Whether or not you are married or divorced, chances are you’ll be eligible to obtain spousal Social Safety advantages of as much as 50% of your partner’s (or ex-spouse’s) full retirement quantity. This profit may also help for those who’ve earned considerably much less revenue than your partner throughout your working years.Â
To qualify for Social Safety spousal retirement advantages, you should be married (or have been married) for a particular interval and meet different standards, comparable to age necessities. The minimal required marriage size varies based mostly on whether or not you are still married, caring for a dependent little one, or divorced.
When you’re married and never caring for a kid
Even for those who by no means labored at a job the place Social Safety tax was withheld, you should still be capable of declare a spousal Social Safety profit. To qualify, it’s essential to:
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Be married for not less than one yr.
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Be not less than 62 years previous.
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Have a partner already receiving Social Safety retirement or incapacity advantages.
When you qualify in your personal Social Safety advantages, you’ll be able to nonetheless be eligible for extra spousal advantages for those who meet the above necessities. On this case, the Social Safety Administration pays your private profit first. Then, in case your spousal profit is increased than that quantity, you may obtain an extra fee that may make your complete profit equal to the upper profit.Â
🤓Nerdy Tip
When you declare advantages earlier than your full retirement age or are nonetheless working while you apply, chances are you’ll obtain a decreased quantity except you take care of a qualifying dependent little one. Nevertheless, in case your partner delays submitting for a much bigger payout, your spousal advantages will not be bigger due to their delay.
When you’re married or divorced with a dependent little one
When you and your partner are nonetheless caring for a qualifying dependent, eligibility necessities for spousal Social Safety are much less strict:Â
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You might be married for any period of time so long as you and your partner are the kid’s organic dad and mom.Â
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You’ll be able to obtain the profit at any age, not simply 62.
Your little one should be beneath the age of 16 or have change into disabled earlier than the age of twenty-two and be eligible for advantages.Â
When you’re divorced and never caring for a kid
Even when your marriage ended way back, and your ex has since remarried, you should still be capable of declare spousal Social Safety — with out having to inform your ex.
Your spousal divorce profit will not be affected in case your ex remarries, and claiming a spousal profit will not have an effect on the Social Safety profit your ex (or their present partner) receives. As well as, in case your ex-spouse has died since your divorce, chances are you’ll qualify for Surviving Divorced Partner’s Advantages.Â
You might be eligible for spousal Social Safety when divorced if:
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You had been married for not less than 10 years.
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You might be not less than 62 years previous.
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You might be at the moment single (Your ex might be remarried, although).
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Your ex is already receiving or entitled to Social Safety or incapacity advantages.Â
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In case your ex hasn’t but claimed their obtainable profit, you may have been divorced for not less than two steady years.
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The profit your ex is receiving (or entitled to obtain) is larger than the profit in your file.
Social Safety can pay the quantity in your file first, then add the quantity you are entitled to in your ex’s file. So you may obtain a better mixed profit, however not two full advantages without delay.
When you had been born earlier than Jan. 2, 1954, and have reached full retirement age, you’ll be able to start claiming your spousal Social Safety first and declare your individual profit later. These born Jan. 2, 1954, or later should file for each private retirement and spousal advantages on the similar time.
Easy methods to apply for spousal Social Safety
To use in your private and spousal Social Safety advantages:
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Name the SSA’s nationwide toll-free service at 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778).
You could want to offer a duplicate of your marriage certificates or divorce decree to obtain spousal advantages, although the SSA recommends not sending any paperwork except requested.