Social Security

Social Security’s $24,912 silent surrendering: The benefit most retirees miss

Certain Americans that have reached retirement age could be missing out on tens of thousands in Social Security benefits.

Greg Heilman

Update: May 8th, 2026 06:40 EDT

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Americans must wait until they are at least 62 years old to begin claiming Social Security retirement benefits, but that comes at the price of a lower benefit amount payment each month. If they wait until they reach full retirement age, 66 or 67 years old depending on the year they were born, they can get their maximum allotment.

However, if a Social Security beneficiary doesn’t claim benefits until they are 70 years old, they will receive a monthly amount roughly 25% more than they would at the full retirement age. That is, except for one group of beneficiaries, spouses.

If a spouse is eligible to claim Social Security benefits based on his or her spouse’s earnings, while they can begin collecting benefits at age 62, they will get the maximum amount if they wait until they have reached full retirement age. However, they will not see that amount increase if they wait until they have turned 70.

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Those that wait beyond full retirement age to collect Social Security benefits based on their spouse’s SSA account are essentially silently surrendering tens of thousands of dollars each year they wait. In 2026, the maximum amount a Socials Security beneficiary could get at full retirement age is $4,152 per month.

A spouse who begins claiming off of that amount at full retirement age themselves would get 50% of that amount, or $2,076 per month. That would end up being $24,912 over the course of a year. As with regular Social Security retirement benefits claiming earlier than full retirement age would see the percentage that a spouse could claim reduced.

Below is a look at who can claim spousal benefits and how to do it.

Who is eligible for spousal Social Security benefits?

Firstly, your spouse must already be claiming their own retirement benefits. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 removed several loopholes that had existed previously allowing a husband or wife to claim benefits based on their spouse’s SSA account like this requirement these days.

In general, you can claim spousal Social Security benefits starting at age 62 if you have been married for at least one year to someone who is already receiving their own retirement benefits. People caring for a child under the age of 16, or a child receiving Social Security disability benefits, may also be eligible at any age.

How much do spouses receive?

The amount a spouse receives depends on their partner’s primary insurance amount (PIA), which is used in the calculation for Social Security benefits. The benefit the partner is entitled to claim depends on the what the spouse receives when they claim or would be eligible for at full retirement age (FRA) if they claim later.

For those born in 1960 or later, the FRA is 67. For those born earlier, it is 66 plus a few months, depending on the birth year.

Generally, spouses can receive up to half of their partner’s PIA if they claim once they have reached full retirement age. But the amount reduces the younger you claim spousal benefits, except in the case that you are caring for a child under the age of 16, or a child receiving Social Security disability benefits.

How old do you have to be to claim spousal benefits?

You can start claiming spousal benefits at age 62. At that age, the benefit is 32.5% of your partner’s PIA. Waiting until later increases the amount you will receive.

What happens if you qualify for both retired worker and spousal benefits?

If you qualify for both your own retirement benefits and spousal benefits, you only need to file once. You will receive the higher of the two amounts.

Can divorcees claim spousal benefits?

Divorce rules for spousal benefits are more complex.

Divorcees can collect payments based on their ex-partner’s work history if they were married for at least 10 years. If the ex-partner has not started collecting benefits, the divorce must have been finalized at least two years before spousal benefits can be paid.

If a divorcee remarries, they no longer receive benefits tied to their former spouse. However, they may qualify for payments based on their new partner’s work history.