Can I collect Social Security on my spouse's record?

Yes, you can collect Social Security's on a spouse's earnings record. You may be able to do this in the form of spousal benefits, or as survivor benefits if you are a widow or widower.

Depending on your age upon claiming, spousal benefits can range from 32.5 percent to 50 percent of your spouse's primary insurance amount — the retirement benefit to which they are entitled at full retirement age, or FRA (which is 66 and 8 months for people born in 1958, 66 and 10 months for those born in 1959 and 67 for people born in 1960 or after). Regardless of the amount of the spousal benefit, it does not affect the amount of your mate’s retirement payment.

You qualify for spousal benefits if:

• Your spouse is already collecting retirement benefits.
• You have been married for at least a year.
• You are at least 62 years old (unless you are caring for a child who is under 16 or disabled, in which case the age rule does not apply).  

You can collect benefits on a spouse’s work record regardless of whether you also worked. If you did work and are eligible for your own retirement benefit, Social Security will not pay you both that and a spousal benefit — you’ll receive the higher of the two amounts.

The chief criteria to qualify for survivor benefits are:

• You were married to the deceased for at least nine months (unless the death is accidental or occurs in the line of military duty, in which case there is no minimum time period).
• You are at least age 60, unless you have a disability that started before or within seven years of your spouse’s death (in this case the minimum age is 50) or you are caring for a child of the deceased who is under 16 or has a disability (no age minimum).

In most cases, survivor benefits are based on the benefit amount the late spouse was receiving, or was eligible to receive, when he or she died.

How much of that amount you are entitled to depends on your age when you file. The proportion rises from 71.5 percent if you claim survivor benefits at 60 (50 if you have a disability) to 100 percent if you wait until your full retirement age. (FRA is different for survivor benefits than for retirement and spousal benefits; it's 66 and 4 months for survivors born in 1958 and gradually rising to 67 for those born in 1962 or after.) If the survivor benefit is based on your caring for a child, you receive 75 percent of the deceased’s benefit, regardless of your own age when you file.

Keep in mind

• 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.
• Your spousal or survivor benefits may be reduced if you are under full retirement age and continue to work.