Spousal Social Security Benefits: 3 Things Retired Couples Need to Know in 2026
Social Security spousal benefits are a common source of confusion. Nationwide Retirement Institute’s 2026 Social Security Survey revealed the following:
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48% of adults incorrectly marked this statement as false: If you are married, you are eligible to receive a portion of your spouse’s Social Security benefit.
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52% of adults incorrectly marked this statement as false: If you are divorced, you may be eligible for Social Security benefits based on your ex-spouse’s record.
Those knowledge gaps could lead to costly financial mistakes. Here are three things retired couples need to know about Social Security spousal benefits in 2026.
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1. Spouses can claim Social Security on their partner’s work record
Social Security retirement benefits are available to retired workers and spouses, even when the spouse has no work history. Spouses can claim benefits based on the earnings record of their retired partner (i.e., the primary beneficiary) under the following conditions:
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The couple must have been married for at least 1 year.
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The spouse must be at least 62 years of age.
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The partner must be receiving retirement benefits.
In some cases, spouses will be eligible for retired-worker benefits based on their own earnings record and spousal benefits based on the earnings record of their retired partner. In that case, the higher benefit will be awarded automatically.
2. Spouses will maximize their benefit by claiming at full retirement age
How much Social Security income spouses receive depends on their claim age and the primary insurance amount (PIA) of their retired partner. PIA refers to the benefit a person receives if they file for Social Security at full retirement age (FRA), which is age 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later.
Spousal benefits equal up to 50% of the primary beneficiary’s PIA. To get that amount, spouses must claim Social Security at FRA. Claiming earlier results in a smaller payout (i.e., less than 50% of the primary beneficiary’s PIA). The exact reduction depends on how early benefits start, but it would be most severe at age 62.
The chart below shows the spousal benefit (as a percentage of the primary beneficiary’s PIA) for anyone born in 1960 or later.
Data source: The Social Security Administration. Note: The percentages shown above represent spousal benefits as a portion of the partner’s PIA.
Importantly, whereas retired workers earn delayed retirement credits that increase their benefit when they claim Social Security later than FRA, the same does not apply to spouses. The upshot is retired-worker benefits are maximized at age 70, but spousal benefits are maximized at FRA.
3. Divorced spouses can collect Social Security benefits on their ex-partner’s work record
How divorce impacts spousal benefits is a common source of confusion. Divorced spouses can collect Social Security based on their ex-partner’s work record, but the eligibility requirements are different.
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The divorced spouse must be at least 62 years old.
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The marriage must have lasted at least 10 years.
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The divorced spouse must not have remarried.
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The spouse must have been divorced for at least 2 years.
There are three points of potential confusion: First, spouses usually can’t collect benefits on their partner’s work record unless that partner is also receiving retirement benefits. That rule does not apply to divorced spouses.
Second, divorced spouses can still collect benefits on their ex-partner’s earnings work record even if that ex-partner remarries. Only the spouse’s marital status impacts eligibility.
Third, some divorced spouses worry that claiming Social Security on their ex-partner’s record will impact that person’s benefit. Others worry their ex-partner will be notified. Neither is true. The ex-partner’s payout does not change, nor will they be notified if their former spouse claims Social Security on their work record.
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Spousal Social Security Benefits: 3 Things Retired Couples Need to Know in 2026 was originally published by The Motley Fool