spouse's benefits before you reach full retirement age, your benefit amount will be permanently reduced.
Does my spouse's income affect the earnings limit for my Social Security benefits? No. Even if you file taxes jointly, Social Security does not count both spouses' incomes against one spouse's earnings limit.
Survivor benefits are also available to spouses who are taking care of the worker's dependent minor children under the age of 16. Spousal benefits are capped at 50 percent of the worker's benefit. Survivor benefits are set at 100 percent of the deceased worker's benefit.
In this case, you can claim your own Social Security beginning at 62 and make the switch to spousal benefits when your husband or wife files. ... That includes if you file early for your retirement benefit — say, at 62, as in this scenario — and switch to spousal benefits later.
Switching to survivor benefits
If your spouse passes, you must apply either by phone at 1-800-772-1213 or if you are deaf or hard of hearing, at TTY 1-800-325-0778. Or you can visit your local Social Security office.
Social Security says that multiple people are eligible to claim on one worker's record. But you can get only one benefit and one at a time.
If My Spouse Dies, Can I Collect Their Social Security Benefits? ... A surviving spouse can collect 100 percent of the late spouse's benefit if the survivor has reached full retirement age, but the amount will be lower if the deceased spouse claimed benefits before he or she reached full retirement age.
Widow or widower, full retirement age or older—100% of your benefit amount. Widow or widower, age 60 to full retirement age—71½ to 99% of your basic amount. A child under age 18 (19 if still in elementary or secondary school) or has a disability—75%.
At 65 to 67, depending on the year of your birth, you are at full retirement age and can get full Social Security retirement benefits tax-free.
The Social Security Administration (SSA), which operates the program, sets different (and considerably more complex) limits on income for SSI recipients, and also sets a ceiling on financial assets: You can't own more than $2,000 in what the SSA considers “countable resources” as an individual or more than $3,000 as a ...
Full retirement age
If you were born in 1955 or earlier, you're already eligible for your full Social Security benefit. The full retirement age is 66 if you were born from 1943 to 1954. The full retirement age increases gradually if you were born from 1955 to 1960 until it reaches 67.
Upon one partner's death, the surviving spouse may receive up to one-half of the community property. If there is no will or trust, then surviving spouses may also inherit the other half of the community property, and take up to one-half of the deceased spouse's separate property.
Your second spouse typically will be able to claim one-third to one-half of the assets covered by your will, even if it says something else. Joint bank or brokerage accounts held with a child will go to that child. Your IRA will go to whomever you've named on the IRA's beneficiary form, leaving your new spouse out.