Spousal Social Security benefits can be a vital source of income for married couples where only one spouse worked or one significantly outearned the other. They can supplement a household's income with thousands of dollars per year to cover living expenses. But not everyone is eligible.
There are three key requirements you need to meet to qualify for spousal benefits. Let's look at each of them in depth below.
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1. Your spouse must qualify for Social Security retirement benefits
You cannot claim spousal benefits on your partner's work record unless they have a work history that qualifies them for Social Security retirement benefits. That requires a minimum of 40 work credits, where one credit is defined as $1,810 in earnings in 2025 and a maximum of four credits can be earned per year. The credit figure has increased over time to reflect inflation and changes to average wages, so the income required to earn one was lower in previous years.
2. You must meet the length-of-marriage requirement
Generally, you must be married to someone for at least one year before you qualify for spousal benefits on that person's work record. There are exceptions for those who have a child with the worker and those who were already eligible for certain Social Security benefits in the month before they were married.
You may also be eligible for spousal benefits on your ex-spouse's record if you were married for at least 10 years before divorcing. Unlike current spouses, ex-spouses don't have to wait for the qualifying workers to apply for their own retirement benefits before they can claim spousal benefits. If the worker isn't already claiming, the ex-spouse can do so anyway as long as the couple has been divorced for at least two years.
It's important to note that remarriage would render ex-spouses ineligible for spousal benefits on their former partner's work record. However, they may be entitled to a new spousal benefit based on their current spouse's record.
3. Your spousal benefit must be larger than your own retirement benefit
The Social Security Administration (SSA) automatically pays you the larger of your own retirement benefit and your spousal benefit if you're eligible for both. Your own retirement benefit is based on your average monthly income throughout your working years, adjusted for inflation and your age when you claim it.
Claiming before your full retirement age (FRA) -- 66 to 67 for today's workers -- reduces your benefit by 5/9 of 1% for each month you claim early (up to 36 months). THe reduction falls to 5/12 of 1% for each month thereafter.
You can also delay benefits beyond your FRA, and they will grow by 2/3 of 1% per month until you reach 70.
Your maximum spousal benefit is equal to one-half of the benefit your spouse would be entitled to at FRA. To receive this spousal benefit amount, you must claim at your own FRA. Early claiming penalties also apply here, they're even steeper for spousal benefits at 25/36 of 1% per month for the first 36 months and then 5/12 of 1% per month thereafter. There's also no incentive to delay spousal benefits past your FRA.
You don't need to personally determine which of the two kinds of benefits will result in larger checks because the SSA will pay you the larger benefit automatically. But if you're curious, you and your spouse can create my Social Security accounts. There are calculators on the site that can help you estimate your Social Security benefit at various claiming ages as well as your spousal benefit.
If you have any questions about your eligibility for spousal Social Security or how much you might get, contact the SSA by phone or email or by visiting your local Social Security office.
