You need a work history to collect Social Security yourself, but family members may collect on your record even if they never worked

Social Security is not automatic. To collect retirement benefits on your own record, you must have worked and paid Social Security taxes for at least 10 years (40 quarters). You do not need those 10 years to be recent — work you did decades ago counts. If you have not reached that threshold, you cannot collect retirement benefits under your own name, though you may be able to collect as a spouse or family member on someone else's record.

Family members can collect on your work record even if they have never worked themselves. A spouse, ex-spouse, child, or parent may be able to receive benefits based on your earnings history. Each category has its own age and relationship rules. The total amount paid to your whole family is capped at a percentage of your own benefit — typically 150 to 180 percent — so adding family members does not increase your total payout, only divides it among more people.

Key Takeaways

  • You must have worked and paid Social Security taxes for at least 10 years to collect retirement benefits on your own record.
  • A spouse can collect at their full retirement age, or at a reduced rate as early as age 62, even if they never worked.
  • An ex-spouse can collect on your record if the marriage lasted at least 10 years and they are at least 62, without affecting your own benefit.
  • Children under 19 (or 23 if in high school full-time) can collect on a parent's record, and disabled adult children can collect at any age.
  • If you die, your surviving spouse, children, and parents may collect survivor benefits based on your work history.

Retirement benefits on your own work record

To collect retirement benefits, you need 40 credits earned through work and Social Security tax payments. You earn up to 4 credits per year, so 40 credits typically takes 10 years of work. The work does not have to be continuous — gaps are fine as long as you reach 40 credits total by the time you claim.

You can claim as early as age 62, but your monthly payment will be permanently reduced — roughly 30 percent less than if you waited until your full retirement age. Full retirement age ranges from 66 to 67 depending on your birth year. If you delay claiming past your full retirement age, your benefit grows by about 8 percent per year until age 70, when growth stops. Most people break even financially around age 80 or 81 if they wait until 70 to claim instead of claiming at 62.

Self-employed people and wage earners both pay into Social Security the same way — through payroll taxes or self-employment tax — so self-employment counts toward the 40-credit requirement. Government workers who did not pay Social Security taxes on some of their earnings may have their benefits reduced under rules called the Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision.

Spousal benefits

A current spouse can collect up to 50 percent of your full retirement age benefit, even if they have never worked. They must be at least 62 years old, or any age if they are caring for a child under 16 on your record. If they claim before their own full retirement age, the payment is reduced — claiming at 62 means roughly 32 to 35 percent of your benefit instead of 50 percent.

A spouse's benefit does not reduce your own payment. You receive your full amount, and they receive theirs separately. However, the total paid to both of you combined cannot exceed the family maximum, which is usually 150 to 180 percent of your primary insurance amount. If you have other family members collecting on your record, a spouse's payment may be reduced to stay within that cap.

If your spouse has their own work record, Social Security pays their own retirement benefit first. If a spousal benefit would be higher, they receive a combination of the two — but only up to what the spousal benefit would have been. This rule applies only to people born before January 2, 1954.

Ex-spouse benefits

An ex-spouse can collect on your record if the marriage lasted at least 10 years and they are at least 62 years old. They do not need your permission, and collecting does not reduce your benefit or your current spouse's benefit. You do not even need to be retired yourself — your ex can claim on your record once you reach 62, even if you are still working and have not claimed yet.

An ex-spouse can receive up to 50 percent of your full retirement age benefit if they wait until their own full retirement age to claim. If they claim at 62, the payment is reduced to roughly 32 to 35 percent. If your ex remarries, they lose the ability to collect on your record unless the new marriage ends.

If you have been divorced more than 2 years, your ex can claim on your record without you having claimed first. If it has been less than 2 years since the divorce, you must have already claimed on your own record before they can claim on yours.

Benefits for children and grandchildren

Unmarried children can collect on your record if they are under 19, or under 23 if they are full-time high school students. A child who became disabled before age 22 can collect at any age, for as long as the disability continues. Adopted children and stepchildren usually may have access to the same way as biological children. Grandchildren may collect if they meet specific conditions — usually that you were providing at least half their support and a parent is deceased or disabled.

Each child receives a percentage of your primary insurance amount. The exact amount depends on how many family members are collecting on your record and the family maximum. If you have three children collecting, each might receive 15 to 20 percent of your benefit, for example. When a child reaches 19 (or 23 if still in high school), their payments stop unless they are disabled.

A child's benefit does not reduce your own payment. However, like spousal benefits, all family members combined cannot receive more than the family maximum. If you have a spouse and three children all collecting, the total to all of them together is capped, and each person's share may be reduced.

Survivor benefits for family members after death

When you die, your family may collect survivor benefits based on your work record. A widow or widower can collect at age 60 (or 50 if disabled), or at any age if caring for a child under 16. A surviving spouse who waits until their full retirement age receives 100 percent of what you were receiving or may have access to to receive; claiming earlier reduces the payment.

Unmarried children under 19 (or 23 if in high school full-time) can collect survivor benefits. A child who is disabled can collect at any age. A parent age 62 or older can collect if you were providing at least half their support. Divorced spouses and ex-spouses may also collect survivor benefits under similar rules to retirement benefits.

The total paid to all survivors combined is capped at the family maximum, usually 150 to 180 percent of your primary insurance amount. Survivor benefits are often higher than retirement benefits because they are calculated differently — they are based on what you would have received if you had lived to your full retirement age, not on what you actually claimed.

Non-citizen spouses and family members

Non-citizens can collect Social Security benefits on a family member's record if they meet the relationship and age requirements. However, they must have a valid Social Security number and meet specific residency rules. Most non-citizens who live outside the United States can still collect, but some countries have agreements that affect payment — Social Security can tell you whether your country is affected.

A non-citizen spouse or ex-spouse must be at least 62 to collect. A non-citizen child can collect under the same age rules as a citizen child. If a non-citizen leaves the United States, payments may continue depending on the country and the type of benefit, but the rules are complex and vary by situation. Contact Social Security directly to learn how residency and citizenship affect your specific case.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I worked for the government and did not pay Social Security taxes?

Government employees who did not pay Social Security taxes on some earnings may have their benefits reduced under the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). WEP reduces your own retirement benefit; GPO reduces spousal and survivor benefits. The reduction is not automatic — it applies only if you also receive a government pension. Social Security can calculate the exact reduction for your situation.

Can I collect on my spouse's record and then switch to my own later?

The rules for switching benefits changed in 2015. If you were born January 2, 1954 or later, you cannot claim spousal benefits first and then switch to your own higher benefit at 70. You must claim one benefit or the other, and that choice is permanent. If you were born before January 2, 1954, you may have more flexibility — contact Social Security to discuss your options.

Do I lose my ex-spouse's benefits if they remarry?

No. Your ex-spouse's remarriage does not affect your benefits. However, your ex-spouse loses the ability to collect on your record if they remarry, unless the new marriage ends by death or divorce. They can then collect on your record again.

Can a child collect on both parents' records?

A child can collect on only one parent's record at a time. If both parents are receiving Social Security, the child typically collects on the parent with the higher benefit. If one parent dies, the child may switch to the survivor benefit on that parent's record if it is higher.

What happens to my family's benefits if I go back to work after claiming?

If you claim before your full retirement age and earn income above a certain limit, Social Security reduces your benefit — currently $1 in benefits for every $2 earned above the limit. Your family members' benefits may also be reduced. Once you reach your full retirement age, there is no earnings limit and no reduction, no matter how much you earn.