What a married couple actually receives

The spousal top-up figured the way Social Security figures it — not the "we pay the larger of the two" shorthand — and what the one who outlives the other is left with.

Your date of birth

Your full benefit Your monthly amount at your full retirement age. Nothing you type here leaves your browser.

Spouse's date of birth

Spouse's full benefit From their own statement (ssa.gov/myaccount). These four fields are pre-filled with an example, so you can see how it works before looking anything up.

What this covers

Retirement, spousal, and survivor benefits for a currently married couple. It does not cover divorced-spouse benefits, benefits for a child or a parent caring for one, the earnings test if either of you works before full retirement age, benefits reduced by a government pension, or the family maximum — which does not bind on a couple alone, but can once a third person claims on the same record.

Where these figures come from

Also on this site: the single-person calculator with every claiming age from 62 to 70, the required withdrawal (RMD) calculator, the Roth conversion calculator, your retirement timeline, and why the 1959 birth year has two answers.

Estimates and general information only — not tax, investment, or financial advice, and not a substitute for your own tax professional. Not affiliated with the Social Security Administration, the IRS, or any government agency. Nothing you type here leaves your browser. Figures assume no future cost-of-living increases and no change in the law.