How Long Do You Need To Be Married To Collect Spousal Benefits?
How Long Do You Need To Be Married To Collect Spousal Benefits?
How long does someone have to be married to collect Social Security spouse benefits
To receive a , you generally must have been married for at least one continuous year to the retired or disabled worker on whose earnings record you are claiming benefits. There are narrow exceptions to the one-year rule. For example, you can receive benefits on the record of a new spouse if, in the month before the month in which you married that person, you were already receiving or met the requirements to receive benefits as a spouse (of someone else), , , , or .
Keep in mind
In most cases you must be at least 62 to get a spouse benefit, but you may qualify if you are younger and caring for a child who is under 16 or disabled and eligible for on your spouse's record. The maximum spouse benefit is 50 percent of your mate's full retirement benefit. You get that if you claim the spouse benefit at your (66 and 4 months for people born in 1956 and gradually rising to 67 over the next few years). Spouse benefits are reduced if claimed earlier. Updated March 7, 2022
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