A spouse is eligible for spousal benefits if: (1) they are currently married to the worker, (2) the worker has filed for their own Social Security benefits, and (3) the spouse is at least 62 years old. The amount received is the higher of their own earned benefit or the spousal benefit — not both combined.

The maximum spousal benefit is 50% of the working spouse's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) — their benefit at Full Retirement Age, regardless of when the working spouse actually claims. If the worker's FRA benefit is $2,800/month, the maximum spousal benefit is $1,400/month. This maximum is only available if the claiming spouse waits until their own FRA.

A spouse cannot claim spousal benefits until the working spouse has filed for their own Social Security benefits. This creates an important strategic interaction: if the higher earner delays claiming to 70, the lower earner must either wait or claim their own reduced benefit in the interim — they cannot receive the spousal benefit until the higher earner files.

Unlike the worker's own benefit, there are no Delayed Retirement Credits available for spousal benefits. Waiting past FRA to claim a spousal benefit produces no additional income — the maximum is capped at 50% of the worker's PIA. This means once the claiming spouse reaches FRA, there is no financial benefit to delaying the spousal claim further.

If a spouse has their own work record, the SSA automatically calculates both the own benefit and the spousal benefit and pays the higher amount. The spouse doesn't "choose" between benefits — the SSA applies what's called a "deemed filing" rule, paying the higher of the two. The own benefit and spousal benefit are not additive.

A common strategy: the lower-earning spouse claims their own benefit (or a spousal benefit once the higher earner files) at or near FRA, providing household income while the higher earner delays to 70. The higher earner's delay maximizes the larger benefit — and eventually, the larger survivor benefit for whichever spouse outlives the other.

Under current rules (since 2016), you cannot claim your own reduced benefit early and then "switch" to a spousal benefit at FRA without a reduction. The deemed filing rules require simultaneous consideration of both own and spousal benefits. The "file and suspend" strategies that were previously available were largely eliminated — today's rules require the higher earner to be currently receiving benefits for the spouse to receive spousal benefits.

When both spouses have substantial work histories and comparable benefits, the spousal benefit may not provide any additional income above what each spouse's own benefit provides. In these cases, each spouse claims independently based on their own record and claiming strategy. The spousal benefit only adds value when there's a significant earnings disparity between spouses.