My understanding is that with social security benefits a spouse can apply under the main breadwinners account and get half of the benefits. So if the main earner is getting $2000 a month the spouse can apply and get $1000 a month.
But I read here that a spouse cannot apply until the main earner has applied first.
How does that work in situations where there is an age discrepancy? One where the non-wage earning spouse is 10 years older than the one who does earn a wage. Do they just not get benefits until the wage earning spouse has applied for and gotten SS?
I know a retiring couple who are in this situation, the wife is a couple years older than the husband. Does she have to wait until he applies before she can apply?
If she is at full retirement age at that point but he is not (which for both of them is 66), are her benefits calculated based on his reduced benefits or does she get 1/2 of his full benefits since she applied at 66?
Yes, my husband cannot collect spousal benefits based on my earnings until I retire.However, if he is eligible based on his own record, he can collect that benefit whenever he is eligible, and then switch to my spousal benefit when I retire if it is higher.
Spouse’s benefits, surviving spouse’s benefits, children benefits, and other possible family benefits (in some cases parent’s benefits) are auxilliary benefits. They are based on the premise that the primary insured (i.e., the wage earner) is receiving benefits. If he or she is not, there cannot, of course, be any auxilliary benefits.
The primary insured must be collecting benefits before any auxiliaries are eligible. A divorced spouse is entitled to benefits until he or she remarries.
Let me modify my prior post. The primary insured need not be entitled to benefits if the divorced spouse is at least 62, the marriage must have occurred at least 10 years before the divorce, and the person has been divorced for at least two years. 20 CFR 404.331: