Spousal Social Security benefits allow a married, divorced (after 10+ year marriage), or widowed spouse to claim benefits based on the higher-earning spouse's record. Spousal benefit: up to 50% of the worker's primary insurance amount at full retirement age. Survivor benefit: up to 100%. Claiming spousal at full retirement age (66-67) maximizes amount; claiming early reduces it. Special filing strategies (file-and-suspend, restricted application) were largely eliminated in 2015, but careful timing still matters. Divorced spouses can claim on an ex's record without affecting the ex's benefits. Coordinate spouse claiming decisions for maximum lifetime household benefits.
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Spousal Benefits
August 22, 2026 · Aditya Gupta
Personal Finance
Related terms
403(b)
A 403(b) plan is a retirement plan for employees of public schools, nonprofit hospitals, charities, and religious organizations…
457(b)
A 457(b) plan is a retirement plan for state and local government employees and certain nonprofit employees. Unique…
Annuitization
Annuitization is the process of converting a lump sum (or accumulated annuity value) into a guaranteed income stream,…
Annuity
An annuity is an insurance contract paying a stream of income, often for life — designed to provide…
Backdoor Roth Conversion
The Backdoor Roth Conversion strategy enables high earners who exceed Roth IRA income limits to fund a Roth…
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A Beneficiary IRA (Inherited IRA) is a retirement account inherited from a deceased owner. Post-SECURE Act 2019, most…
