This recording presents the viewpoints of the AMAC Foundation’s Social Security Advisory Staff, trained and accredited under the National Social Security Advisors program of the National Social Security Association, LLC (NSSA). NSSA and the AMAC Foundation are not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government, the Social Security Administration, or any other state government. To request additional information, contact our Advisory Staff at 888-750-2622, or email us at SSAdvisor@AmacFoundation.org.
Dear Rusty,
A friend of my wife told her, and she believes, she could receive a SS benefit based on my SS benefit that I’m currently receiving while I’m still alive. I told her she could only receive spouse survivor benefits. Is there any truth to what she now believes? Would you settle this issue for us please?
Thank you,
Hi Nicholas,
We’ll be happy to clear up any confusion on your wife’s spousal benefits.
A spouse (e.g., you wife) can receive a “spousal boost” from you – while you are still living – if the SS retirement benefit she is entitled to at her full retirement age (FRA) is less than 50% of the SS retirement benefit you are (were) entitled to at your FRA (FRA amounts are used to calculate living spouse benefits, regardless of when you both actually claimed). So if your FRA entitlement is more than twice your wife’s FRA entitlement, she can, indeed, get a spousal boost from your record (the spousal boost is added to her own SS retirement amount). So, a wife can get a spousal boost from her husband while both are living depending on how their personal FRA retirement amounts compare. A surviving spouse can also get a surviving spouse benefit when their partner passes away, if the deceased spouse was getting a nigher SS benefit than the surviving spouse. Note that any time any SS benefit (including spousal or surviving spouse benefits) are claimed before one’s full retirement age, the payment amount is permanently reduced.
I hope this answers your question, but please feel free to contact us at SSAdvisor@amacfoundation.org if you have further questions.
Russell Gloor
Certified Social Security Advisor
The AMAC Foundation