Social Security isn't only for the person who earned the work credits — spouses and survivors can qualify for benefits based on someone else's earnings record, under two related but distinct sets of rules. * Spousal benefits apply while both people are alive: a spouse can receive up to 50% of their partner's full retirement benefit, generally starting at age 62, or earlier if they're caring for the worker's qualifying child. Divorced spouses aren't automatically excluded — if the marriage lasted 10 years or more, an ex-spouse is entitled to a spousal benefit on the same terms as a current spouse, and claiming it doesn't reduce what the ex-spouse who actually worked receives. * Survivor benefits kick in after a spouse has died, and the eligibility rules shift. A surviving spouse generally qualifies starting at age 60 — or age 50 if they're disabled — and must have been married to the deceased worker for at least 9 months, with limited exceptions. The deceased worker also has to have been "fully insured," meaning they earned at least 40 work credits, typically about 10 years of covered employment. * Survivor benefit amounts scale with the age you claim: they range from about 71.5% of the deceased worker's benefit if claimed at the earliest age, up to 100% if you wait until your own survivor full retirement age or later. * One practical note: unlike most Social Security applications, survivor benefits can't be filed online. You have to apply by phone or in person at a Social Security field office.