3 Social Security Spousal Benefit Rules You Need to Know in 2026

• If you're eligible for Social Security spousal benefits, it's important to cognize erstwhile you tin motion up.

• Understand the implications of filing astatine antithetic ages.

• Make definite you're not counting connected other benefits beyond what you're entitled to.

• The $23,760 Social Security bonus astir retirees wholly place ›

Most radical suffice for Social Security benefits successful status by moving and paying into the strategy for a bully fig of years. But there's different way toward Social Security if you ne'er worked, oregon if you didn't gain capable to suffice for benefits yourself: spousal benefits.

Social Security's spousal benefits tin beryllium a fiscal lifeline for galore radical aboriginal successful life. But it's important to recognize the nuances of claiming those benefits. Here are 3 rules you should cognize about.

If you're divorced, you whitethorn inactive beryllium entitled to spousal benefits from Social Security based connected your ex-spouse's record. And successful that case, you don't request to hold for your erstwhile spouse to record for Social Security to get your spousal benefits.

If you're married, the rules are different. In that case, you cannot motion up for spousal benefits until your spouse claims Social Security. So it's important to person a treatment astir your spouse's timing truthful you cognize erstwhile spousal benefits whitethorn beryllium connected the array for you.

The earliest property to motion up for Social Security benefits is 62. This holds existent whether you're claiming status benefits based connected your ain net grounds oregon spousal benefits.

If you assertion spousal benefits earlier reaching afloat status property (which is 67 if you were calved successful 1960 oregon later), those monthly checks volition beryllium reduced. If you don't similar the dependable of that, you shouldn't assertion spousal benefits early.

However, there's besides nary crushed to assertion your spousal benefits precocious -- meaning, beyond your afloat status age. Delaying Social Security past afloat status property boosts your monthly payments erstwhile you're claiming benefits based connected your ain net record. But you can't turn a spousal benefit, truthful there's nary consciousness successful waiting past afloat status property if you're capable to record astatine that time.

Social Security spousal benefits max retired astatine 50% of what your spouse is eligible for astatine their afloat status age. If that fig is $2,000, your maximum spousal payment astatine your afloat status property is $1,000. You can't turn that $1,000 payment by delaying your claim.