Spousal Social Security Benefits: Understanding Eligibility Requirements
The amount someone receives in Social Security benefits is based largely on their career earnings. The more someone makes, the more they can expect in benefits, up to a certain point. However, one problem with tying career earnings to Social Security is that there are plenty of people who don't work for various reasons (including parenting and health), or who have a limited work history.
To help in such cases, Social Security offers spousal benefits, which allow someone to claim benefits based on their partner's work history. This is a great benefit for couples where one spouse doesn't work, or where one spouse considerably outearns the other.
As of the end of July, over 2 million people are receiving spousal benefits, so it's clear that this benefit has worked out in many people's favor. If claiming spousal benefits sounds like something that could be beneficial based on your personal situation, read on to see who qualifies.
Source Fool.com
