Depending on the spouse’s working history, he or she can claim their full social security benefits, or they can claim half of the benefits of their spouse.
How does spousal Social Security support work?
A spousal benefit is available beginning at age 62 to married couples, widows, and divorced couples.
For the benefits to be available, you must have been married legally for one year at least.
If their spouse is collecting social security benefits, at maximum, a spouse can get up to 50% of those benefits.
Ultimately, you can only collect benefits when your spouse has filed and started collecting his or her own benefits, according to NJ.com
If you wait to collect with your spouse, you could sometimes collect more benefits than if you collect only your own benefits.
This means if you will wait to collect with your spouse and Social Security may compensate you for the difference.
However, when you file before your spouse and collect $1,000 per month, your half will be $1,200 when they are getting $2,400.
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The difference of $200 will still go to you.
A spouse cannot double-dip if his or her benefit is greater than half of your own benefit.
The rule can be complicated when filing for benefits.
In the case of a spouse filing alone, if their spouse hasn’t yet filed, then they’re filing only for themselves.
After the other spouse begins collecting social security benefits, and the other spouse wants began filing, both spouses must proceed with the filing together both for social security and spouse benefits.
As a result, Social Security will provide them with their due benefits confidently.