When Can A Spouse Claim Spousal Benefits?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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You can claim

as early as age 62

, but you won't receive as much as if you wait until your own full retirement age. For example, if your full retirement age is 67 and you choose to claim spousal benefits at 62, you'd receive a benefit that's equal to 32.5% of your spouse's full benefit amount.

Can a widow get benefits from a spouse that was on disability?

Disabled widow benefits for disabled surviving spouses is

available to spouses at least 50 years old with a

that began before your spouse died or within seven years of his death.

Do spouses of disabled get benefits?


Yes

. If you are collecting Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), your spouse can draw a benefit on that basis if you have been married for at least one continuous year and he or she is either age 62 or older or any age and caring for a child of yours who is younger than 16 or disabled.

Can I collect spousal benefits if my spouse is still working?


You can collect benefits on a spouse's work record regardless of whether you also worked

. If your own retirement benefit is lower than your spousal benefit, Social Security will pay you the higher amount.

Does spousal Social Security benefits reduce my benefits?


No, receiving benefits

on your spouse's earnings record does not affect the amount of the retirement or disability benefit that your spouse receives. In most cases, you must be at least age 62 to claim a spouse benefit. … If your benefit is higher, you'll receive only that amount.

What is the difference between spousal benefits and survivor benefits?

It is important to note a key difference between survivor benefits and spousal benefits. Spousal retirement

benefits provide a maximum 50% of the other spouse's primary insurance amount (PIA)

. Alternatively, survivors' benefits are a maximum 100% of the deceased spouse's retirement benefit.

How much Social Security will my wife get if she never worked?

The Social Security benefit of a nonworking spouse is

up to 50 percent of the working spouse's FRA benefit

.

How do I qualify for spousal Social Security benefits?

To qualify for spouse's benefits, you must be one of these:

At least 62 years of age

. Any age and caring for a child entitled to receive benefits on your spouse's record and who is younger than age 16 or disabled.

How long do spousal benefits last?

Generally, spouses and ex-spouses become eligible for survivor benefits at age 60 — 50 if they are disabled — provided they do not remarry before that age. These benefits are

payable for life

unless the spouse begins collecting a retirement benefit that is greater than the survivor benefit.

Can a married couple collect two Social Security checks?

No.

Each spouse can claim their own retirement benefit

based solely on their individual earnings history. You can both collect your full amounts at the same time. … Say you and your mate both claimed Social Security at full retirement age.

Does wife get half of husband's Social Security?


You can receive up to 50% of your spouse's Social Security benefit

. You can apply for benefits if you have been married for at least one year. If you have been divorced for at least two years, you can apply if the marriage lasted 10 or more years. Starting benefits early may lead to a reduction in payments.

What benefits can I get as a widow?

Widows and widowers can receive:

Reduced benefits as early as age 60 or full benefits at full retirement age or older

. If widows or widowers qualify for on their own record, they can switch to their own retirement benefit as early as age 62.

Does wife get everything when husband dies?

California is a community property state, which means that following the death of

a spouse, the surviving spouse will have entitlement to one-half of the community property

(i.e., property that was acquired over the course of the marriage, regardless of which spouse acquired it).

How much does a spouse get for survivor benefits?

A surviving spouse can collect

100 percent of the late spouse's benefit

if the survivor has reached full retirement age, but the amount will be lower if the deceased spouse claimed benefits before he or she reached full retirement age.

Can my wife get Social Security if she hasn't worked?

One wonderful aspect of Social Security is the fact that a spouse

who has little or no lifetime earnings can receive benefits based on the work history of his/her

spouse, ex-spouse or deceased spouse.

How many ex wives can claim Social Security?

Social Security says that multiple people are eligible to claim on one worker's record. But you can get only

one benefit and one at a time

.

Maria LaPaige
Author
Maria LaPaige
Maria is a parenting expert and mother of three. She has written several books on parenting and child development, and has been featured in various parenting magazines. Maria's practical approach to family life has helped many parents navigate the ups and downs of raising children.