Core Points - Social Security primarily provides retirement benefits, intended to replace approximately 40% of income for retirees [1] - Additional benefits include spousal benefits, which can be crucial for individuals who earned less than their spouses during their careers [2] Spousal Benefits - Spousal benefits are available to married individuals and can also be claimed after a divorce if the marriage lasted at least 10 years [5] - Individuals who are divorced have an advantage in claiming spousal benefits, as they do not need to wait for their ex-spouse to claim their own benefits [7][9] - Married individuals must wait until their higher-earning spouse claims their retirement benefits before they can start receiving spousal benefits [8][10]