Can my non-US spouse claim Social Security benefits based on my record while we live abroad?

Yes, your husband can likely qualify for spousal benefits on your record! The good news is that nationality doesn't matter for spousal benefits, and the US has a totalization agreement with the UK that makes this process relatively straightforward. Since he worked in the US for 9 years (36 quarters), he's just shy of qualifying for his own benefit. However, as your spouse, he can receive up to 50% of your full retirement age benefit amount - regardless of his citizenship. A few important things to note: 1. Because he'll be receiving a UK pension, his Social Security spousal benefit will likely be reduced by two-thirds of his UK pension amount (this is called the Government Pension Offset or GPO) 2. He'll need to apply through the Federal Benefits Unit at the US Embassy in London 3. He must have been married to you for at least 1 year (which you clearly meet at 22 years

My situation was almost identical! American married to a British husband living in Manchester. He worked in Boston for 8 years in the 80s. He applied for spousal benefits when he turned 66 last year and it was approved, BUT the amount was really disappointing after the GPO reduction. His UK pension basically wiped out most of the SS benefit - he only gets about $120/month from Social Security. The process through the Embassy was pretty straightforward though. We emailed the Federal Benefits Unit first to get instructions.

You might run into some frustrating bureaucracy trying to coordinate between SSA and UK pension systems. When my Spanish husband applied for benefits while we were living in Barcelona, we kept getting conflicting information from different SSA representatives. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual SSA agent who specialized in international benefits. Saved us weeks of back-and-forth! They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The SSA agent we reached was able to clearly explain how the totalization agreement would affect our specific situation.

ur husband DEFINITELY can get benefits!!! i moved to australia with my aussie wife (im american) and she gets spousal SS even though she never even LIVED in the usa!!!! but watch out for that GPO thing its a SCAM they take away most of the money!!!! the whole system is rigged against international couples!!!!

A couple of technical points that might help you: 1. The UK-US Totalization Agreement won't actually help your husband qualify for his own benefit in this case. Those agreements help combine work credits to reach minimum qualification, but they don't transfer actual quarters of coverage from one system to another. 2. For the GPO calculation: they'll reduce his spousal benefit by 2/3 of his UK "statutory pension" amount, but any private/occupational UK pensions won't count toward this reduction. 3. If he's just one year short of qualifying on his own record (36 quarters vs. needed 40), you might want to check if there are any US earnings that weren't properly credited. Sometimes self-employment income or cash jobs don't get properly recorded. 4. There's no reduction to YOUR benefit because of his UK pension - the GPO only affects his spousal benefit. Hope that helps clarify things!

I went through this whole process last year with my Canadian husband. One thing nobody tells you - make sure your husband has his original SS card! If he can't find it from when he worked in the US decades ago, request a replacement NOW because that added months to our application process.

Just wanted to add that my friend is in a similar situation but reversed - he's British and his wife is American, living in Wales. Something to be aware of is that benefit payments for non-US citizens living abroad sometimes need to be picked up in person every 6 months at a US embassy or consulate. Rules vary by country though, so check specifically for UK requirements.

To address your question about starting the application process - you should first contact the Federal Benefits Unit at the US Embassy in London. They handle all Social Security matters for UK residents. Email them at FBU.London@ssa.gov to get the process started. They'll likely send you the proper forms and instructions. Your husband will need: 1. His Social Security card 2. Birth certificate 3. Marriage certificate 4. Information about his UK pension 5. Your Social Security number and claim information The application can't be completed fully online for international cases, but they can certainly get you started with the right paperwork.

my wife just reminded me that they send payments different for people overseas!!! u cant get direct deposit to a UK bank!! they either do direct deposit to a US bank account (do u still have one?) or they mail actual CHECKS to ur address in london which is crazy slow!

I'm also dealing with a similar situation - my husband is Irish and we're living in Dublin. One thing I learned that might help you is to request a Social Security Statement for your husband online at ssa.gov/myaccount before you start the application process. This will show exactly how many quarters of coverage he has and might reveal any missing earnings that weren't properly credited. Also, since he's so close to qualifying on his own record (36 quarters vs 40 needed), it's worth double-checking if any of his US self-employment income was properly reported. Sometimes people miss reporting all their self-employment earnings, especially if they had multiple jobs or side work. The spousal benefit route is still probably your best bet given the GPO reduction, but having his complete earnings record will help the Federal Benefits Unit give you the most accurate information about all your options.

