I think I get more questions about benefits for spouses than I do about any other kind of Social Security benefit. And even though I’m using the gender-neutral term “spouses,” these questions almost always come from women wondering what benefits they might be due on their husband’s—or ex-husband’s—Social Security record. Or they come from men asking about the benefits their wives or ex-wives might be due on their record. Women tend to qualify for benefits on a husband’s record because, in most instances, their own Social Security benefit is less than their husband’s benefit. Why? Primarily because women spend more time out of the workforce—usually because they take time off work to have and raise children.
Of course, there are some family situations where the wife makes more money than the husband and she ends up with a higher Social Security benefit. So her husband might be due spousal benefits on her record. Still, statistics show that 95 percent of spousal benefits go to women, so I’m addressing them today.
