Calculator
Spousal benefit calculator
Your own reduced benefit plus the reduced spousal top-up, the way the SSA pays it under deemed filing.
Monthly benefit at 67$1,200100% of the spousal top-up
| Half of your spouse’s full benefit | $1,200.00 |
|---|---|
| Your own full benefit (PIA) | $600.00 |
| Spousal top-up (excess) | $600.00 |
| Your full retirement age | 67 (June 2030) |
| Your own benefit × 100% | $600.00 |
| Top-up × 100% | $600.00 |
| Total monthly benefit | $1,200 |
Spousal benefits stop growing at your full retirement age (no delayed credits), and your spouse must have filed for their own benefit first. If you were born after January 1, 1954, filing for one benefit deems you to file for both, so the SSA pays your own reduced benefit plus the reduced top-up.
The link keeps your inputs, so you can save or share this scenario.
How spousal benefits are calculated
The spousal benefit is half of the worker's primary insurance amount minus your own PIA, then reduced if you claim before your full retirement age[cfr410]. The worker's own claiming age does not matter: the 50% is of their PIA, not of a reduced or delayed check. Two other rules shape the result:
- Deemed filing. If you were born after January 1, 1954, applying for either benefit means applying for both, so you cannot take only the spousal benefit and let your own grow.
- No delayed credits. The spousal part stops growing at your full retirement age; waiting past it raises only your own benefit.
The reduction for the spousal part is 25/36 of 1% per month for the first 36 months early and 5/12 of 1% per month after that[early]. Your own part uses the regular 5/9 and 5/12 rates.
| You claim at | % of worker’s PIA | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 62 | 32.5% | $780 |
| 63 | 35% | $840 |
| 64 | 37.5% | $900 |
| 65 | 41.7% | $1,000 |
| 66 | 45.8% | $1,100 |
| 67 | 50% | $1,200 |
Worked example
Lee's full benefit is $2,400. Pat, born in June 1963, has a small record with a PIA of $600 and a full retirement age of 67.
- Half of Lee's PIA is $1,200. Pat's top-up is $1,200 − $600 = $600.
- At 67, Pat gets $600 own + $600 top-up = $1,200 a month.
- At 62 (60 months early), Pat's own benefit is cut 30% to $420.00 and the top-up is cut 35% to $390.00: $810.
The SSA's regulation examples round each reduction up to the next dime before subtracting it, and the calculator does the same[cfr410]. Find each spouse's PIA with the Social Security calculator, and check your exact full retirement age.
Who can get a spousal benefit
- You are at least 62 (or any age caring for the worker's child under 16 or disabled), and your spouse has filed for their own retirement or disability benefit.
- You have been married at least one year, or are the parent of the worker's child.
- Divorced spouses qualify if the marriage lasted 10 years, they are unmarried, and the ex-spouse is 62 (they need not have filed if divorced for 2 years).
A spousal benefit does not reduce the worker's own check. Family benefits as a whole are capped by the family maximum, which for 2027 eligibility is 150% of the PIA up to $1,712, 272% up to $2,471, 134% up to $3,223 and 175% above[fammax].
Common mistakes with spousal benefits
- Using the worker's actual check. The 50% is of the worker's PIA. A worker who claimed at 62 still leaves the spouse up to 50% of the full PIA, and a worker who waits to 70 does not raise it.
- Waiting past full retirement age for the spousal part. Delayed credits never apply to spousal benefits.
- Forgetting the survivor switch. When the worker dies, the spouse can step up to a survivor benefit worth up to 100% of what the worker received; see the survivor benefits calculator. That is why the worker's claiming age, shown in the break-even calculator, still matters to the couple.
Government pension offset repealedThe Social Security Fairness Act (January 2025) ended the government pension offset and the windfall elimination provision, so spousal benefits are no longer cut for people with a non-covered public pension.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Social Security spousal benefit?
Up to 50% of the worker's full benefit (PIA) if you claim at your full retirement age, minus your own PIA if you have one. Claiming at 62 with an FRA of 67 pays 32.5% of the worker's PIA.
Can I get my own benefit and a spousal benefit?
Yes, but not both in full. The SSA pays your own benefit first and adds a top-up equal to the amount by which half of your spouse's PIA exceeds your own PIA. If your own PIA is half or more of your spouse's, there is no top-up.
Does my spouse have to be retired for me to get spousal benefits?
Your spouse must have filed for their own retirement (or disability) benefit. A divorced spouse is the exception: after two years of divorce you can claim on an ex-spouse's record at 62 or later even if they have not filed.
Do spousal benefits increase after full retirement age?
No. Delayed retirement credits apply only to the worker's own benefit, so there is no gain in waiting past full retirement age to start a spousal benefit.