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Spousal and Survivor Benefits, in Plain English
Spousal benefits, in plain English
If your own benefit is small (or you never worked for pay), you can receive a benefit based on your spouse’s record — up to half of their full-retirement-age amount. You get the higher of your own benefit or the spousal amount, not both stacked. Claiming a spousal benefit before your own full retirement age shrinks it, and it does not grow past your full retirement age — there is no reason to wait beyond 67 for a spousal benefit.
| Situation | What you can receive |
|---|---|
| Married, spouse’s FRA benefit is $2,400 | Up to $1,200/month spousal (at your FRA) |
| Divorced after 10+ years of marriage, unmarried now | Same up-to-50% rule on the ex’s record — without affecting their checks or their new family’s |
| Widowed, spouse collected $2,400 | Up to $2,400/month survivor benefit (at your FRA) |
Survivor benefits — the rule that changes claiming strategy
When one spouse dies, the survivor keeps the larger of the two checks — not both. That is why the higher earner delaying to 70 is often a gift to the surviving spouse: the boosted check becomes the survivor’s income for life. Survivors can claim as early as 60 (50 if disabled), reduced for early claiming, and a remarriage after age 60 does not end eligibility.
Three things people get wrong
- “My ex claiming on my record costs me money.” It does not — their benefit never touches yours.
- “I can take my own at 62 and switch to spousal later for more.” Since the 2015 law change, filing generally counts as filing for both — the switch-up strategy is mostly gone.
- “Survivor and spousal are the same thing.” Different programs, different maximums (50% vs 100%), different earliest ages (62 vs 60).
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