Key Points
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You generally must be married for at least one year to qualify for spousal Social Security benefits.
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You may be eligible to claim a spousal benefit on your ex’s work record if you were married for at least 10 years.
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Spousal benefits only grow until your full retirement age (FRA).
Spousal Social Security benefits sound pretty straightforward on the surface: Your spouse applies for retirement benefits, then you apply for a check based on their work record. However, there are actually several little-known rules that can make this more complicated than it first appears.
Understanding how spousal benefits differ from retirement benefits can help you avoid some of the most common mistakes. Here are three that could prove costly for you if you get them wrong.
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1. Just getting married often isn’t enough to qualify for spousal Social Security
Marriage is a prerequisite to claim a spousal Social Security benefit, but the length of the marriage matters more than many realize. Typically, you must have been married to your spouse for at least a year before you become eligible to claim a benefit on their work record.
There are exceptions if you’re the parent of your spouse’s child or if you were eligible for Social Security benefits in the month before the month you got married. Then, you’d be able to claim spousal benefits without the one-year waiting period.
2. Divorce doesn’t automatically render you ineligible to claim a spousal benefit
Whether you can claim a spousal benefit following a divorce depends on how long the marriage lasted. If you were married for at least 10 years, you remain eligible to claim a benefit on your ex’s work record, and you don’t need their permission to do so. Those with shorter marriages will not have this option.
Seniors claiming ex-spousal benefits will lose this option if they remarry. However, they will likely be able to claim a spousal benefit on their new partner’s work record instead.
3. Spousal benefits don’t grow until age 70 like retirement benefits
Your Social Security retirement benefits continue to grow each month you delay your application, until you qualify for your largest checks at 70. Waiting until then is often the best strategy if you’re trying to maximize your lifetime Social Security benefits.
Spousal benefits stop growing once you reach your full retirement age (FRA). This is 67 for most people today. Make sure you sign up by then at the latest if you’re claiming these checks, so you don’t miss out on the benefits you qualify for.
If you have any questions about how Social Security spousal benefits work, contact the Social Security Administration for more information. You can do this by phone or by making an appointment with your local Social Security office.
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