Your Guide to Social Security’s
Spousal and Survivor Benefits
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At RetirementRevised.com, we get a huge
number of questions from readers about
Social Security’s spousal and survivor
benefits. Rightly so, because these are
incredibly important features of Social
Security that can create powerful amplifying
effects that boost lifetime benefits.
This guide answers the most frequentlyasked questions that we receive on spousal and survivor benefits. When can I start receiving a spousal benefit?
As a spouse, you are entitled to receive the greater of your own benefit or half of your
spouse’s benefit.
If you have reached your full retirement age (FRA), you can choose to receive only your
spouse’s benefits and continue accruing delayed retirement credits on your own Social
Security record. You could then file for your own benefits at a later date and receive a
higher monthly benefit based on the effect of delayed retirement credits. However, a
spouse cannot elect to receive spousal benefits below his/her retirement age and later
switch to her own benefits.
Spousal benefits are reduced for those who file before their own FRA. For example, a
spouse whose FRA is 66 could receive 35 percent of the worker’s unreduced benefit at
age 62. The amount of the benefit increases at later ages up to the maximum of 50
percent at the FRA.
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One exception: if a spouse is taking care of a child who is under age 16 or disabled
and gets Social Security benefits on your record, your spouse gets full benefits,
regardless of age.
The Social Security Administration website offers this example:
Mary Ann qualifies for a retirement benefit of $250 and a spouse’s benefit of $400. At
her full retirement age, she will receive her own $250 retirement benefit, and we will add
$150 from her spouse’s benefit, for a total of $400. If she takes her retirement benefit
before her full retirement age, both amounts will be reduced.
Can I file for spousal benefits if my spouse (the higher earner) isn’t yet at the full
retirement age? If so, how much will my spousal benefits be reduced?
Assuming your spouse has already filed for benefits and your full retirement benefit is
less than 50 percent of your spouse’s full benefit, you can file for the spouse’s benefits
even though your spouse is not yet at the FRA. The amount of reduction is based on
your age at the time you claim the benefit.
Can I file for spousal benefits if my spouse isn’t receiving Social Security?
The answer is no – with a big caveat. Let’s say the higher-earning spouse wants to
continue delaying taking benefits past his or her FRA. The higher earner could do what
is called a file-and-suspend.
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Here’s how “file-and-suspend” works:
1. The higher-earning spouse files for benefits at his FRA but immediately files a notice
to suspend benefits.
2. The lower-earning spouse elects to receive spousal benefits
3. The higher-earning spouse continues to accrue higher payments for whatever point
he elects to begin receiving benefits.
Although this approach is kosher, it
only makes sense if the spousal
benefit would be higher than the
individual’s own benefit. The result can
be much higher combined lifetime
benefits for the couple.
Can my wife start collecting based
on my account at age 62 and then
switch to her own account at age
66?
No, it’s not possible to switch if she
files on her own account before her full
retirement age.
If my wife (age 62) elects early retirement and collects Social Security on her own
account, will her spousal benefit be reduced when I (currently age 64) retire at 66
and begin collecting benefits then?
Social Security will pay a person’s own benefit first, before paying the spouse’s benefit.
Your wife will not receive the full spouse’s rate because of her own benefit level, which 4
is reduced as a result of filing early. The Social Security Administration will add the
spousal benefit to her own benefit to arrive at her new, higher benefit amount.
Here’s an example, provided by the Social Security Administration:
Let’s say the wife’s Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) is $1,000. She files for her own
benefit at 62 and receives a reduced retirement benefit of $750.
Her husband has a PIA of $2500. She is eligible to receive one-half of his PIA at her full
retirement age. $2500 (his PIA); divided by two, that equals $1,250 (This is the full
spouse’s rate). We will subtract the $1250 (the full spouse’s rate) – $1000 (her PIA)=
$250.
Social Security will add that $250 to her reduced retirement benefit amount of $750 and
her new benefit amount at full retirement age will be $1,000, which is less than the full
spouse’s rate.
If my wife has not worked full-time
most of his or her life, can the
spouse qualify for Medicare at age
65, and does she get half of my
Social Security?
If you are at least 62 years old, your
wife becomes eligible at age 65 for
Medicare based on your employment
record. She could receive the free Part A hospitalization coverage, and pay for Part B
medical coverage. On Social Security, she would be eligible to receive 50 percent of
your Social Security benefit at her own FRA. You can apply for Medicare online here.
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Can my wife receive spousal benefits once I reach full retirement age even
though she will continue to work?
If your wife’s full Social Security benefit is less than 50 percent of your full benefit, she
may be eligible for spousal benefits on your record (assuming that you already have
filed for benefits). Since she is still working, there is a limit on how much she can earn
and collect all benefits payable.
My wife and I both just turned 66 and both decided to wait till 70 to collect. If the
lower earner elects to receive spousal benefits and delays collecting his own
benefit until 70, would this spousal benefit reduce his benefit? Do I have to file
and suspend or do I do nothing but file for the spousal benefit?
