Can my spouse get Social Security benefits with less than 40 credits while I'm collecting?
My wife and I are trying to figure out our retirement next year. I'm turning 67 in May and plan to start collecting my Social Security retirement benefits. I've worked most of my life and have way more than the 40 credits needed. My wife is 65 but only worked part-time for about 8 years total (mostly when the kids were in high school). She definitely doesn't have the 40 credits needed for her own retirement benefits. Can she still apply for Social Security based on my record even though she doesn't qualify on her own? And if so, would she get half of what I'm getting? We've been married for 43 years and have never been divorced. Thanks for any help understanding this!
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Oliver Weber
yes she can get benefits on your record! my wife is getting spousal benefits right now. she worked as a sahm most of our marriage. think its around 50% of what im getting but SSA will calculate the exact amount
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Amina Toure
•That's a relief to hear! Did your wife have to wait until her full retirement age to apply or could she have applied earlier? Just trying to figure out the best timing for us.
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FireflyDreams
Yes, your wife can definitely claim spousal benefits based on your work record, even without having 40 credits of her own. This is a common situation for couples where one spouse worked significantly more than the other. Here's how it works: - The maximum spousal benefit is 50% of your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) at your wife's Full Retirement Age (FRA) - If she claims before her FRA, the amount will be permanently reduced - At age 65, she's already close to her FRA (likely 66 and a few months, depending on birth year) - She needs to wait until you've filed for your benefits before she can claim spousal benefits Also important: If your wife did earn some credits, SSA will pay her own retirement benefit first, then supplement it with the spousal benefit to bring her up to the 50% level if applicable.
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Amina Toure
•Thank you for the detailed explanation! So if I understand correctly, since I'm filing at 67 (which is past my FRA), she could file right after I do and get close to the full 50% since she's almost at her FRA. That's very helpful to know!
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Natasha Kuznetsova
SSI and SSDI are TOTALLY different from retirement benefits!!! make sure you apply for the right thing or they'll deny you!!
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FireflyDreams
•Just to clarify - the OP is asking about regular Social Security retirement benefits and spousal benefits, not SSI (Supplemental Security Income) or SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance). These are indeed different programs, but that distinction isn't relevant to the question being asked about retirement and spousal benefits.
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Javier Morales
Just went through this with my parents! Mom never worked enough for her own benefits. Dad started his retirement benefits last year, and Mom got spousal benefits. The exact percentage depends on when she files relative to her FRA (Full Retirement Age). At full retirement age, it's 50% of your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount). One thing to consider - if she files before reaching her full retirement age, her spousal benefit will be permanently reduced. The reduction is approximately 25/36 of 1% for each month before FRA, up to 36 months, and then 5/12 of 1% beyond that. Also, something many people don't realize - even if you file after your FRA (delayed retirement), her spousal benefit is still based on your PIA, not your increased benefit amount. So your decision to delay past FRA doesn't increase her spousal amount.
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Amina Toure
•Thanks for sharing your parents' experience! That's really helpful. I didn't know the spousal benefit doesn't increase if I delay past my FRA. I've already decided to file at 67 which is my FRA, so I guess that works out fine for us. How difficult was the application process for your mom?
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Emma Anderson
My husband and I did this last year. It works but getting through to SSA is IMPOSSIBLE!!! I tried calling for WEEKS and either got busy signals or was on hold for 2+ hours only to get disconnected. Completely frustrating experience!!!
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Malik Thompson
•I had the same problem trying to reach SSA for my spousal benefit application. After multiple failed attempts, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent in less than 20 minutes. They basically wait on hold for you and call you when an agent picks up. Saved me hours of frustration. You can see how it works in their video: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent I spoke with was super helpful and walked me through everything I needed for the spousal benefit application. Much better than trying to figure it out alone on the website.
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Isabella Ferreira
DONT LISTEN TO THESE PEOPLE!!! My wife tried to do this and they DENIED her because we were only married 9 years and you need TEN YEARS OF MARRIAGE to qualify!!! They never tell you this until its TOO LATE!!!
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FireflyDreams
•The 10-year marriage requirement only applies to divorced spouses claiming on an ex's record. Since the original poster mentioned they've been married for 43 years and are still married, this restriction doesn't apply to their situation. Currently married spouses can claim spousal benefits regardless of marriage duration (though they must have been married at least 1 year in most cases).
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Amina Toure
Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! Sounds like my wife definitely qualifies for the spousal benefit. Just to confirm what I've learned: 1) She can get up to 50% of my PIA at her full retirement age 2) Since she's 65 now and her FRA is probably 66+, she'd get slightly less if she applies immediately after I do 3) She needs to wait until I've filed before she can apply 4) The 10-year marriage rule doesn't apply to us since we're still married. This has been super helpful as we plan our retirement strategy for next year!
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Javier Morales
•You've got it exactly right! Just one more tip - when you both apply, make sure to have your marriage certificate handy. They usually want to see that as part of the application process. And applying online is usually faster than trying to do it at the local office.
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