Social Security claiming strategies for couples: How to maximize benefits and create more retirement income

Start with what Social Security is designed to do: provide retirement income based on your work history. You can generally begin retirement benefits as early as age 62. To qualify for your own benefit, you typically need 40 work credits, or about 10 years of work covered by Social Security.

Your retirement benefit is based on your 35 highest-earning years, adjusted for inflation. If you worked fewer than 35 years, years with no covered earnings may be counted as zeros. The amount you receive also depends on when you start benefits.

The best age to file for Social Security can depend on your situation. Full retirement age—the age when you can receive your full retirement benefit—depends on the year you were born. Claim before then, and your monthly benefit is generally reduced for life. Wait past full retirement age, and your own retirement benefit can grow through delayed retirement credits, up to age 70.

Couples may also have spousal and survivor benefits to think through. Depending on your situation, a spouse may qualify for a benefit based on their own work record, their spouse’s work record, or a combination of both. A spousal benefit can be up to 50% of the worker’s full retirement age benefit. Delayed retirement credits after full retirement age don’t increase the spousal benefit.

Survivor benefits follow different rules. A surviving spouse may be eligible for benefits based on the deceased spouse’s earnings record. For many couples, that makes the higher earner’s claiming age especially important.

There’s no universal best Social Security claiming strategy for couples. The right approach depends on your ages, earning histories, health, and retirement goals. These three common strategies can help you compare the tradeoffs:

Strategy 1: Both spouses delay benefits for higher monthly income later
If you can afford to wait, delaying benefits can help increase monthly income later. Waiting until full retirement age—or as late as age 70—can increase each spouse’s own retirement benefit. If the higher earner delays, it may also help increase the survivor benefit available to the other spouse.

This approach may be a fit if you have other income to use early in retirement, expect retirement to last many years, or want more predictable income later in life.

Strategy 2: Both spouses claim early
Claiming early can make sense when you need income sooner, have limited savings, or have health concerns that could affect how long you expect to receive benefits. It may also be appealing if you want to reduce the amount you withdraw from savings in the early years of retirement.

The tradeoff? Claiming before full retirement age generally means a lower monthly benefit for life. If one or both of you live a long time, that lower benefit could reduce your household income later—and may affect what’s available to a surviving spouse.

Strategy 3: One spouse claims early while the other delays
A split strategy can help balance income now with income later. One spouse claims earlier to bring in money sooner, while the other waits so their benefit can continue to grow.

This can be especially useful when one spouse earned more, one spouse is still working, or you’re trying to cover near-term expenses without giving up the chance for a higher benefit later.

Begin with your income needs. When do you need Social Security to start? How much income will you need each month? Will it help cover essentials, or will it be extra income on top of savings and other sources?

Then look at what you can use before claiming. If savings, a pension, part-time work, or other income can cover the gap, you may have more flexibility to delay one or both benefits.

No one can predict how long retirement will last. Your health, family history, and personal expectations can help guide the conversation. If you expect a longer retirement, delaying could provide more value over time. If health concerns are part of the picture, claiming earlier may be worth considering.

Social Security is based on individual work records, but the decision often affects both people. If one spouse earned much more, delaying that higher benefit may help protect the surviving spouse’s income later. An age gap can matter, too, because one spouse may rely on survivor benefits for many years.

Workplace retirement plans (including pensions), IRAs, personal savings, annuities, and other income sources can all shape when you claim. In general, the more income options you have, the more flexibility you may have with Social Security.

Match your strategy to your retirement priorities
Once you’ve looked at the numbers, connect the decision back to what matters most to you:

• If you need income soon, claiming earlier may help.
• If you want a higher monthly benefit later, delaying may help.
• If protecting a surviving spouse is a priority, look closely at the higher earner’s claiming age.
• If confidence and flexibility matter most, consider how Social Security works with the rest of your income plan.

There’s a lot to weigh, but you don’t have to decide all at once. Start by reviewing your estimated benefits at different claiming ages. Then talk through the tradeoffs together, especially if one of you earned more or one of you may depend on survivor benefits later.

A financial professional or tax advisor can also help you see how Social Security fits with retirement account withdrawals, taxes, healthcare costs, and other income sources. The goal: Choose a claiming strategy that supports your income needs now and later.