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Projections by Beneficiary Type
- Divorced Spousal
Beneficiaries - Early Eligibility
Age Beneficiaries - Spousal-Only
Beneficiaries - Survivor-Only
Beneficiaries - Women & Dual
Entitlement
Spousal-Only Beneficiaries in 2050
Methodology »Released: August 2021
Next expected update: 2024
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 spouses' monthly benefit.
In 2050, we project that:
- Almost 3 percent of all beneficiaries aged 62 or older will be spousal only and about three-fourths of spousal-only beneficiaries aged 62 or older will be women.
- The poverty rate will be lower 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
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Characteristic | Spousal-only beneficiaries aged 62 or older | Beneficiaries aged 62 or older |
---|---|---|
Number of beneficiaries | 2.3 million | 82.3 million |
Women | 76% | 53% |
Race/ethnicity | ||
White | 39% | 63% |
Black | 5% | 10% |
All other races | 19% | 8% |
Hispanic origin | 38% | 19% |
Below 100% of the poverty threshold | ||
Scheduled benefits | 2% | 4% |
Payable benefits | 3% | 7% |
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Lifetime shared earnings quintile | Percentage of spousal-only beneficiaries aged 62 or older in quintile |
---|---|
Lowest | 66 |
Second lowest | 14 |
Middle | 7 |
Second highest | 7 |
Highest | 5 |
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Lifetime shared earnings quintile | Spousal-only beneficiaries aged 62 or older | Beneficiaries aged 62 or older |
---|---|---|
Lowest | 12 | 85 |
Second lowest | 17 | 147 |
Middle | 22 | 169 |
Second highest | 25 | 179 |
Highest | 24 | 191 |
a. To be fully insured for Social Security retirement benefits, a worker must have at least 10 years (or 40 credits) of earnings.
SOURCE: Modeling Income in the Near Term, Version 8 (MINT8) microsimulation model using 2019 Trustees Report intermediate assumptions.