Consider claiming a spousal benefit

If both you and your spouse worked for a long time, but they earned more than you did, you should consider claiming the spousal benefit instead of opting for your benefit. This way you might receive more.

To help you figure out what’s the best course of action, the Social Security Administration has a calculator you can use to calculate your spousal benefit.

You can also use two other calculators, Social Security Choices and Maximize My Social Security, to find out what’s the best choice in terms of collect Social Security for a couple.

Claim a spousal benefit

Let’s say you’ve used one of the aforementioned calculators to decide what’s the best course of action regarding Social Security benefits as a couple and decided to claim the spousal benefit

For instance, if you didn’t pay into Social Security for at least 10 years but your spouse did, or they earned less than you did, your spouse can be the one to claim a spousal benefit. More than that, the benefit could be as much as half of what your spouse is entitled to when they reach the full retirement age. However, don’t forget that you are only allowed to claim a spousal benefit only if your spouse has already filed for a retirement or disability benefit.