Social Security Spouse's Insurance Benefits
Managing Agency:
Program Description
You may be able to get spouse's retirement benefits, even if you’ve never worked under Social Security before. Your spouse must already get retirement or disability benefits.
Learn more on the Retirement Planner: Benefits For You as a Spouse and Benefits for Spouses pages.
General Program Requirements
For you to qualify for spouse's retirement benefits, you must meet the conditions below:
- Be married to your spouse for at least one year or be the mother or father of their natural child.
- Be at least age 62, or under 62 and caring for the spouse’s child (under age 16 or disabled).
Other terms and conditions also apply.
Application Process
Visit the Information You Need to Apply for Spouse’s or Divorced Spouse’s Benefits – Form SSA-2 page for details on how to apply.
To find out what other Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits you may qualify for, use the SSA Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool (BEST) on Benefits.gov. When you complete the questionnaire, you get a list of benefits to review. You can print this page for your records.
When you know which benefits you may apply for, click Apply for Social Security Benefits to apply online. You can also call the phone numbers below to learn more about SSA benefits and how to apply.
Program Contact Information
Visit the Social Security Contact Us page for to see all of our contact options, and to learn about our online and special services. We also offer free interpreter services.
To learn more about Social Security, visit our Publications page or call us:
- 1-800-772-1213
- TTY 1-800-325-0778



