Yes, your wife can receive Social Security spousal benefits even if she has never worked, provided she is at least 62 years old and you have begun collecting your own benefits. She may be eligible for up to 50% of your full retirement age benefit. The marriage must have lasted at least one year.
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.
The exact amount you're entitled to will be based on the number of years you have National Insurance credits for. As mentioned, though, if you have less than 10 years' worth of NI credits or contributions, you won't usually be eligible for any State Pension.
Yes, housewives (or homemakers) can get Social Security benefits, often through spousal benefits based on their partner's earnings record if they have little or no work history of their own, allowing them to receive up to half their spouse's benefit, or even a widow's benefit if their spouse dies. They can also qualify on their own record if they've worked and earned enough, but spousal benefits are common for full-time parents/homemakers, with rules for current/ex-spouses.
Social Security Basics
Your ex may be eligible to receive benefits based on your work history and vice versa. You must have been married for at least ten years. You must be at least 62 years old and currently unmarried, though it doesn't matter if your former spouse remarries or not.
Whether an ex-spouse can claim part of your pension years after a divorce largely depends on what was outlined in your divorce agreement. In many cases, pensions are considered marital property, meaning they must be divided according to state law and the terms negotiated during the divorce.
If a person is convicted for the murder or abetting in the murder of the Government servant, such a person shall be debarred from receiving the family pension . The family pension shall be payable to next eligible member of the family, from the date of death of the Government servants.
Qualifying spouse beneficiaries must be married to the retiring spouse for at least one continuous year prior to applying for benefits, with certain exceptions. Yes, up to 50 percent of spouse's PIA if spouse is still living.
Old Age Security (OAS) pension
Apply for OAS if you are 65 and older even if you have never worked or are still working.
From 20 September 2025, the full pension is available, under the assets test, for homeowner singles whose assessable assets are under $321,500 – for homeowner couples the number is $481,500. The numbers for non-homeowners are $579,500 and $739,500 respectively.
Pensions for the unemployed
If you are unemployed you can receive National Insurance credits towards your basic State Pension provided you receive or received Jobseeker's Allowance.
The biggest recent change is the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA) of 2023, effective January 2024, which eliminated the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), meaning your spouse's or survivor's benefits won't be reduced by your non-Social Security government pension anymore, making it much fairer. Also, the "file and suspend" strategy for spousal benefits ended for most, but the core rules remain: you get the higher of your own or your spousal benefit (up to 50% of your partner's), and you can generally switch from spousal to your own higher retirement benefit at full retirement age.
Can a non-working spouse qualify for Medicare? Medicare isn't just for people who retire after many years of working. Anyone who meets Medicare eligibility requirements can get Medicare, including spouses.
Not all U.S. workers qualify for Social Security retirement benefits. You can't collect Social Security in retirement if you haven't worked enough to accrue 40 credits, which takes approximately 10 years. Certain types of government workers may not be eligible, including some railroad employees.
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).
People are only eligible for a spousal benefit when their own benefit is less than half of their retired spouse's benefit, or when they seek to delay their own application for Social Security benefits based on their own work record.
The Social Security "10-year marriage rule" allows a divorced spouse to claim benefits on their ex-spouse's earnings record if their marriage lasted at least 10 years, they are currently unmarried (unless the ex-spouse has remarried), are at least 62, and the ex-spouse is eligible for retirement or disability benefits, without reducing the ex-spouse's benefit. This rule helps lower-earning or non-working spouses receive benefits if their own record is smaller, and it applies even if the ex-spouse has remarried, provided the ex-spouse is receiving benefits.
You can start receiving your State Pension when you reach state pension age even though your partner is younger than you. You need to apply for it, and you can do this by phone on 0800 731 7898 or apply for State Pension online.
If you're married or in a civil partnership
you're not eligible for the basic State Pension.
You can receive the OAS pension even if you have never worked or are still working. Employment does not affect your eligibility, but your income does. Add all types of income, such as: private and public pensions (including retirement and disability)