To qualify, your spouse must be at least 62 years old and you must have already filed for your own Social Security retirement benefits. The maximum spousal benefit is 50% of your Primary Insurance Amount, which is the benefit you would receive at your Full Retirement Age. If your spouse claims before their own FRA, the benefit is permanently reduced below 50%. If your spouse also has their own Social Security work record, the SSA pays their own earned benefit first and supplements it up to the spousal amount if the spousal benefit is higher. This is known as deemed filing. Divorced spouses may also be eligible to collect based on an ex-spouse’s record if the marriage lasted at least 10 years, the divorced spouse is currently unmarried and at least 62, and their own benefit would be less than the divorced spousal benefit. Collecting on an ex-spouse’s record has no impact on the ex-spouse’s own benefit or the benefit of any current spouse. The Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law on January 5, 2025, eliminated the Government Pension Offset, which had previously reduced spousal benefits for many government employees.

Social Security and pensions offer spousal and survivor protections—the higher earner's claiming decisions directly affect the surviving partner's income.

Spouse Retirement Benefits: Does My Spouse Get My Pension When I Die?

Whether your spouse receives pension income after your death depends on the payout option you chose at retirement.

What Is AARP, What Does Membership Include, and When Should You Join?

AARP is open to adults 18 and up, with full benefits at 50—membership includes discounts, planning tools, and advocacy on issues affecting older Americans.

Retirement Depression and Boredom: What Causes It and What Helps?

Leaving a career can trigger unexpected emotional challenges—structure, purpose, and social connection often matter as much as the financial plan.

Finding Purpose in Retirement: Why It Matters and How to Find It

Purpose in retirement rarely arrives on its own—it takes deliberate exploration of what genuinely energizes you beyond your former career.

What to Do in Retirement: Building a Fulfilling Life After Work

The most fulfilled retirees structure time around meaning, connection, and growth—not just passive leisure.

Retirement Lifestyle Planning: Designing the Retirement You Actually Want

Lifestyle planning covers where you live, how you spend time, and who you spend it with—the counterpart to your financial plan.

The Three Phases of Retirement: Go-Go, Slow-Go, and No-Go Years

Retirement spending and activity often shift through go-go, slow-go, and no-go phases—your income plan should match all three.

Retirement and Mental Health: What You Need to Know

Retirement can destabilize identity and social connection—preparing structure, purpose, and support reduces adjustment risk.

Staying Active and Making Friends in Retirement

Physical activity and social connection are among the strongest predictors of health and happiness once workplace structure is gone.

Loss of Identity After Retirement: Understanding and Overcoming It

When work defined your identity for decades, retirement can feel disorienting—building multiple roles before and after work helps.

Should I Move When I Retire?

Relocating can change taxes and cost of living—but proximity to family, healthcare, and established community ties matter too.

Retirement Financial Literacy: The Basics Every New Retiree Needs to Know

Retirement often brings more financial complexity than working years—Social Security, RMDs, Medicare, and tax-efficient withdrawals all interact.

Can My Spouse Collect My Social Security Benefits?

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