Social Security Spousal Benefits Calculator
What a spouse can collect on a partner's record, and what the survivor keeps
Last updated: October 2026 · SSA spousal and survivor rules
The couple
Higher earner
The primary insurance amount from the SSA statement.
Spouse
Enter 0 if the spouse has no work record of their own.
The spouse files at 62 but the higher earner has not filed yet, so until age 67 the spouse gets only their own benefit of $420. The spouse will be at full retirement age by then, so the top-up is not reduced.
If the higher earner dies first
A surviving spouse who claims at survivor full retirement age would get about $2,400 a month on the higher earner's record. They keep the larger of that and their own $420, so the household goes from $3,420 to $2,400. Each year the higher earner waits past full retirement age raises this by 8%.
How spousal benefits are worked out
A spouse can receive up to half of the higher earner's primary insurance amount, the benefit that earner would get at full retirement age. It is based on the full benefit, so the higher earner claiming early or late does not change the spousal amount.
If the spouse has a work record too, SSA pays the spouse's own benefit first. The spousal part is only the excess: half the higher earner's full benefit minus the spouse's own full benefit. If the spouse starts before their full retirement age, the own benefit is cut by the retirement formula and the excess is cut by 25/36 of 1% a month for the first 36 months and 5/12 of 1% a month after that. There are no delayed credits on the spousal part.
Worked example
Both spouses were born in 1962, so both have a full retirement age of 67. The higher earner's full benefit is $2,400 and the spouse's is $600. The spouse claims at 62 and gets 70% of $600, or $420. The higher earner claims at 67, and from then on the spouse also gets the excess of $1,200 minus $600, which is $600. The spouse is 67 by then, so it is not reduced, and the total becomes $1,020. If both had claimed at 62, the excess would be cut by 35% to $390 and the spouse would get $810 for life.
Deemed filing
For anyone born on or after January 2, 1954, filing for one benefit is filing for both whenever you are eligible for both. The old strategy of claiming a spousal benefit while letting your own benefit grow is no longer available. The calculator follows that rule: the spousal top-up starts as soon as both spouses have filed.
Divorced spouses
A divorced spouse can claim on an ex's record if the marriage lasted at least 10 years, they are unmarried and 62 or older, and the ex is entitled to benefits. After two years of divorce, they can claim even if the ex has not filed. The amounts work the same way as for a current spouse.
Survivor benefits
When one spouse dies, the survivor keeps the larger of the two checks. At survivor full retirement age, which is 66 to 67 depending on birth year, the survivor gets 100% of what the deceased was receiving, including any delayed credits. If the deceased claimed early, the survivor still gets at least 82.5% of the deceased's full benefit. Claiming survivor benefits from age 60 pays as little as 71.5%. This is why the higher earner's claiming age often matters more than the lower earner's. Compare claiming ages for one person in the break-even calculator, or estimate a benefit from earnings in the Social Security calculator.
This calculator does not apply the family maximum, which can limit total benefits when children also collect on the same record.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Social Security spousal benefit?
Up to 50% of your spouse's full benefit (primary insurance amount) if you claim at your own full retirement age. If you also have your own benefit, SSA pays your own benefit first and adds only the amount needed to bring you up to that 50% figure.
How much is the spousal benefit if I claim at 62?
For a spouse whose full retirement age is 67, claiming at 62 cuts the spousal benefit by 35%, so it pays 32.5% of the worker's full benefit instead of 50%. The cut is 25/36 of 1% for each of the first 36 months early and 5/12 of 1% for each month beyond that.
Does the spousal benefit grow if I wait past full retirement age?
No. Delayed retirement credits apply only to your own retirement benefit. Waiting past your full retirement age does not raise the spousal amount, so there is no gain from delaying a spousal-only claim beyond that age.
What is deemed filing?
For anyone born on or after January 2, 1954, applying for your own retirement benefit or a spousal benefit counts as applying for both if you are eligible for both. You cannot take one now and switch to the other later to collect more.
Can I get spousal benefits if my spouse has not claimed yet?
No. A current spouse can only collect a spousal benefit after the worker has filed for their own retirement benefit. A divorced spouse is different: if you have been divorced at least two years, you can claim on your ex's record once they are 62, even if they have not filed.
Who qualifies for divorced spouse benefits?
You must have been married at least 10 years, be unmarried now, and be 62 or older, and your ex must be entitled to benefits. Claiming on an ex's record does not reduce their benefit or that of their current spouse.
What happens to the benefits when one spouse dies?
The survivor keeps the larger of the two checks, not both. A widow or widower at survivor full retirement age can get 100% of what the deceased was receiving. If the deceased claimed early, the survivor still gets at least 82.5% of the deceased's full benefit. Survivor benefits can start as early as 60, reduced to 71.5%.