I went through this exact process with my German husband last year! A few additional tips that might help: 1. Start gathering documents early - you'll need certified copies of your marriage certificate and his birth certificate. The embassy can be picky about which certifications they accept. 2. Keep detailed records of all communications with the Federal Benefits Unit. Email is definitely better than phone calls - you'll have a paper trail and they typically respond within a few business days. 3. Consider timing carefully - if your husband applies before his full retirement age (which is 67 for him), the spousal benefit will be reduced even before the GPO offset. Waiting until 67 means he'll get the full 50% of your benefit amount before any GPO reduction. 4. The GPO calculation uses the gross amount of his UK pension, not the net amount after taxes. Make sure you have documentation of his UK pension amount ready. The whole process took about 4 months for us from initial contact to first payment, but that included some back-and-forth about documentation. Good luck!

One thing worth mentioning that I don't see covered yet - make sure you understand how the timing of your husband's UK pension affects the GPO calculation. If he's not yet receiving his UK state pension when he applies for US spousal benefits, the GPO won't apply initially. But as soon as he starts receiving the UK pension (even if it's years later), SSA will automatically apply the GPO reduction and potentially create an overpayment situation that needs to be repaid. I'd recommend being proactive about this - when you contact the Federal Benefits Unit, ask them to note in his file when he expects to start receiving UK benefits so they can adjust payments accordingly rather than creating a messy overpayment scenario down the road. Also, keep in mind that if you were to move back to the US permanently at some point, the GPO rules would still apply to his UK pension, so this isn't just an "expat issue" - it follows you wherever you live.

One additional resource that might be helpful - the Social Security Administration has a specific publication called "Your Payments While You Are Outside The United States" (Publication No. 05-10137) that covers a lot of the international payment rules and restrictions. You can find it on the SSA website. Also, since you mentioned your husband worked in the US for 9 years in the 1990s, it's worth noting that the earnings from that period will be indexed for inflation when calculating any potential benefits. So even though he was earning 1990s wages, they get adjusted upward for today's dollars, which can make a meaningful difference in the benefit calculation. One last tip - when you do contact the Federal Benefits Unit, ask specifically about whether there are any recent changes to UK-US benefit coordination. The rules and processes do get updated periodically, and embassy staff usually have the most current information about any streamlined procedures or new requirements.

Just wanted to add a quick note about the application process timing - I went through something similar with my Canadian spouse. The Federal Benefits Unit in London is actually one of the more efficient ones, but I'd still recommend starting the process at least 6 months before your husband wants to begin receiving benefits. One thing that really helped us was creating a simple spreadsheet tracking all the documents we submitted and when, plus all our communications with the FBU. International Social Security cases can involve a lot of back-and-forth, and having everything organized made it much easier when they asked for additional information or clarifications. Also, don't be surprised if they ask for additional documentation beyond the initial list - they might want proof of continuous residence abroad, or additional marriage documentation if you were married outside the US. Better to over-prepare than have delays! The folks here have given you excellent advice about the GPO and timing considerations. Best of luck with the application process!

Just wanted to share another perspective as someone who's been through a similar situation. My Australian husband and I are living in Sydney, and he successfully applied for spousal Social Security benefits last year based on my record. One thing I'd emphasize that hasn't been mentioned much is the importance of getting a clear understanding of how currency exchange will affect the payments. The SSA typically converts USD benefits at their established exchange rate, which may not always be the most favorable. We found it helpful to factor this into our financial planning since exchange rates can fluctuate significantly over time. Also, regarding the GPO offset calculation - make sure you understand exactly which components of the UK pension system count toward the reduction. The UK has both the basic State Pension and the Additional State Pension (formerly SERPS/S2P), and both are considered "government pensions" for GPO purposes. However, any private workplace pensions or personal pensions won't trigger the offset. The process was definitely worth it for us despite the complications. Even with reductions, having that additional monthly income stream provides valuable financial security for retirement abroad. Good luck with your application!

I'm in a very similar situation! American citizen living in Edinburgh with my Scottish husband who worked in the US for about 8 years back in the early 2000s. We just started looking into this recently as he's approaching 65. One thing I discovered that might be helpful - if your husband is close to qualifying on his own record (like mine is with only 32 quarters), you can actually purchase voluntary National Insurance contributions in the UK to potentially boost his UK pension amount. While this won't help with US Social Security qualification, it could increase his UK pension, which ironically might make the spousal Social Security benefit smaller due to GPO, but his overall pension income could be higher. The math gets complicated, but it might be worth running the numbers both ways - especially if his UK pension is currently quite small. Sometimes maximizing the UK side makes more financial sense than trying to minimize GPO impact. Also, I've heard that the Federal Benefits Unit in London has been doing some virtual consultations since COVID, which might be easier than trying to get to London for in-person meetings. Worth asking when you contact them! Keep us posted on how the process goes - there seem to be quite a few of us in similar cross-border situations!