Social Security benefits are not limited to those who have worked and contributed to the system. In the U.S., husbands, wives, and some ex-spouses are also able to receive special retirement benefits, even if they never had a formal job or made very little money. The issue is that these spousal benefits come with some rules, and many people don’t even know they exist or how they work.
About 2 million people receive payments as spouses, despite the fact that over 53 million people receive regular retirement benefits. Looking at the four main criteria, will help you determine if you could qualify.
1. Your spouse needs to be eligible for retirement benefits
The working partner’s record is always the basis for spousal payments. This means that your spouse (or ex-spouse) has to first qualify for their own Social Security retirement benefit.
They need to have completed 40 credits—or about ten years of work. One credit is earned for every $1,810 in income in 2025, with a maximum of four credits annually. You should only consider applying as your spouse if your spouse has enough credits and is eligible for retirement benefits.
There is no spousal benefit to be claimed if they don’t meet that work history requirement.
2. Your marriage history should correspond to the time requirements
According to your partner’s record, if you are currently married, you typically need to be married for at least a year in order to be eligible for a spousal benefit. This one-year rule has two significant exceptions:
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The one-year requirement does not apply if you and your spouse have a child together.
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The time rule may also be ignored if you were already qualified for Social Security benefits prior to getting married.
The rules change if you’re divorced:
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You must have been married for ten years or more.
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When you apply for the spousal benefit, you cannot be married again.
It’s important to note that your eligibility remains unaffected if your ex remarries—as long as you follow the 10-year rule and stay single.
3. Timing is important for both you and your spouse.
In general, you are not eligible to receive a spousal benefit until your spouse has started receiving their own retirement benefits.
While you wait for your partner to make a claim, you can begin your own retirement benefit if your employment history qualifies you for it as well.
Even if your ex hasn’t started their own benefits yet, you can request spousal benefits based on their record if you’ve been divorced for at least two years.
4. You only receive the higher of the two sums.
If you are eligible for a spousal benefit and your own retirement benefit, you won’t get the sum of the two. All you’ll receive is whichever is higher.
The maximum spousal benefit is equal to half of your spouse’s (or ex-spouse’s) full retirement age (FRA) rights. For those born in 1960 or later, the current FRA is 67.
The benefit are reduced if you claim it before your FRA. However, they don’t change over time in entirely the same way:
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If you wait between 62 and 64, your spouse’s and your own benefits increase around 5% annually.
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Your personal benefit increases by roughly 6.67% annually between 64 and 67 years old, while the spouse’s benefit increases more quickly, by about 8.33% annually.
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Only your personal benefit continues to increase between the ages of 67 and 70, at a rate of roughly 8% annually. At your FRA, the spousal benefit stops increasing.
Check your options, don’t assume
In real life, the spousal benefit is only higher if your spouse made a lot more money in their career than you did. That’s why the majority of Americans receive end up just choosing their own retirement benefits.
Nevertheless, it’s important to consider the two choices.