Married couples approaching retirement face one of the most consequential financial decisions of their lives when choosing how to claim Social Security benefits.
The question of whether a lower-earning spouse should claim their own benefit early or wait for a spousal benefit trips up millions of Americans every year.
A spouse can begin claiming Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62, though doing so comes with a permanent reduction in monthly payments.
Someone turning 62 in 2026 who claims a spousal benefit immediately would receive roughly 32.5% of their partner’s full retirement benefit, rather than the maximum 50%.
That maximum spousal benefit of 50% is only available to those who wait until their own full retirement age before filing a claim.
Unlike standard retirement benefits, spousal benefits do not accumulate so-called delayed retirement credits, meaning there is no financial reward for waiting past full retirement age to claim them.
For a spouse with a modest earned benefit of around $900 per month, the calculus becomes especially important, since claiming early locks in that reduced amount permanently.
If a spouse has their own earned Social Security record, they generally receive whichever amount is higher — their own benefit or the spousal benefit — but not both simultaneously.
This rule makes early claiming particularly risky for lower earners, since switching to a spousal benefit later could be worth significantly more in monthly income.
Delaying benefits for the higher earner in a couple is widely considered a strong strategy, because it not only increases that person’s monthly check but also raises the survivor benefit available to the other spouse.
If the higher-earning partner dies first, the surviving spouse steps into that larger benefit, making the higher earner’s claiming decision a form of longevity insurance for both people.
Financial planners often recommend that couples model multiple claiming scenarios, accounting for each partner’s health, life expectancy, and overall retirement income needs before making any decision.
The break-even analysis for delaying Social Security typically shows that waiting pays off for those who live into their mid-to-late 80s, which is increasingly common for women.
For couples where one spouse has a significantly larger earnings record, coordinating claim dates strategically can add tens of thousands of dollars in lifetime benefits.
Anyone navigating this decision should consider consulting a fee-only financial advisor or using Social Security Administration tools to model their specific situation before filing.
