Navigating Social Security: Impact of Marriage or Divorce on Your Benefits Explained

Many older adults rely on Social Security benefits as a significant income stream. For individuals aged 65 and above, data from the Social Security Administration reveals that 37% of men and 42% of women depend on their checks for at least half of their income.

Various elements will impact the amount of your payments, such as your income history, the duration of your career, and the age at which you start claiming. Your marital status will also affect your benefit amount.

Married or divorced individuals may be eligible for a unique form of Social Security benefits.

Retirees who are eligible for this benefit typically receive approximately $912 per month as of January 2024. It’s worth checking to see if you meet the requirements.

Who is eligible for spousal benefits?

Spousal benefits are a unique form of Social Security designed for married or divorced retirees. In order to be eligible for spousal benefits as a married retiree, you must meet certain requirements:

• Marriage is a requirement at this time. 
• Ensure that your partner meets the requirements for Social Security retirement or disability benefits. 
• To qualify, individuals must be at least 62 years old, unless they are caring for a child under age 16 or disabled, in which case exceptions may be made.

If you’re divorced, you may still be eligible for additional Social Security benefits through divorce benefits. The criteria for this particular benefit are slightly unique:

• Currently, marriage is not allowed (although it’s acceptable if your former partner has remarried). 
• It seems like your previous marriage lasted for a minimum of 10 years. 
• If you’ve recently gone through a divorce, you’ll have to wait for your former spouse to start receiving Social Security before you can apply for divorce benefits.

When it comes to spousal and divorce benefits, your benefit will not impact the amount your spouse or ex-spouse gets from Social Security.

In addition, if your former spouse has remarried, receiving divorce benefits will not impact their current partner’s eligibility to receive spousal benefits.

Optimizing Spousal Benefits for Higher Social Security Income

When considering both types of benefits, the highest payment you can receive is 50% of what your spouse or ex-spouse is eligible for at their full retirement age (FRA).

If you are eligible for retirement benefits based on your own work history, the Social Security Administration will only provide the higher of the two amounts, not both.

For instance, if you are eligible for $1,000 per month in retirement benefits at your full retirement age (FRA), and your spouse will receive $3,000 per month at their FRA.

Based on the situation, your spousal benefit would amount to $1,500 monthly. That amount will be what you receive monthly, which is more than your retirement benefit, not $2,500 per month.

In order to receive the maximum amount of spousal or divorce benefits, it is necessary to wait until your full retirement age to apply.

Your full retirement age will fall between ages 66 and 67, and if you start claiming benefits before that age, you will receive reduced payments each month.