For most married couples, Social Security will be one of the largest sources of income in retirement. However, many people approach it as a simple checkbox: turn 65, sign up, move on.
The reality is more nuanced, especially when you are married. The decisions you and your spouse make about when to claim benefits can significantly affect how much money you receive over your lifetimes. And for couples in particular, there are two benefit types worth understanding before you file for anything.
The Two Benefits Every Couple Should Know
Spousal benefits. A married spouse can receive up to 50% of their spouse's full retirement age benefit if that amount is higher than their own benefit. Social Security pays whichever amount is higher: either your own personal benefit or 50% of your spouse’s. You will not receive both. One key rule: the higher-earning spouse must be receiving their Social Security benefit before the lower-earning spouse can claim the spousal benefit.
Survivor benefits. You can claim a spousal benefit while your spouse is alive, but survivor benefits, which can reach 100% of the deceased spouse's benefit, are available only after their passing. Though this distinction isn’t pleasant to think about, it can matter a lot when you're thinking about long-term retirement income planning.
When You Claim Matters
The amount you receive from Social Security depends heavily on your age at the time of filing. You can begin claiming as early as 62, but you'll receive a permanently reduced benefit. For most people, full retirement age (FRA) is 67. For every year you wait past FRA, up to age 70, your benefit grows by about 8% due to delayed retirement credits.
For couples, this isn't just an individual decision. The higher earner's benefit sets the amount the surviving spouse will receive if one partner passes away first. That makes the timing of when the higher earner files one of the most consequential financial decisions a couple can make.
What It Looks Like in Real Life
Here are three real-world scenarios to illustrate how this plays out.
Example 1: Lower-earning spouse claims first, then switches to spousal benefits
Jill's monthly benefit at full retirement age is $1,400. Her husband Jack's is $3,200. He is two years younger.
If Jill files at 67, she collects $1,400 per month for 36 months while Jack continues working. Once Jack files at 67, Jill becomes eligible for a spousal benefit of $1,600, or half of Jack's amount. Jack still receives his full $3,200.
One thing to weigh: if Jill waits until 70 to file, her benefit grows to $1,736, which is more than her spousal benefit. But she would miss out on the $50,400 she would have received by filing at 67. Whether that trade-off makes sense depends on her health, life expectancy, and household cash flow.
Example 2: Higher earner waits to claim
Luis's monthly benefit is $2,500 at 67 and $3,100 at 70. His wife Jessica's benefit is $2,000 at 67 and $2,480 at 70.
By waiting until 70, Luis's monthly check grows by $600. Jessica's grows by $480 if she waits. Luis gains more by delaying, which is especially valuable if Jessica has a shorter life expectancy and the couple wants to maximize her income while both are living. And if Luis dies first, the higher his benefit, the larger the survivor benefit Jessica would receive.
Example 3: Both wait until 70
If Armand and Jessica both file at 67, they collect a combined $4,500 per month. If both wait until 70, that number jumps to $5,580 per month.
This strategy works well when both spouses are in good health and one or both are still working or have other financial resources to draw from, such as a 401(k), Roth IRA, brokerage account, or traditional pension. Waiting requires income from somewhere in the meantime, but the long-term payoff can be significant.
Where to Start
Social Security claiming decisions are best made as a household, not individually. The right strategy depends on your ages, health, income gap between spouses, and other retirement resources.
A good first step is creating a free account at SSA.gov to review your estimated benefits. From there, work with a financial advisor who can help you model different claiming scenarios and build a strategy that fits your specific situation.
The decisions you make now can shape your retirement income for decades.
