Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Social Security provides several types of benefits, and not all are tied to your earnings. Spousal benefits are based on your partner's lifetime earnings, designed to bridge income gaps between spouses.
So how do you qualify? If your spouse is already receiving retirement or disability benefits, you've been married for over a year, and you're 62 or older, chances are you're eligible.
The amount you receive depends on your age when filing, typically ranging from 32 to 50 percent of your spouse’s full monthly retirement payment. However, there are a few important things to note.
First, collecting spousal benefits will not affect how much your spouse receives, so do not worry about their payments.
Second, if you are eligible for your own Social Security retirement benefit, you will receive the higher of the two, not both.
Finally, if you are divorced, you could still qualify for spousal benefits under certain conditions, as long as you are 62 or older and the marriage lasted at least 10 years.
Please consider supporting more content like this by becoming an AARP member: aarp.org/becomeamember
- - - - - -
Connect with AARP Online:
Visit us: aarp.org
Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to helping people ages 50 and older to improve their quality of life as they age. With over 38 million members and growing, we lead positive social change through our extensive product offerings and services.
Social Security provides several types of benefits, and not all are tied to your earnings. Spousal benefits are based on your partner's lifetime earnings, designed to bridge income gaps between spouses.
So how do you qualify? If your spouse is already receiving retirement or disability benefits, you've been married for over a year, and you're 62 or older, chances are you're eligible.
The amount you receive depends on your age when filing, typically ranging from 32 to 50 percent of your spouse’s full monthly retirement payment. However, there are a few important things to note.
First, collecting spousal benefits will not affect how much your spouse receives, so do not worry about their payments.
Second, if you are eligible for your own Social Security retirement benefit, you will receive the higher of the two, not both.
Finally, if you are divorced, you could still qualify for spousal benefits under certain conditions, as long as you are 62 or older and the marriage lasted at least 10 years.
Please consider supporting more content like this by becoming an AARP member: aarp.org/becomeamember
- - - - - -
Connect with AARP Online:
Visit us: aarp.org
Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to helping people ages 50 and older to improve their quality of life as they age. With over 38 million members and growing, we lead positive social change through our extensive product offerings and services.
