Updated October 18, 2026. Quick answer: Form SSA-2 is the Application for Wife’s or Husband’s Insurance Benefits, issued as SSA-2-BK. A spouse can get up to 50% of the worker’s full benefit at full retirement age and about 32.5% at 62 when full retirement age is 67. Anyone born on or after January 2, 1954 who is eligible for both retirement and spouse’s benefits must apply for both.
Related reading on this site: Form SSA-3, the marriage certification and Form SSA-25 for a reduced spouse’s benefit.
Quick reference
| Item | As stated by Social Security (retirement booklet, 2026) |
|---|---|
| What the form is | Application for wife’s or husband’s insurance benefits |
| Amount at full retirement age | Up to 50% of the worker’s unreduced benefit |
| Amount at age 62 if full retirement age is 67 | 32.5% |
| Deemed filing | Applies if born on or after January 2, 1954 |
| Current spouse timing | Cannot receive until the worker files for retirement |
What the form is
The form is titled “APPLICATION FOR WIFE’S OR HUSBAND’S INSURANCE BENEFITS”. It opens with the same all-benefits wording as the retirement application and the same supplement note: someone who has already completed the retirement application needs only the circled items. It is catalogued by Social Security as SSA-2-BK, and this page uses SSA-2 as the short name.
Item 1 asks for the worker’s name and number, and item 11 for marriage details, including the divorce and any remarriage if you are filing as a divorced spouse.
How much a spouse can get
The retirement booklet says “Spouses who never worked or have low earnings can get up to half of a retired worker’s full benefits.” Early claiming reduces it: “For example, if full retirement age is 67, a spouse can get 32.5% of the worker’s unreduced benefit at age 62.” “The benefit increases the longer you wait to receive benefits, up to the maximum of 50% at full retirement age.”
Delay does not raise it past that point. See why delaying does not raise the spousal benefit. If you have your own record too, “we always pay your own benefits first.”
Deemed filing and the worker’s timing
The booklet says “If you were born on or after January 2, 1954 and are eligible for both retirement and spouse’s (or divorced spouse’s) benefits, you must apply for both benefits.” It calls this deemed filing, and adds “You must file for spouse’s benefits when your spouse files their retirement claim.”
A current spouse is limited: “Your current spouse can’t get spouse’s benefits until you file for retirement benefits.” Our married couple calculator models the timing.
Divorced spouses and the earnings questions
For a divorced spouse the booklet says “Your divorced spouse can receive benefits on your Social Security record if the marriage lasted at least 10 years. Your divorced spouse must be 62 or older and unmarried.” It adds “You both must be at least 62 and divorced at least two continuous years.” when the worker has not yet filed. A spouse caring for a child under 16 or with a disability can get full benefits regardless of age.
As with the retirement form, the questions ask about last year’s, this year’s and next year’s earnings and exempt months, and item 17 offers the same three start-month choices. See Form SSA-1-BK.
The edition read for this page is Form SSA-2-BK (01-2026) as the agency served it on 2026-10-18. Check the edition printed on the copy you send, because a later edition can change the questions, the mailing instructions and the evidence asked for.
Common mistakes
- Expecting a current spouse to collect before the worker files for retirement. The booklet says they can’t.
- Expecting delay past full retirement age to raise a spousal benefit. The booklet’s maximum is 50% at full retirement age.
- Missing deemed filing if you were born on or after January 2, 1954. The booklet says you must apply for both benefits.
- Assuming a divorced spouse qualifies without a 10 year marriage, age 62 and being unmarried.
Related: Form SSA-1-BK, the married couple claiming calculator, why delay does not raise a spousal benefit, and Social Security and Medicare forms.
Sources
- Form SSA-2-BK (01-2026), Application for Wife’s or Husband’s Insurance Benefits: https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-2-bk.pdf
- SSA Publication 05-10035 (2026), Retirement Benefits: https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10035.pdf
Read from the Social Security Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services documents linked above on October 18, 2026. General information, not legal or benefits advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 is the right place to confirm anything consequential.