Spousal Social Security Benefit Calculator

How to do it

1. 1
   Step 1: Open Spousal Social Security Benefit Calculator and add your input

   Type your numbers or text, add your file, or pick the options you need. Nothing is uploaded: everything stays in your browser.

2. 2
   Step 2: What Spousal Social Security Benefit Calculator does

   Estimate a spouse's Social Security benefit from the other spouse's record, including early claiming reductions.

3. 3
   Step 3: Read the result and compare

   The result appears at once. Change one value to see how the answer moves, then keep the figure that fits your case.

4. 4
   Step 4: Copy or save it

   Copy the result or download it. For an important decision, confirm it with the official source or an adviser.

About this tool

Enter the higher earner's full retirement age benefit, the spouse's own benefit, the spouse's birth year and the age they start. The tool shows the extra spousal amount, the reduction for claiming early and the total monthly benefit.

The rule

A spouse can receive up to 50% of the other spouse's full retirement age benefit. If they have their own benefit, they first receive that and the spousal part tops it up to 50%: the extra is half of the worker's benefit minus the spouse's own benefit, if that is positive.

Early claiming

Starting before full retirement age reduces the spousal part by 25/36 of 1% for each of the first 36 months early and 5/12 of 1% for each month after that, down to 65% at 62 when full retirement age is 67. The spouse's own benefit is reduced by its own, smaller factors. Waiting past full retirement age does not increase the spousal part.

Conditions

The worker must have filed for benefits before the spouse can receive a spousal benefit (except for divorced spouses after two years). Survivor benefits follow different rules and are not covered.

Worked example

A worker with $3,000 at full retirement age and a spouse with their own $800: half of $3,000 is $1,500, so the spousal part is $700 and the total at full retirement age is $1,500. If the spouse starts at 62 (full retirement age 67), the own benefit is $560 and the spousal part is $455, a total of $1,015.

Tips for best results

Check every box before you rely on a result, because one wrong digit changes the whole answer. Use the exact figures from your payslip, bill, certificate or contract, and keep a note of the date you calculated. Rates, thresholds and rules change from time to time, so for tax, fees and legal matters treat the output as an estimate and confirm with the official source named on this page. You can run as many scenarios as you like; nothing is saved or sent, and refreshing the page clears the boxes.