# SSR 62-21: SSR 62-21. WIFE'S INSURANCE BENEFIT -- BENEFIT AMOUNT WHERE HUSBAND'S OLD-AGE INSURANCE BENEFIT IS REDUCED > Federal · Rulings · In force URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SSA_SSR_OASI_SSR_62_21 ## Section - **Citation:** SSR 62-21 - **Heading:** SSR 62-21. WIFE'S INSURANCE BENEFIT -- BENEFIT AMOUNT WHERE HUSBAND'S OLD-AGE INSURANCE BENEFIT IS REDUCED - **Jurisdiction:** Federal - **Kind:** Rulings - **Status:** In force - **Text as of:** August 14, 2026 - **Source:** Compiled text - **Location:** Social Security Rulings / OASI / Wife's Insurance Benefits / SSR 62-21 ## Text H, a fully insured worker, who was born January 23, 1898, filed application for old-age insurance benefits in July 1961. His wife, W, age 66, filed application for wife's insurance benefits on his earnings record at the same time. Under the Social Security Amendments of 1961, a man who is fully insured can become entitled to old-age insurance benefits at age 62. However, August 1961 is the first month for which a man under age 65 can become entitled to such benefits. Accordingly, H became entitled to benefits beginning August 1961. H's primary insurance amount, based on his average earnings, was $87, which would be the amount of his old-age insurance benefit if he were age 65 or over in the first month for which he was entitled to benefits. However, since the first month of his entitlement is 17 months before the month in which he would attain age 65, his old-age insurance benefit was reduced to $78.80 under section 202(q) of the Act. To become entitled to wife's insurance benefits under section 202(b) of the Act, W must (in addition to certain other requirements, all of which were met when she filed application in July 1961) be the wife of a man entitled to old-age or disability insurance benefits. Since August 1961 is the first month for which H was entitled to benefits, W became entitled to wife's insurance benefits beginning that month. It remains to determine the amount of the wife's insurance benefit to which W is entitled. Under section 202(b)(2) of the Act, a wife's insurance benefit is equal to one-half of her husband's primary insurance amount, except as provided in section 202(q). The latter section requires reduction of a wife's insurance benefit where a woman elects to become entitled to such benefits beginning with a month in which she is under age 65 and does not have in her care a child of the worker entitled to child's insurance benefits. s insurance benefit is equal to one-half of her husband's primary insurance amount, except as provided in section 202(q). The latter section requires reduction of a wife's insurance benefit where a woman elects to become entitled to such benefits beginning with a month in which she is under age 65 and does not have in her care a child of the worker entitled to child's insurance benefits. In the present case since H's primary insurance amount was $87, W's wife's insurance benefit unreduced is one-half of this amount, or $43.50. This is so even though H's old-age insurance benefit was reduced, since a wife's insurance benefit is based on her husband's primary insurance amount and not on the amount of his old-age insurance benefit. Moreover, since W was not under age 65 in the first month of her entitlement to benefits, no reduction of her benefit is required under section 202(q). Accordingly, it is held that W is entitled to a monthly wife's insurance benefit of $43.50 beginning August 1961. ## Nearby sections - [SSR 62-21 SSR 62-21. WIFE'S INSURANCE BENEFIT -- BENEFIT AMOUNT WHERE HUSBAND'S OLD-AGE INSURANCE BENEFIT IS REDUCED](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SSA_SSR_OASI_SSR_62_21.md) - [SSR 62-57 SSR 62-57. RELATIONSHIP REQUIREMENTS FOR WIFE'S INSURANCE BENEFITS](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SSA_SSR_OASI_SSR_62_57.md) - [SSR 63-1 SSR 63-1: SECTION 202(b). -- WIFE'S INSURANCE BENEFITS -- IN HER CARE -- CHILD OVER 18 YEARS OF AGE](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SSA_SSR_OASI_SSR_63_1.md) - [SSR 64-16 SSR 64-16: SECTION 202(b). -- WIFE'S INSURANCE BENEFITS -- BENEFIT AMOUNT WHERE WIFE UNDER 65 IS ENTITLED TO DISABILITY INSURANCE BENEFITS](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SSA_SSR_OASI_SSR_64_16.md) - [SSR 66-1 SSR 66-1: SECTION 202(b). -- TERMINATION OF MARRIAGE -- PURPORTED FOREIGN DIVORCE -- DOMICILE](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SSA_SSR_OASI_SSR_66_1.md) - [SSR 67-10c SSR 67-10c: SECTIONS 202(b) and 216(h)(1)(A). -- RELATIONSHIP -- VALIDITY OF DIVORCE -- DOMICILE OF THE WORKER](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SSA_SSR_OASI_SSR_67_10c.md) - [SSR 67-58 SSR 67-58: SECTIONS 202(b)(1), 216(b)(2), and 216(h)(1)(B). -- WIFE'S INSURANCE BENEFITS -- ENTITLEMENT OF DEEMED SPOUSE UPON DIVORCE OF LEGAL SPOUSE -- ONE-YEAR DURATION-OF-MARRIAGE REQUIREMENT](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SSA_SSR_OASI_SSR_67_58.md) - [SSR 68-1 SSR 68-1: SECTIONS 202(b)(1) 202(q). -- WIFE'S INSURANCE BENEFITS -- REENTITLEMENT OF DIVORCED WIFE -- AMOUNT OF BENEFIT REDUCTION BEFORE AND AFTER AGE 65](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SSA_SSR_OASI_SSR_68_1.md) - [SSR 68-2 SSR 68-2: SECTION 202(b)(1)(H). -- RELATIONSHIP -- VALIDITY OF DIVORCE -- MISNOMER OF PARTIES](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SSA_SSR_OASI_SSR_68_2.md) - [SSR 68-28 SSR 68-28: Rescinded 1978](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SSA_SSR_OASI_SSR_68_28.md) - [SSR 68-41 SSR 68-41: Rescinded 1978](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SSA_SSR_OASI_SSR_68_41.md) - [SSR 69-1 SSR 69-1: SECTIONS 202(b)(1), 216(d)(1), and 216(d)(4). -- WIFE'S INSURANCE BENEFITS -- DIVORCED WIFE -- "DIVORCE A VINCULO MATRIMONII"](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SSA_SSR_OASI_SSR_69_1.md) - [SSR 69-2 SSR 69-2: Rescinded 1978](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SSA_SSR_OASI_SSR_69_2.md) - [SSR 69-13 SSR 69-13: SECTIONS 202(a), 202(b), 202(k), and 202(q). -- WIFE'S INSURANCE BENEFIT -- SIMULTANEOUS ENTITLEMENT OF WIFE TO OLD-AGE INSURANCE BENEFITS -- BENEFIT AMOUNT](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SSA_SSR_OASI_SSR_69_13.md) --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/SSA_SSR_OASI_SSR_62_21. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.