Social Security Spousal Benefits

The Social Security Administration recently released an article on spousal benefits. 

If you don’t have enough Social Security credits to get benefits or if your benefit is small, you may be able to receive benefits as a spouse. 

For this to happen, your spouse must be receiving benefits. 

You must also be either 62 years of age or older, or any age if you have a child who is younger than 16 in your care or has a disability and is entitled to benefits on your spouse’s record. 

The maximum spousal benefit is 50% of your spouse’s benefits at full retirement age (FRA).

You must also have waited to receive spousal benefits until your FRA. 

If you start spousal benefits before your FRA, your benefits will be permanently reduced. 

If you are already receiving benefits, Social Security will pay that amount first.

If your spousal benefits are higher than your own benefit, you’ll get a combination of benefits that equals the higher spouse’s benefit. 

The key here is this is not automatic. 

You have to apply for both your own benefit and the spousal benefit.    

Not associated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other government agency.