Social Security Benefits Basics

Last updated 5/12/2026

Claiming age changes your benefit permanently

You can claim Social Security retirement benefits as early as 62, but your monthly amount is reduced for every month before your full retirement age. Waiting until 70 increases it. This is one of the few financial decisions where the “right” answer depends heavily on your health and family longevity, not just the math.

Spousal benefits

A spouse can claim up to 50% of the higher earner’s full benefit, even with little or no work history of their own. This doesn’t reduce the higher earner’s benefit — it’s a separate calculation.

Survivor benefits

When one spouse dies, the surviving spouse can step up to the deceased spouse’s benefit amount if it’s higher than their own. This is why claiming strategy for a couple should be planned together, not decided separately.

How this fits into an estate plan

Social Security isn’t an asset that passes through a will, but the timing of benefits affects how much other savings a surviving spouse needs to draw down — which in turn affects how much you should plan to leave through other means.