Did you know your spouse’s benefit amount could be up to 50 percent of your spouse’s full retirement age benefit amount?

If you qualify for a retirement benefit from your own work history and a spouse’s record, we always pay your own benefit first. You cannot receive spouse’s benefits unless your spouse is receiving their retirement benefits (except for divorced spouses).

If you receive your retirement benefit before your full retirement age, while waiting for your spouse to reach full retirement age, your own retirement portion will be reduced.

When you add your spouse’s benefits later, the total retirement and spouse’s benefit together will be no more than 50 percent of the worker’s amount. You can find out more about this at www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/applying7.html.

Knowing about these benefits can help you plan your financial future. Access a wealth of useful information on our retirement portal at www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement.

Jeri Fields is the manager of the district Social Security office in Ironton.