Can I still get survivor benefits if I remarry?
You can reestablish your eligibility for VA survivor benefits. Regarding Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a remarried surviving spouse whose subsequent marriage is annulled or declared void can reestablish eligibility as a surviving spouse.
Will I Loose my SSI benefits if get married?
You will lose your SSI benefits if you get married and you and your spouse's combined income and assets exceed the eligibility requirements set by the Social Security Administration. In order to be eligible for SSI, you must meet certain requirements. And to qualify for SSI, you must be disabled, blind or older than 65.
Can I switch from my own benefit to spousal benefits?
You'll need to file a separate application to start benefits on your own record. If your own benefit rate is higher than the spousal benefit, the spousal benefits will stop when your own benefits start. Applications can be filed up to 4 months in advance of the month you want to switch to your own record.
Can I work and still receive SSI benefits?
You can begin to work and continue to receive SSI benefits as long as your wages and other resources don't exceed the SSA's income limit for SSI; but your monthly benefit amount will be reduced in proportion to your income. Here's how the SSA reduces your income. Both the federal benefit amount and the SSI countable income limit are $794 (in 2021).
When can a spouse claim spousal benefits?
You must have been married at least 10 years. You must have been divorced from the spouse for at least two consecutive years. You are unmarried. Your ex-spouse must be entitled to Social Security retirement or disability benefits.
What are the rules for spousal benefits of Social Security?
To qualify for spouse's benefits, you must be one of these: At least 62 years of age. Any age and caring for a child entitled to receive benefits on your spouse's record and who is younger than age 16 or disabled.
How many years do you have to be married to collect spousal Social Security?
one continuous yearHow long does someone have to be married to collect Social Security spouse benefits? To receive a spouse benefit, you generally must have been married for at least one continuous year to the retired or disabled worker on whose earnings record you are claiming benefits. There are narrow exceptions to the one-year rule.
When can my spouse collect half of my Social Security?
You can receive up to 50% of your spouse's Social Security benefit. You can apply for benefits if you have been married for at least one year. If you have been divorced for at least two years, you can apply if the marriage lasted 10 or more years. Starting benefits early may lead to a reduction in payments.
Can my wife collect spousal Social Security benefits before I retire?
No. You have to be receiving your Social Security retirement or disability benefit for your husband or wife to collect spousal benefits.
How does the spousal benefit work?
The spousal benefit can be as much as half of the worker's "primary insurance amount," depending on the spouse's age at retirement. If the spouse begins receiving benefits before "normal (or full) retirement age," the spouse will receive a reduced benefit.
Can I collect ex spousal benefits and wait until I am 70 to collect my own Social Security?
You can only collect spousal benefits and wait until 70 to claim your retirement benefit if both of the following are true: You were born before Jan. 2, 1954. Your spouse is collecting his or her own Social Security retirement benefit.
How much of my spouse's retirement is my full benefit?
Your full spouse’s benefit could be up to 50 percent of your spouse’s full retirement age amount if you are full retirement age when you take it. If you qualify for your own retirement benefit and a spouse’s benefit, we always pay your own benefit first. You cannot receive spouse’s benefits unless your spouse is receiving his or her retirement ...
What is the maximum survivor benefit?
The retirement insurance benefit limit is the maximum survivor benefit you may receive. Generally, the limit is the higher of: The reduced monthly retirement benefit to which the deceased spouse would have been entitled if they had lived, or.
What happens if you take your reduced retirement first?
If you took your reduced retirement first while waiting for your spouse to reach retirement age, when you add spouse’s benefits later, your own retirement portion remains reduced which causes the total retirement and spouses benefit together to total less than 50 percent of the worker’s amount. You can find out more on our website.
What does it mean to have a partner?
Having a partner means sharing many things including a home and other property. Understanding how your future retirement might affect your spouse is important. When you’re planning for your fun and vibrant golden years, here are a few things to remember:
Can my spouse's survivor benefit be reduced?
