What this article covers
Opher Ganel explains how Social Security claiming decisions shape what your spouse receives, both while you’re alive and after you die. The key distinction: when you claim doesn’t change your spouse’s spousal benefit (which tops out at 50% of your full retirement benefit), but delaying your own claim to age 70 raises the survivor benefit your widow(er) can receive.
Key Takeaways
Your claiming age doesn’t change your spouse’s spousal benefit, but your spouse’s claiming age does
Once you file for retirement benefits, your spouse can receive up to 50% of your full retirement benefit, whether you filed early, at full retirement age or at 70. Your spouse can claim spousal benefits as early as 62 at a permanent reduction, but there is no gain from waiting past full retirement age because spousal benefits don’t keep growing.
Delaying your own Social Security to age 70 is the main way to maximize survivor benefits
Each year of delay permanently raises your benefit by about 8%, and that increase carries over to your widow(er), whose survivor benefit can equal 100% of your retirement benefit. Per the SSA chart Opher cites, a survivor born in 1962 or later gets 71.5% of your benefit if claiming at 60, 79.6% at 62 and 100% at 67.
Marriage length, divorce and a family maximum limit who can collect on your record
Survivor benefits require at least 9 months of marriage and spousal benefits at least one year. An ex-spouse can claim on your record after a marriage of at least 10 years, a divorce at least two years ago and no remarriage, and total family benefits are generally capped at 150% to 180% of your retirement benefit (ex-spouse benefits excluded).
Social Security benefit rules seem to be designed for maximum complexity and confusion. With multiple benefits, requirements, and amounts depending on specific scenarios, it’s impossible to cover all of it in one go. Since the information on SSA.gov leaves something to be desired, here’s how to maximize your spouse’s benefits.
Should Your Spouse Delay Social Security Retirement Benefits to Age 70?
Let’s assume your spouse paid into the Social Security system long enough to be eligible for retirement benefits. Let’s also assume that s/he has at least an average life expectancy.
To maximize her/his own retirement benefits, your spouse should delay claiming retirement benefits until age 70. For every year of delay from early retirement age to age 70, his/her benefits will permanently increase by ~8%.
How Do Social Security Spousal Benefits Work, and When Should Your Spouse Claim?
If you haven’t filed for retirement benefits, your spouse can’t file for spousal benefit based on your record. Once you file for retirement benefits, her/his spousal benefits will be up to 50% of your full retirement benefit.
When you file for your own benefits doesn’t affect your spouse’s spousal benefits. Whether you filed early, at full retirement age, or up to age 70 s/he gets the same spousal benefit.
However, your spouse’s age when filing for spousal benefits under your record does affect benefits. The earliest is age 62, though this will permanently reduce the benefits. To maximize the benefits, your spouse should wait until full retirement age (67 if born in 1962 or later). There’s no point in delaying beyond that point – spousal benefits don’t continue to increase like retirement benefits.
One caveat is that spousal benefits don’t get reduced if your spouse cares for a child under 16 (or who receives disability benefits).
How Does Your Claiming Age Affect Your Spouse’s Survivor Benefits?
To maximize your widow(er)’s survivor benefits, delay claiming your retirement benefits. The 8%/year permanent increase applies not only to your retirement benefits, but also to your widow(er)’s survivor benefit. Those can be 100% of your retirement benefits.
Once you’ve maximized the baseline amount by delaying your claiming to age 70, your widow(er) should also delay claiming survivor benefits. Based on a chart from the Social Security Administration, and assuming s/he was born in 1962 or later, your widow(er) would get 71.5% of your retirement benefit if s/he files at age 60, 79.6% at age 62, and 100% at age 67.
Spousal and Survivor Benefit Rules: Marriage Length, Divorce and the Family Maximum
To further complicate the picture, there are other requirements and limits, such as:
- Your widow(er) must have been married to you for at least 9 months to claim survivor benefits.
- You must be married for at least a year for your spouse to be eligible for spousal benefits.
- To be eligible for spousal benefit under your record, your ex-spouse needs to:
- Have been married to you for at least 10 years;
- Divorced you at least two years ago; and
- Not have remarried (what s/he gets doesn’t affect you or your current spouse).
- Your ex-spouse can file for spousal benefits starting at age 62, even if you haven’t yet filed for retirement benefits.
- Your family generally can’t receive more than 150% – 180% of your retirement benefit. Benefits received by your ex-spouse aren’t included in this limit.
The Bottom Line: Your Claiming Age Matters Most for Survivor Benefits
Social Security is very complicated, with a quasi-infinite number of moving pieces and scenarios. The above is just to give you a sense of the factors that affect your spouse’s spousal and survivor benefits. To maximize your benefits and those of your spouse/widow(er), use a specialized calculator.
As The Balance points out, survivor benefits can be equivalent to a $50k – $250k life insurance policy. This can be very helpful to ensure your widow(er)’s finances, especially important if you’re the main breadwinner.
While claiming your retirement benefit early or late doesn’t affect your spouse’s spousal benefits (at least once you’ve started those retirement benefits), that timing does affect survivor benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does claiming Social Security early reduce my spouse’s spousal benefit?
No. According to the article, when you file for your own retirement benefits doesn’t affect your spouse’s spousal benefit, which can be up to 50% of your full retirement benefit. What does matter is your spouse’s own age when filing for spousal benefits: claiming before full retirement age permanently reduces them.
Should my spouse delay spousal benefits until age 70?
No. The article explains that spousal benefits don’t keep increasing after full retirement age the way retirement benefits do, so there’s no point in delaying beyond that. To maximize spousal benefits, your spouse should wait until full retirement age.
How can I maximize my spouse’s Social Security survivor benefits?
Delay claiming your own retirement benefits, ideally to age 70, because the roughly 8% per year increase also applies to your widow(er)’s survivor benefit, which can be 100% of your retirement benefit. Your widow(er) should then also delay claiming survivor benefits, since claiming at 60 or 62 yields a smaller share than claiming at full retirement age.
Can my ex-spouse collect Social Security benefits on my record?
Yes, if your ex-spouse was married to you for at least 10 years, divorced you at least two years ago and has not remarried. An ex-spouse can file starting at age 62 even if you haven’t filed yet, and what they receive doesn’t affect your benefits or your current spouse’s.
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Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be considered financial advice. You should consult a financial professional before making any major financial decisions.
About the author
Contributing Writer, Wealthtender
My career has taken some unexpected turns, from earning a PhD in experimental high-energy physics, to conducting cosmic-ray research in Antarctica, to supporting NASA projects and programs, to running my own consulting business. I also run several other small businesses and help my wife run her Marriage and Family Therapy practice.
Those experiences taught me to question assumptions, think critically, and recognize that real-world decisions of any significance rarely have simple answers that apply to everyone. Today, I bring that perspective to writing about personal finance. Drawing on my analytical background, business experience, and research, I explore financial decisions, challenge conventional wisdom, and help readers understand the tradeoffs that can affect their financial well-being. To complement my own research and experience, I also weave insights from financial professionals into my articles, drawing on their expertise and real-world experience helping clients navigate financial decisions and challenges.
At medium.com/@opher-ganel, you can read more of my articles and subscribe to receive email notifications when new ones come out.