Spousal Social Security Benefits: 5 Things All Retired Couples Should Know

Social Security is best known for providing retirement income to tens of millions of retired workers, but there's a lot more to the program. One of the most important, but often misunderstood, components is Social Security spousal benefits.

Spousal benefits are designed to provide much-needed retirement income to married couples for which one spouse had a relatively low income. The most prevalent example is situations in which one spouse was a stay-at-home parent. However, spousal benefits can also apply in cases in which one spouse simply earned a much higher average salary.

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With that in mind, here are five things all couples, and even divorced spouses, should know about Social Security spousal benefits in 2025.

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1. How much can a spousal benefit be?

The short answer is that a spousal benefit can be as much as 50% of the higher earner's primary insurance amount, which is essentially one's retirement benefit if claiming at full retirement age. For example, if your Social Security retirement benefit is expected to be $2,000 per month at full retirement age, the highest possible spousal benefit based on your work record would be $1,000.

The maximum Social Security benefit for someone reaching full retirement age in 2025 is $4,018 per month. That means the maximum possible spousal benefit is approximately $2,000.

2. How much is the average Social Security spousal benefit?

According to the 2024 Social Security Statistical Supplement, there are about 1.98 million people actively receiving a spousal benefit from Social Security. The average monthly benefit was $890.24, which is roughly $10,670 per year.

This might not sound like a massive amount, and it isn't compared with the average retired worker's benefit of $1,905 per month. But for couples who have one primary earner, this can make quite a difference in their financial comfort after retirement.

3. Spousal benefits can be reduced for early retirement

Just as retired workers' Social Security benefits can be reduced for claiming before full retirement age, spousal benefits can be as well.

Spousal benefits can be claimed as early as age 62 but will be reduced by 25/36 of 1% for each month before full retirement age, up to 36 months early. Beyond 36 months early, the reduction is 5/12 of 1% per month.

I'll spare you the math: If your full retirement age is 67 and you claim a spousal benefit at 62, it will be 35% lower than it would be at full retirement age.

However, one big difference is that unlike retired workers' benefits, there is no delayed retirement credit with spousal benefits. In other words, there's no financial benefit for waiting until after full retirement age to start collecting a spousal benefit.

4. Even if you're divorced, you can still qualify

In many cases, divorced spouses can collect a benefit on their ex-spouse's work record. They generally must be unmarried and at least 62 years old, and the marriage must have lasted for at least 10 years. If the divorce was finalized at least two years ago, a spousal benefit can be claimed regardless of whether the ex-spouse has filed for a retirement benefit.

5. You can get an estimate of your future spousal benefit

If you're still working and are curious how much you could get from a spousal benefit, as well as from your own work record, there's an easy way to do it. You and your spouse can access your most recent Social Security statements at www.ssa.gov by logging in or creating an account. Not only can you see your entire year-by-year earnings record, but you can also view a personalized estimate of your future Social Security benefits. By comparing your estimated benefit with 50% of your spouse's full retirement benefit, you can get a good idea of how much you can expect to receive.

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