Yes, you can file solely for the Spousal Benefit since you indicate that your wife has
already filed and suspended – you can then both file for your own retirement benefits at
age 70. You don’t need to (and should not) file and suspend – only file for the Spousal
Benefit at this time.
Also – your decision to file for the Spousal Benefit would have no impact on your future
retirement benefit (or your wife’s) since you both are past your Full Retirement age
(FRA) of 66.
What is the survivor benefit?
When a spouse dies, the survivor is entitled to receive the greater of his or her own
benefit or 100 percent of the spouse’s benefit, including any cost-of-living increases
earned along the way. Again, if the higher-earning spouse delays filing until the FRA or
beyond, then the surviving spouse’s lifetime benefits will be increased substantially.
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Maximizing the survivor benefit is an
especially important consideration for
women. Men not only tend to be the
higher wage earners but also tend to die
at younger ages than women. In many
cases, this means that a delayed filing
by a man can be a critical way to boost
lifetime retirement security for older
women-a time of life when overall
income can decline sharply.
At what age should I apply for a survivor benefit?
You can receive full survivor benefits when you reach your own FRA (typically 66). You
can receive survivor benefits as young as age 60, but the benefit will be reduced.
According to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, widow(er)s are
guaranteed at least 71.5% of their deceased spouse’s Full Retirement Age benefit if
they claim the survivor benefit before their Full Retirement Age, and at least 82.5% if
they claim the survivor benefit after their Full Retirement Age.
Can a widower receive his late spouse’s benefit if the spouse’s benefit was tied to
a spouse from an earlier marriage?
No. Your potential entitlement to a widower’s benefit is limited to your spouse’s Social
Security record only. The Social Security rules don’t permit you to file for a benefit
based on the work record of a spouse from an earlier marriage.
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How do I apply for a survivor benefit?
If you were already receiving a spousal benefit, report the spouse’s death to the Social
Security Administration, and they will change your payments to survivors benefits. If
you were receiving benefits based on your own work, you might be eligible for a higher
survivor benefits, depending on your spouse’s work record. You would need to
complete an application to switch to survivor’s benefits, and supply an original or
certified copy of the death certificate to the Social Security Administration.
Can I file for spousal or survivor benefits from a divorced spouse?
In many cases, yes. Social Security’s rules require that you are currently single, and
have been married to your ex at least ten years; at least 62 years old, which is the
minimum Social Security eligibility age; and not already receiving a benefit greater than
the divorced spouse’s benefit.
You can file for spousal benefits even if your ex isn’t receiving his or her own benefits –
so long as your divorce has been final for two years. Eligibility for an ex’s benefit is lost
if you remarry, and you can’t file for benefits on your new spouse’s earning record until
you’ve been married to that person at least one year.
SocialSecuritySolutions.com, which advises clients on strategies for maximizing Social
Security benefits, provides this summary of the divorced spouse rules, plus several
hypothetical examples of how the rules can work in your favor [pdf file].
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Filing for a divorced spouse benefit is a completely private affair between you and the
Social Security Administration. The Social Security Administration doesn’t report to
your spouse that you’ve inquired – or filed for benefits – on his or her record.
You’ll need to prove you were once married by visiting your local Social Security office
with paperwork in hand. Be prepared to show a birth certificate; proof of citizenship;
W-2 forms or self-employment tax returns for the last year; your final divorce decree;
and your marriage certificate.
The same rules apply for Medicare eligibility.
Can members of a same sex couple receive spousal or survivor benefits?
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision striking down the Defense
of Marriage Act, the Social Security Administration has been making changes to the
way it processes spousal and survivor claims for benefits in states recognizing samesex marriage. It also has streamlined the way it handles marriage-based claims
involving transgender individuals.
But Social Security hasn’t yet extended benefits to states that don’t permit same-sex
marriage because the Social Security Act’s definition of a spouse relies on the
definitions in the state where an applicant lives.
Meanwhile, the SSA took an additional incremental step as part of a broader federal
initiative to extend a wide array of benefits to same-sex couples. It announced that
spousal benefits will be extended to married couples living in states that don’t
recognize same-sex marriage but have laws that recognize an inheritance right for a
same-sex spouse – for example, states that permit civil union or domestic partnership.
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In the meantime, experts advise same-sex couples who think they may be eligible for
benefits to file for Social Security. That step could qualify couples to receive retroactive
benefits if, and when, the state-of-residence issue is resolved.
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), which played a key role advancing
litigation that led to the Supreme Court decision, has published an in-depth guide to
benefits for same-sex couples that addresses many key questions about Social
Security.
Video
View a Morningstar question-andanswer session on Social Security filing,
featuring Mark Miller and Mary Beth
Franklin of Investment News.
Further Reading and Resources
If you can’t find the answer to your
question here, visit your local Social Security office or call their toll free number for
help. You may also be able to find what you’re looking for at the Social Security
website’s FAQ section, or by contacting Ask Mary Jane, a free service provided by the
National Committee to Protect Social Security & Medicare. AARP offers a searchable
database of frequent questions on Social Security. Additionally, please visit the main
RetirementRevised Social Security Resource Guide for links to other valuable
resources on this subject.
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