Social Security is one of the largest social programs in the U.S., and it regularly pays out benefits to tens of millions of Americans. The program can be complex with many different rules and provisions, but there is one area that may be of particular interest to those who fear they qualify for little to no benefits.

Specifically, the government allows spouses to claim benefits based on the fact their partner qualifies for and claims Social Security. In this scenario, they don't have to qualify for Social Security benefits on their own. As of April 2025, nearly 2 million spouses of retired workers claimed the spousal benefit. Here's how to tell if you qualify.

How to know if you qualify and for how much

Before you can qualify for the spousal benefit, your partner needs to be collecting Social Security already. You must also be married for at least one year and at least 62 years old.

There are exceptions around the age requirement. If you care for the retired worker's minor child (under 16 years old), or if the child has a disability that entitles them to claim benefits under your partner's record, you can claim before 62.

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Assuming you qualify, the maximum spousal benefit you can receive is equal to 50% of your partner's primary insurance amount (PIA). That is the amount a retiree is entitled to collect at their full retirement age (FRA), which is 67 for those born in 1960 or later.

However, you cannot typically collect that maximum 50% until you also reach FRA. Claim any sooner, and you will see a permanent reduction to your benefits, and the earlier you claim, the bigger the reduction. For someone with a FRA of 67, a claim at 62 would net them just 32.5% of their partner's PIA instead of 50%. Only those caring for a retired worker's minor or disabled child can avoid the early claim penalty.

Deciding between the spousal benefit and your own retired worker benefit

Just because you qualify for a spousal benefit does not mean you have to take it. The majority of U.S. households are dual income, and you may qualify for Social Security based on your own work record too.

In such cases, the government will pay you the higher of the two amounts, and you only need to apply for benefits once, through a process called "deemed filing." For instance, let's say you qualify for $800 per month under your own work record and $1,000 per month through spousal benefits. You would receive the higher amount of $1,000.

The average spousal benefit in April was $948 per month, or $11,376 per year, compared to nearly $2,000 per month for the average retired worker, or about $24,000 per year.

If you're divorced, can you still qualify?

One obvious question regarding spousal benefits is: What if you're divorced? The good news is that divorced individuals can still qualify for the spousal benefit, although the requirements change.

First, the marriage must have lasted for at least a decade. Meanwhile, if you've been divorced for less than two years, your ex-partner (the primary worker) must be collecting benefits already. And finally, you must remain unmarried. Otherwise, you'd have claim spousal benefits based on the work record of your new partner.