Last Updated: March 31, 2026

So far, we’ve discussed personal factors like break-even age and longevity. But there’s another factor that weighs heavily into the decision of when to elect your Social Security benefits: your marital status. That’s right; if you’re a married person, you’ll have to approach retirement a bit differently than a single person. And if you were married but divorced or widowed after a long marriage, you'll also have different considerations. Understanding the connection between your marital status and your benefits, the different election options available to you when you're single, and tactics to maximize your benefits can help you make the most of your retirement.

In this lesson, we’ll break down what your options are depending on your marital status. 

Claiming as a Married Couple

In a marriage, there are two people collecting Social Security benefits, assuming both partners worked. But of course, that’s not always the case. If you were a stay-at-home parent or homemaker, you may not have worked long enough to qualify for your own Social Security retirement benefits. In a case like this, you can take advantage of spousal benefits, where you are entitled to 50% of your spouse’s benefits. As discussed earlier, make election decisions together and factor both you and your spouse’s longevity to maximize your benefits (and survivor benefits). 

You can qualify for spousal benefits if you meet the following conditions:

• Your spouse is already receiving retirement benefits,
• You have been married for at least one year, and
• You are at least 62 years old, or you are caring for a child who is under age 16 or disabled.

Don’t forget that you must have reached full retirement age in order to receive the full 50% of your spousal benefits. If you elect earlier, the amount you’re entitled to will be reduced, but you won’t receive a higher benefits amount after your FRA has passed. Understand more about spousal benefits in our class entitled, “Social Security Benefits for Married Couples.”

Claiming if You are Divorced 

If you are divorced, in many cases you are eligible to receive Social Security benefits based on your ex-spouse’s earnings record, even if he or she has not yet started claiming benefits. You’ll be entitled to the greater of your own benefits, or 50% of your ex-spouse’s benefits, and the following conditions apply:

• You were married for more than 10 years,
• You never remarried
• You’ve reached age 62 or older
• You’ve been divorced at least two years

If you’re looking for further details on how Social Security benefits work for divorced couples, see our class entitled, “Social Security Benefits for Divorced Couples” to learn more.

Claiming if You are Widowed 

No one wants to face the passing of their spouse. But if you’re faced with this situation, you’ll be entitled to survivor’s benefits as long as your spouse was qualified to receive Social Security benefits. Social Security survivor benefits are payments paid to widows, widowers, and dependents of eligible workers after the death of a loved one who was paying into Social Security. 

The age of the surviving spouse comes into play when it comes to claiming survivor benefits. Here’s how it works: 

• Age 50: Surviving spouses who are at least 50 and are disabled can begin receiving 100% of their eligible survivor benefits. The disability must have begun within seven years of the passing of their spouse. 
• Age 60: Surviving spouses can receive reduced benefits starting at age 60. The amount you’ll receive operates on a sliding scale from 71.5% up to 99% and increases as you approach full retirement age.
• Full retirement age: Surviving spouses who have reached their own full retirement age are eligible for 100% of their deceased spouse’s Social Security benefits. 
• Any age: A surviving spouse can collect benefits at any age as long as they have not remarried and are a full-time caregiver for their child who is under 16 or disabled. If the person remarries after they reach age 60 — age 50 if disabled — their marital status doesn’t affect their eligibility for survivor benefits. 
• If you qualify for your own benefit: If your own benefits are higher than your survivor benefits, you can receive your survivor benefits at age 60 while allowing your own benefit to grow. Then, you can switch to your own benefit anywhere between age 62 to 70.¹

Read our class called “Social Security Benefits for Widow(er)s” to learn more about your election strategy and how survivor benefits work. 

SOURCES

1. “Who can get Survivor benefits.” SSA, https://www.ssa.gov/survivor/eligibility. Accessed 16 December 2025.