Social Security Spousal and Dependent Benefits
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If your spouse collects Social Security retirement benefits, you may be eligible for spousal benefits at a percentage of the spouse’s primary benefit rate. If you have paid into Social Security over the course of your career, you may be receiving benefits on your own account. Social Security will grant you whatever rate is higher, the spousal payment or your own earned retirement benefit. The spousal benefit generally amounts to half of the husband/wife’s primary retirement rate. If you as a spouse elect to receive benefits at age 62, your benefit will be reduced by a certain percentage, depending on the number of months remaining until you reach full retirement age. If you choose to work while getting early retirement checks, there may be a consequent reduction in benefits also. At full retirement age, you can work as much as you want without losing any part of your Social Security entitlement.
A spouse can begin to collect benefits at any age if he/she is caring for a dependent child age 16 or under who is also receiving benefits. Qualified dependents of retired workers are also eligible for benefits at up to half the amount of the parent’s Social Security monthly payment. To qualify, the child must be under 18 (or 19 if still in secondary school) and unmarried. Disabled dependents whose impairment began before age 22 may continue to receive benefits at any age.
The SSA does set a cap on the total amount of benefits that can be issued to one family. Qualified spouses and children may not receive more than 150%-180% of the primary worker’s total benefit. The good news is that the primary retiree’s Social Security benefit doesn’t go down when spouses and children begin to take in these extra payments. His/her full retirement check remains the same.
If you are looking to collect Social Security benefits on the basis of spousal earnings, contact an expert in Social Security law for assistance during the application process. One mistake on the filing form can result in a denial of
Articles contained here are not intended to provide legal advice, only providing general information. We encourage individuals to consult with an attorney regarding individual circumstances.
