How much will my wife collect from Social Security?

The spousal benefit can be as much as half of the worker’s “primary insurance amount,” depending on the spouse’s age at retirement. If the spouse begins receiving benefits before “normal (or full) retirement age,” the spouse will receive a reduced benefit.

What happens when you apply for Social Security as a spouse?

If you do have enough credits to qualify for your own Social Security benefits and you apply for your own retirement benefits and for benefits as a spouse, we always pay your own benefits first. If your benefits as a spouse are higher than your own retirement benefits, you will get a combination of benefits equaling the higher spouse benefit.

What happens if my wife receives reduced social security?

If your wife is receiving a reduced retirement benefit, when she does apply for additional spouse’s benefits on your record, her own retirement portion remains reduced. When you add spouse’s benefits later, the total retirement and spouses benefit together will total less than 50 percent of the worker’s amount.

Can a spouse collect Social Security on their own work record?

You can collect benefits on a spouse’s work record regardless of whether you also worked. If your own retirement benefit is lower than your spousal benefit, Social Security will pay you the higher amount. To qualify for survivor benefits, you must have been:

Can a widow collect on her late spouse’s Social Security?

If you apply on the basis of caring for a child who is under 16 or disabled, you can collect 75 percent of the late spouse’s benefit, regardless of your age. You will not receive a survivor benefit in addition to your own retirement benefit; Social Security will pay the higher of the two amounts.

Can a representative payee misuse Social Security benefits?

Misuse of Benefits by a Representative Payee. Sometimes, people who receive Social Security Benefits are not able to handle their own financial affairs. In those cases, and after a careful investigation, SSA appoints a relative, friend, or another individual or organization to handle their Social Security matters. When reporting allegations…

How does spousal Social Security affect your Social Security benefits?

Your spousal benefit is not affected by the age at which your husband or wife claimed Social Security benefits. It will always be based on your mate’s primary insurance amount. With survivor benefits, if your late spouse boosted his or her Social Security payment by waiting past FRA to file, your survivor benefit would also increase.