Social Security spousal benefits: how much a husband or wife can get

Who can get a spousal benefit

Social Security says you may be eligible as the spouse of someone entitled to retirement or disability benefits if you have been married at least 1 year and you are:

• 62 or older, or
• caring for a child age 15 or younger, or
• caring for a child of any age who has a disability.

Divorced spouses

Ex-spouses who were married for at least 10 years may be eligible, as can some valid non-marital legal relationships. Payments to ex-spouses do not count toward the family maximum, so they do not reduce what the worker's current family receives.

How much: up to 50%

Social Security puts it simply: you could get up to half of the benefit amount your family member would get at their full retirement age. The 50% is measured against the worker's full benefit, called the primary insurance amount, not against what the worker actually receives after claiming early or late. The spouse's own age when they start decides how much of that half they get.

Starting early

You can apply for spousal benefits from 62, but the payment is higher the longer you wait, up to your own full retirement age, which Social Security puts between 66 and 67. At 62, for someone born in 1960 or later, SSA's table shows a 35% cut: a $500 spousal benefit becomes $325. The cut shrinks month by month as you get closer to full retirement age.

You get the higher benefit, not both

If you can get a benefit on your own work record as well, Social Security pays the highest amount you are eligible for. It does not add them together. When you apply at 62 or older, Social Security checks your eligibility for your own retirement benefit too.

The family maximum

There is a limit to how much one family can get on a worker's record, called the family maximum. If the total for a spouse and children would go over it, their payments are lowered to fit. Payments to ex-spouses do not count toward it.

Working while getting spousal benefits

The same earnings limits apply as for retirement benefits: if you are younger than full retirement age and earn above the yearly limit, the payment is temporarily reduced. See the guide to working while collecting for the 2027 limits.

Medicare

A spouse may also be able to get Medicare based on the worker's work history at 65 or older. See the guide to Medicare enrollment.

If the worker dies

A spousal benefit becomes a survivor benefit, which can be up to 100% of the worker's benefit. The survivor benefits page explains the rules.