Current Law Projections
- Early Eligibility
Age Beneficiaries
in 2050
Oldest Old
in 2050- Scheduled
vs. Payable
Benefits - Spousal-Only
Beneficiaries
in 2050 - Survivor-Only
Beneficiaries
in 2050 - Women & Dual
Entitlement,
2025–2080 - Why Will
Poverty Decline
for Beneficiaries?
Spousal-Only Beneficiaries in 2050
Released: October 2012Next expected update: Spring 2014
DEFINITION: Spousal-only beneficiaries are individuals who did not work at all or enough to qualify for Social Security retirement benefits on their own earnings records, but do qualify for one-half of their spouse's monthly benefit.
In 2050, we project that:
- One percent of all beneficiaries aged 62 or older will be spousal only and more than three-fourths of spousal-only beneficiaries aged 62 or older will be women.
- The poverty rate will be higher for spousal-only beneficiaries compared with all beneficiaries aged 62 or older.
- Spousal-only beneficiaries will be disproportionately in low-earning households.
- Spousal-only beneficiaries will earn some credits by 2050, but not enough to qualify for benefits on their own records.a
Lifetime Shared Earnings
Percentage of spousal-only beneficiaries aged 62 or older in quintile
a. To be fully insured for Social Security retirement benefits, a worker must have 10 years (or 40 credits) of earnings.
SOURCE: Modeling Income in the Near Term, Version 6 (MINT6) microsimulation model using 2011 Trustees Report intermediate assumptions.