Staying at home and raising your children is a great investment in your family and our nation’s future. There is no more important work than molding, encouraging, and loving our young ones. Of course this dedication means one spouse may not have earned as much or any money towards Social Security benefits. Whether you have no income history or very little income history, you may still qualify for what is called the SS Spousal benefit. The Social Security Administration (SSA) allows homemakers to claim a SS Benefit equal to half of the benefit their spouse would get at Full Retirement Age (FRA) (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/applying6.html ) Even if you have never worked, you will also qualify for medicare at age 65 if you receive any SS benefit.
What if my spouse is deceased? If you are 60 or older and your marriage lasted 9 months or longer, then you can receive 100% of your spouse’s SS benefit at your FRA, or a portion of that benefit at age 60 to 66.
What if I am divorced? If your marriage lasted 10 years or longer, you can still qualify for benefits, even if your ex-spouse has re-married. You can find out more information here: https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/divspouse.html )
Can I take my spousal benefit before my FRA? You can take your benefit early, but each month you take it early will lower your check amount. The earliest you can begin taking your SS benefits is age 62. See below for the reduction amount for each year before 67 you take benefits:
Spousal benefit at 62 is about 32.5% of what your spouse would get at FRA
Spousal benefit at 63 is about 35% of what your spouse would get at FRA
Spousal benefit at 64 is about 37.5% of what your spouse would get at FRA
Spousal benefit at 65 is about 41.7% of what your spouse would get at FRA
Spousal benefit at 66 is about 45.8% of what your spouse would get at FRA
Spousal benefit at 67 is 50% of what your spouse would get at FRA
How many can claim the spousal benefit? Only one person in a couple can claim the spousal benefit
Can I take my SS benefit and my spousal social security benefit? You can only claim one or the other, whichever is higher.
Can I take my SS benefits if my spouse is not taking them yet? A new policy went into effect May 1, 2016 that requires your spouse to be receiving their Social Security benefit in order for you to take the spousal benefit.
How long must I be married to claim SS spousal benefit? If you are currently married you only need to have been married for 12 months. As stated earlier, if you are now divorced, you would have needed to be married for 10 years to claim the spousal SS benefits.
Can I take my Spousal SS Benefit if I am still working? You can, but if you take the benefit before your FRA, you may have to settle for less — at least for now.
If you decide to take benefits before FRA and you are working, you’re penalized with a $1 reduction in benefits for every $2 you earn above a limit of $16,920 annually.
All is not lost, Any money that’s taken away, while you are working, will be repaid back to you via your monthly benefit when you either stop working or reach your FRA.
If you are ready to apply for your SS benefits you may apply here:
Online – Use our Social Security Retirement/Medicare Benefit Application to apply for retirement, spouse’s, divorced spouse’s or Medicare benefits.
If your spouse is already receiving benefits when you apply, or if you and your spouse apply at the same time, we will also check your eligibility for benefits as a spouse. If you qualify, your application will automatically serve as a request for spousal benefits.
By phone – Call us at 1-800-772-1213. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you can call us at TTY 1-800-325-0778.
In person – Visit your local Social Security office. (Call first to make an appointment.)
If you do not live in the U.S. or one of its territories you can also – Contact the nearest U.S. Social Security office, U.S. Embassy or consulate.
If Social Security is not enough, please contact Robert Snow Krepps NMLS #255191 at HighTechLending Inc. (877) 567 – 7476 or rkrepps@hightechlending.com .
HighTechLending Inc, NMLS # 7147, is an Equal Housing Lender. Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act.