On the other hand, if your spouse’s retirement benefit is higher than your retirement benefit, and he or she chooses to take reduced benefits and dies first, your survivor benefit will be reduced, but may be higher than what your spouse received.
How much is spousal benefit?
Depending on how old you are when you file, the spousal benefit amount will range between 32.5% and 50% of the higher-earning spouse’s full retirement benefit. Check out the chart below to get an idea of how the benefit works and what your payment might be if you can take advantage ...
How long do you have to be married to get spousal benefits?
The Two Exceptions to Know Around the 1 Year Marriage Requirement. Normally, you must be married for at least 12 continuous months to meet the spousal benefit duration-of-marriage requirement. However, there are two exceptions to this rule.
How many people receive Social Security benefits as a spouse?
A recent Social Security report found that 2.3 million individuals received at least part of their benefit as a spouse of an entitled worker. Some of these spouses had benefits of their own, but were eligible to receive higher benefit because the spousal benefit amount was greater than their own benefit. Others never worked outside the home ...
What is the 1 year requirement for Social Security?
The 1-year requirement is also waived if you were entitled (or potentially entitled!) to Social Security benefits on someone else’s work record in the month before you were married. An example of these benefits would be spousal benefits, survivor benefits or parent’s benefits.
How much of my spouse's Social Security is my full retirement?
Remember, in that case, it’s between 32.5% and 50% of the higher-earning spouse’s full retirement age benefit, depending on your filing age. However, it can seem a little more complicated if you have Social Security benefits from your work history.
Can a spouse receive Social Security?
They have no benefit of their own, but thanks to the Social Security spousal benefit available under their spouse’s work record, they can still receive payments. This particular benefit doesn’t just provide retirement income, either. As an eligible spouse, you could also receive premium-free Medicare benefits.
Does spousal benefit increase after full retirement?
You may have also noticed that the spousal benefit does not increase beyond your full retirement age. When considering your own Social Security benefit, there can be a lot of advantages to waiting to file and delaying when you start receiving payments well past your retirement age, but that’s not the case here.
How much is spousal benefit reduced?
A spousal benefit is reduced 25/36 of one percent for each month before normal retirement age, up to 36 months. If the number of months exceeds 36, then the benefit is further reduced 5/12 of one percent per month.
What age can a spouse file for Social Security?
When a worker files for retirement benefits, the worker's spouse may be eligible for a benefit based on the worker's earnings. Another requirement is that the spouse must be at least age 62 or have a qualifying child in her/his care. By a qualifying child, we mean a child who is under age 16 or who receives Social Security disability benefits.
What is the reduction factor for spousal benefits?
For a spouse who is not entitled to benefits on his or her own earnings record, this reduction factor is applied to the base spousal benefit, which is 50 percent of the worker's primary insurance amount. For example, if the worker's primary insurance amount is $1,600 and the worker's spouse chooses to begin receiving benefits 36 months ...
Can a spouse reduce their spousal benefit?
However, if a spouse is caring for a qualifying child, the spousal benefit is not reduced. If a spouse is eligible for a retirement benefit based on his or her own earnings, and if that benefit is higher than the spousal benefit, then we pay the retirement benefit. Otherwise we pay the spousal benefit. Compute the effect of early retirement ...
What Are Social Security Spousal Benefits?
Social Security spousal benefits are retirement benefits paid by the Social Security Administration to the spouse of a primary beneficiary. When Social Security started, many women did not work outside the home.
Who Qualifies For Social Security Spousal Benefits?
There are a few eligibility criteria that must be met to qualify for spousal benefits. Here are the basics, and then we will dive into a few exceptions to the basic rules. First, your spouse must already have filed for his or her own benefits. You cannot apply for spousal benefits until your spouse has already applied for their own benefits.
When Can A Spouse Claim Social Security Spousal Benefits?
A spouse can claim Social Security spousal benefits as early as age 62, as long as the other spouse has already applied for benefits. You cannot claim benefits until your spouse has claimed benefits using their own record. This rule applies to both a current spouse and a divorced spouse.
