Here's How to Tell if You Qualify for Spousal Social Security Benefits

There is a lot more to Social Security than the retirement benefits that tens of millions of retired workers receive every month. One extremely important part of the program is known as Social Security spousal benefits.Spousal benefits can provide much-needed retirement income to married couples where one spouse was the primary earner. This is most common in situations where one spouse was a stay-at-home parent, but they can also apply in cases where one spouse was a high earner and the other worked part-time or earned comparatively little throughout their working life.Depending on the specific circumstances, a spousal benefit can be as high as one-half of the higher-earning spouse's full retirement benefit (formally known as their "primary insurance amount"). This means that if your spouse has a primary insurance amount of $2,500 per month based on their own work record, your spousal benefit can be as much as $1,250.Continue reading

Apr 9, 2025 - 11:39

Here's How to Tell if You Qualify for Spousal Social Security Benefits

There is a lot more to Social Security than the retirement benefits that tens of millions of retired workers receive every month. One extremely important part of the program is known as Social Security spousal benefits.

Spousal benefits can provide much-needed retirement income to married couples where one spouse was the primary earner. This is most common in situations where one spouse was a stay-at-home parent, but they can also apply in cases where one spouse was a high earner and the other worked part-time or earned comparatively little throughout their working life.

Depending on the specific circumstances, a spousal benefit can be as high as one-half of the higher-earning spouse's full retirement benefit (formally known as their "primary insurance amount"). This means that if your spouse has a primary insurance amount of $2,500 per month based on their own work record, your spousal benefit can be as much as $1,250.