Social Security Retirement Benefits for Your Spouse
When the Social Security system first came into being in 1935 the only person covered was the primary worker and the only benefit paid was retirement. Four years later the law was amended to add survivors, spouses, and children to the rolls. Today, the spouse of a covered worker may qualify for Social Security benefits regardless of whether he or she has ever worked outside the home or at a job that was covered by Social Security.
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History
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The history of the state providing some type of economic security for its citizens dates back to antiquity. The English codified their first attempt at a national relief act in the English Poor Law of 1601 and American colonists fashioned their original poor laws after this system. The Civil War Pension system that was established at the end of that conflict to provide for the disabled, widows, and orphans became an important precursor to the current Social Security system.
Features
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A person who has earned low wages or who has not worked at a job that was covered by Social Security may be entitled to receive up to 50 percent of the benefit of his or her retired spouse. A person who is eligible to receive Social Security retirement benefits for his or her own account in addition to being eligible to receive spousal benefits will always receive his or her own benefits first.
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Benefits
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It is possible that Social Security benefits that accrue from being the spouse of a high-earning person may be higher than the person's individual benefits. In these cases the Social Security Administration will pay out a combination of benefits that will equal the higher amount.
Options
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A spouse who is eligible to receive Social Security spousal benefits, and who has attained full retirement age, may elect to defer receiving his or her own benefits in order to continue building retirement credits in his or her own account. This person may elect to receive the full spousal benefit while continuing to work.
Time Frame
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In order to receive benefits as a spouse from Social Security a person must have been married to the covered individual for at least one year and have attained his or her 62nd birthday. In order to use a former spouse as the source for spousal benefits the couple must have been married to each other for at least ten years. The age requirement is waived if the spouse is caring for the covered person's child who is disabled or under 16 years of age.
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Resources
- Photo Credit IRS form W-4
