What spousal benefits are and who can receive them

If your spouse receives Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you may be able to receive a benefit based on their work record — even if you have never worked or have not worked enough to earn your own SSDI. This is called a spousal benefit. The Social Security Administration (SSA) pays it to you as a separate check, and it does not reduce what your spouse receives.

You do not need to be disabled to claim a spousal benefit. You can receive one if you are at least 62 years old, or if you are any age and caring for your spouse's child who is under 16 or disabled. The child must be your spouse's biological or legally adopted child.

The amount you receive is based on your spouse's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) — the full benefit they would receive at full retirement age. SSA calculates your spousal benefit as a percentage of that amount, reduced if you claim before your full retirement age.

Key Takeaways

  • You can receive a spousal benefit on your spouse's SSDI record without being disabled yourself, as long as you meet the age or child-care requirements.
  • Your spousal benefit is calculated as a percentage of your spouse's Primary Insurance Amount and is reduced if you claim before your full retirement age.
  • If you are caring for your spouse's child under 16 or a disabled child of any age, you can claim a spousal benefit at any age.
  • Claiming a spousal benefit before your full retirement age locks in a permanently lower amount, so timing matters for your lifetime income.
  • If you are also may have access to to your own SSDI or retirement benefit, SSA will pay you the higher of the two amounts, not both.

Age requirements and the full retirement age reduction

If you are not caring for a child, you must be at least 62 years old to claim a spousal benefit. However, the amount you receive depends on when you claim relative to your full retirement age — the age at which you can receive your full spousal benefit with no reduction.

Your full retirement age for spousal benefits is typically between 66 and 67, depending on your birth year. If you claim at 62, your benefit is reduced to roughly 32 to 35 percent of your spouse's PIA. If you wait until your full retirement age, you receive roughly 50 percent of your spouse's PIA. This reduction is permanent — it does not increase later if you wait to claim.

The reduction is steep because SSA assumes you will receive benefits for a longer period if you claim early. Once you claim, that reduced rate is locked in for life, even if you later become disabled or your circumstances change.

Caring for a child and claiming at any age

If you are caring for your spouse's child who is under 16, or caring for your spouse's child who is disabled (regardless of age), you can claim a spousal benefit at any age. The child must be your spouse's biological child or legally adopted child. A stepchild or grandchild does not count unless you have legally adopted them.

When you are caring for a child under 16, you receive roughly 75 percent of your spouse's PIA. This benefit does not have an age reduction — you receive the same percentage whether you claim at 30 or 62. However, this benefit ends when the youngest child turns 16, at which point you must be at least 62 to continue receiving benefits.

If the child is disabled and you are caring for them, the child-in-care rule applies regardless of the child's age. You can continue to receive benefits as long as you are actively caring for that child and they remain disabled.

How spousal benefits interact with your own work record

If you have worked and earned your own Social Security benefit — either retirement or disability — SSA will not pay you both your own benefit and a spousal benefit. Instead, you receive whichever amount is higher. This is called the deemed filing rule.

If your own SSDI or retirement benefit is $800 per month and your spousal benefit would be $900 per month, SSA pays you $900. If your own benefit is $950 and the spousal benefit would be $900, SSA pays you $950. You do not receive the difference or both amounts combined.

This rule applies even if you have not yet claimed your own benefit. When you explore for a spousal benefit, SSA automatically evaluates your own work record and pays you the higher amount. If you are under full retirement age, both amounts are reduced, and you receive the higher of the two reduced figures.

How your spouse's SSDI affects your benefit amount

Your spousal benefit is always tied to your spouse's Primary Insurance Amount. If your spouse's SSDI payment increases — for example, due to a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that SSA applies each year — your spousal benefit increases by the same percentage.

If your spouse's SSDI ends, your spousal benefit ends as well. This can happen if your spouse returns to work and earns above the substantial gainful activity (SGA) level, if their medical condition improves and SSA determines they are no longer disabled, or if they reach full retirement age and switch to a retirement benefit (which is usually higher than SSDI).

If your spouse switches from SSDI to a retirement benefit, you can continue to receive a spousal benefit based on their retirement record. The amount may change slightly because the calculation is based on their new Primary Insurance Amount, but you do not lose the benefit.

Work earnings and the earnings test

If you claim a spousal benefit before your full retirement age and you work, SSA applies the earnings test. For 2024, if you earn more than $23,400 per year, SSA withholds $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above that threshold. In the year you reach full retirement age, the limit is higher and applies only to earnings before the month you reach full retirement age.

Once you reach your full retirement age, the earnings test no longer applies. You can earn any amount without losing benefits. This is one reason some people delay claiming until full retirement age — they can work without penalty.

Your spouse's work earnings do not affect your spousal benefit. Only your own earnings trigger the earnings test. If your spouse works and earns above the SGA level, their SSDI may be suspended or terminated, which would end your spousal benefit, but your own work does not directly reduce what you receive.

Divorced spousal benefits on an ex-spouse's SSDI record

If you are divorced, you may be able to claim a spousal benefit on your ex-spouse's SSDI record under the same rules that explore to current spouses. You must have been married for at least 10 years, be at least 62 years old (or caring for their child under 16 or disabled), and be unmarried at the time you claim.

Your ex-spouse does not need to have claimed their own benefit for you to claim on their record. SSA can pay you a divorced spousal benefit even if your ex-spouse has not yet applied, as long as they are at least 62 and may have access to to SSDI or retirement benefits.

The amount you receive is calculated the same way as a current spousal benefit — as a percentage of your ex-spouse's Primary Insurance Amount, reduced if you claim before your full retirement age. Your ex-spouse's benefit is not affected by your claim, and they do not need to know you have applied.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I receive a spousal benefit if my spouse is still working?

Yes, as long as your spouse meets the SSDI requirements and is receiving SSDI payments, you can claim a spousal benefit. Your spouse's current work does not prevent you from claiming. However, if your spouse's work earnings are high enough to trigger the earnings test or cause SSA to suspend their SSDI, your spousal benefit would also end.

What happens to my spousal benefit if my spouse dies?

Your spousal benefit ends when your spouse dies. However, you may be able to claim a survivor benefit on their record if you are at least 60 years old (or 50 if disabled, or any age if caring for their child under 16). A survivor benefit is calculated differently and may be higher or lower than your spousal benefit was.

If I claim a spousal benefit at 62, can I switch to my own retirement benefit later and get a higher amount?

No. Once you claim any benefit before your full retirement age, SSA deems you to have filed for all benefits you are may have access to to. You receive the higher of your own benefit or the spousal benefit, both reduced for early claiming. You cannot later switch to an unreduced benefit.

Does my spouse's SSDI count as income for means-tested programs like Medicaid?

No. Your spouse's SSDI does not count as your income for Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or other means-tested programs. Your own spousal benefit does count as your income. Contact your state Medicaid office or local SSA field office to confirm how your specific situation affects your program status.

Can I claim a spousal benefit if I have never worked?

Yes. You do not need a work record to claim a spousal benefit. As long as you meet the age requirement (62 or older, or caring for a child under 16 or disabled), you can claim based on your spouse's work record alone. SSA will verify your spouse's earnings history, not yours.