You must be at least 62 years of age to claim spousal benefits, and you and your spouse have to have been married for at least one year, in most cases. You can't collect spousal benefits unless your spouse already receives Social Security. If your spouse claims their own benefit, you are dually entitled.
A married person may collect benefits based on their own earnings or receive a maximum of 50% of their spouse's Social Security benefits, whichever is greater.
Why are SSI recipients getting two checks in November? The quirk in the calendar happens in November because Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits – additional payments beyond Social Security for those with little or no income and very limited resources – come out on the first business day of each month.
If you've been married multiple times, your current and former spouses could be eligible for Social Security benefits based on your earnings record, subject to certain requirements.
Spouses and ex-spouses
Payments start at 71.5% of your spouse's benefit and increase the longer you wait to apply. For example, you might get: Over 75% at age 61.
If you have since remarried, you can't collect benefits on your former spouse's record unless your later marriage ended by annulment, divorce, or death. Also, if you're entitled to benefits on your own record, your benefit amount must be less than you would receive based on your ex-spouse's work.
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.
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.
A person may be entitled to more than one benefit at the same time. For example, a person may be entitled as a retired worker on their own record and as a spouse on another record. However, a person's benefit amount can never exceed the highest single benefit to which that person is entitled.
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.
To qualify to get $144 added back to your Social Security check, you can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan that offers a Part B premium reduction or giveback benefit.
Either spouse can maximize their regular Social Security benefit amount by waiting past their full-retirement age to apply, up to age 70. Benefits generally increase 8% each year filing is delayed.
If you get Social Security disability or retirement benefits and you marry, your benefit will stay the same. However, other benefits such as SSI, Survivors, Divorced Spouses, and Child's benefits may be affected.
Exactly how much in earnings do you need to get a $3,000 benefit? Well, you just need to have averaged about 70% of the taxable maximum. In our example case, that means that your earnings in 1983 were about $22,000 and increased every year to where they ended at about $100,000 at age 62.
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.
The maximum Social Security benefit at full retirement age is $3,822 per month in 2024. It will be $4,018 a month in 2025. It's $4,873 per month in 2024 if retiring at age 70 and $2,710 if retiring at age 62.
you're eligible for some of your ex's Social Security
wives and widows. That means most divorced women collect their own Social Security while the ex is alive, but can apply for higher widow's rates when he dies.
For a spouse who is not entitled to benefits on his or her own earnings record, this reduction factor is applied to the base spousal benefit, which is 50 percent of the worker's primary insurance amount.
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 you remarry after age 60 – You may be eligible for survivors benefits on your deceased spouse's record or benefits on your new spouse's record. Contact us to find out where you are due the greatest benefit amount.
While marriage will not affect your own personal benefits, it might have an impact on the benefits that your children can receive. Additionally, if you divorce or become widowed, there might be an impact on your SSDI benefits.