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How to Get Your Full Spousal Benefit - The Motley Fool
Spousal benefits are available if 50% of one spouse’s full retirement age (FRA) benefit is greater than 100% of the other spouse’s FRA benefit. To qualify, you must be at least age 62, your spouse must have filed for retirement benefits, and you must not be receiving a higher benefit based on your own work record. If you take your spousal benefit before reaching your FRA, it will be reduced based on your age. As you and your spouse prepare for retirement, review your eligibility for spousal benefits and include them in your overall retirement strategy.
Your Social Security benefit amount is based on two major factors: your earnings history and your age when you claim benefits. If you claim any benefit before your FRA, it will be reduced based on your age. However, even if your spouse is not claiming their benefits yet, do not delay starting your own benefit beyond your FRA.
You become eligible for your spousal benefit when your spouse has started receiving their own benefits, and you are at least age 62. If your spouse delays their benefit, you cannot receive a spousal benefit until they start. If you begin your own benefit before your spouse starts their own, and you have not yet reached your FRA, when your spouse applies, your spouse’s benefit will be applied to your currently reduced benefit, and it will not equal 50%. Similarly, if you are receiving your own benefit and your spouse claims before you reach FRA, the spousal portion applied at that time will also be reduced.
There are currently over two million recipients receiving spousal benefits. Stefon Walters has written an article about why starting your spousal benefits before your FRA may not be your best option. To read his full article, click here … His article pertains to married spouses, but ex-spouses can also be eligible for spousal benefits if they meet certain requirements.
Spousal benefits are one of the most confusing areas of Social Security. If you have further questions, please email them to ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org or call (888) 750-2622 to speak with an accredited Social Security Advisor.
This posting is presented for informational purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. Any opinions or interpretations presented are either those of the original author or, in the case of articles authored by the AMAC Foundation, are the opinions of AMAC Foundation staff, originally trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA) and certified via the AMAC Foundation. Any links included in the article are valid on the posted date; socialsecurityreport.org cannot guarantee the duration of the links’ validity. NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity. To submit a question, visit our website (https://amacfoundation.org/services/) or email us at ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org. Because we are a non-profit organization, there is no charge for these services.