Social Security Spousal Benefits Could Be Headed for a Big Increase: What Married Retirees Need to Know
Spousal Social Security benefits have long been considered the lesser deal for married retirees, but a shift is coming that could change how much that monthly check is worth and whether working in retirement makes more financial sense than you…
This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.
Many people earn Social Security by working and paying taxes on their wages. Anyone who accumulates 40 work credits over their lifetime can qualify for retirement benefits, and up to four credits per calendar year can be earned. The value of a single credit changes annually, so the threshold rises modestly over time.
For those who do not qualify for Social Security on their own earnings record, spousal benefits offer an important alternative. Anyone married to a Social Security-eligible retiree can often claim on that spouse’s record. Eligible divorced spouses can access the same benefit, provided the marriage lasted at least ten years.
The structural limitation of spousal benefits is straightforward: they cap at 50% of the qualifying spouse’s full retirement age (FRA) benefit. Someone whose spouse qualifies for a $2,000 monthly benefit at FRA would receive a maximum spousal benefit of $1,000. Claiming before your own FRA will reduce that amount, and, unlike benefits earned on your own record, spousal benefits earn no delayed retirement credits past FRA. Workers who defer their own benefit past FRA receive an 8% annual boost up to age 70. Spousal claimants get no such reward for waiting beyond their FRA.
The good news is that Social Security spousal benefits appear headed for a meaningful increase in 2027. Here is why.
A generous COLA could push the average spousal check past $1,000
Social Security benefits are adjusted for inflation each year through a cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA. The SSA calculates the COLA by comparing the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) during the third quarter of the current year against the same quarter one year prior. The official 2027 COLA is scheduled for announcement on October 14, 2026, immediately after the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the September inflation report.
Heading into that announcement, independent forecasters have converged on a range of 3.5% to 3.6%. The Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan senior advocacy group, projects a 3.5% COLA for 2027, while AARP’s latest forecast sits at 3.6%. Either figure would represent the largest COLA in three years, comfortably above the 2.8% adjustment that took effect in January 2026 and the 2.5% increase that preceded it.
The average Social Security spousal benefit currently stands at about $987 per month. A 3.5% COLA would add roughly $34.50 to that figure, and a 3.6% adjustment would add about $35.50. In both scenarios, the typical spousal benefit would cross the $1,000 per month threshold for the first time, a milestone that carries real practical weight for retirees on fixed incomes.
Why spousal benefits alone are rarely enough
Spousal benefits can be essential for people without a strong earnings history, but they are modest by design. Building additional income streams through savings, investment accounts, or part-time work remains important for most retirees who rely on them.
Working in retirement creates a specific opportunity for spousal benefit recipients. Every year of additional earnings can update the wage history that underlies a potential benefit on your own record. If that personal benefit eventually exceeds the spousal benefit, Social Security pays the higher amount automatically. Someone with a $1,100 monthly benefit based on their own record would receive that amount rather than a $1,000 spousal benefit. The reverse is equally true: if the personal record yields a smaller figure, the spousal benefit applies. This dynamic gives part-time work in retirement a compounding advantage beyond the paycheck itself, since additional covered earnings could eventually translate into a permanently larger Social Security check.
Editor’s note: This article was updated to reflect the current average Social Security spousal benefit of approximately $987 per month based on SSA July 2026 program data, the confirmed 2026 COLA of 2.8%, and the latest 2027 COLA projections of 3.5% from The Senior Citizens League and 3.6% from AARP, with the official SSA announcement scheduled for October 14, 2026.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Maurie Backman has more than a decade of experience writing about financial topics, including retirement, investing, Social Security, and real estate. Her work has appeared on sites that include The Motley Fool, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, The Washington Post, and Kiplinger.
Prior to becoming a full-time financial writer, Maurie worked in the financial industry trading distressed debt. She then changed course and spent a few years designing electronic toys. After a stint in content marketing and UX, she shifted back into writing and has since covered everything from the housing market to estate planning to Medicare.
When she's not busy writing, Maurie can be found hiking, walking her dogs, driving her kids to their various sports practices and games, and curling up with a good book. She cooks on occasion and bakes way too often.