How Social Security Spousal Benefits Are Calculated
The calculation for spousal benefits is fairly straightforward. If you wait until full retirement age, then your benefit will be 50% of the spouse’s benefit amount. However, starting your benefits early will reduce your monthly payment.
Social Security Spousal Benefits For Divorced & Widowed Spouses
When it comes to retirement planning, many divorced and widowed spouses wonder whether they can still receive spousal benefits. The answer depends on a few different facts. Here are the rules you need to know when it comes to divorced or widowed spouses receiving spousal benefits.
Maximizing Spousal Benefits For Divorced & Widowed Spouses
Now that most of the spousal benefit loopholes have been closed, there are not as many strategies for maximizing your spousal benefits. One of the biggest tips for maximizing your benefits now is to wait as long as possible to start your benefits.
The Bottom Line
A spouse can claim spousal benefits at age 62 as long as the primary spouse has already applied for benefits. The age requirement can be waived if the spouse is caring for a child under 16 or a disabled child. An ex-spouse can claim spousal benefits at age 62 as well, as long as the marriage lasted for ten years.
How much is my spouse's spousal benefit?
Decide when you want to start receiving benefits. Your full spousal benefit is 50% of your spouse's primary insurance amount. However, if you decide to start receiving those benefits before you reach your normal retirement age, your benefit amount will be permanently reduced.
What does the SSA look for in spousal benefits?
The SSA looks at the amount of retirement benefits you're eligible for, then the amount of spousal benefits you're eligible for. If the spousal benefits are greater than your retirement benefits, you would be paid your retirement benefits first, then spousal benefits would be used to make up the difference. You always get the larger of the two ...
What is the lowest percentage of your spouse's insurance?
The lowest percentage you could possibly get is 32.5% of your spouse's primary insurance amount. In some situations, it might make sense for you to claim your spousal benefits early. However, if you can afford to do so, you'll get more money if you wait until you reach your normal retirement age.
What is the phone number to call for Social Security?
If you can't apply online or don't want to use the online form, you can also call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
How to check status of Social Security application?
1. Set up an online account if you haven't already. From your "My Social Security" account at https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/ , you can check the status of your application and manage your benefits. If you didn't apply for your benefits online, you can still set up a free account to manage your benefits.
Is my spouse's retirement benefit based on my primary insurance?
The amount of your spousal benefit isn't affected by the age at which your spouse started receiving their retirement benefits. It is always based on your spouse's primary insurance amount, which is the amount they would receive if they started claiming benefits at their normal retirement age (NRA).
Can my ex-spouse get Social Security?
Your ex-spouse is entitled to Social Security benefits (either retirement or disability) Your retirement benefits are less than your spousal benefits based on their work would be. You've been divorced for at least 2 years (if your ex-spouse has not yet claimed their benefits)
Social Security Spouse's Benefit Estimates
Plan for your future with a my Social Security account. With a my Social Security account, you can view the benefits you could receive based on your spouse’s earnings history, or the benefits your spouse could receive based on your earnings history.
Follow these steps to get started
Ask your spouse to create or open their my Social Security account, go to the ‘Plan for Retirement’ section, and note their retirement benefit estimate at their full retirement age or Primary Insurance Amount (PIA).
What percentage of my spouse's SSDI is paid in 2021?
For example, someone who turns 62 in 2021 would be eligible for 32.9 percent of a spouse’s SSDI amount. If you are divorced and drawing SSDI, your former spouse also may be able to collect benefits if the marriage lasted at least 10 years and your ex is 62 or older and has not remarried. Benefits paid to an ex-spouse do not affect ...
Can disabled children get SSDI?
Minor or disabled children of an SSDI recipient also may be eligible for benefits. Payments to a disabled beneficiary’s spouse and kids are collectively subject to a cap called the family maximum and could be reduced if they exceed it.
Documents you may need to provide
We may ask you to provide documents to show that you are eligible, such as:
What we will ask you
You should also have your checkbook or other papers that show your account number at a bank, credit union or other financial institution so you can sign up for Direct Deposit, and avoid worries about lost or stolen checks and mail delays.