Ex-Spouse Benefits and You
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: March 28, 2022
No doubt about it — thinking of an ex-spouse can be emotional. And, if your finances have changed for the worse since the breakup, even more emotions can surface.
We have news that may relieve some of your stress.
If you are age 62, unmarried, and divorced from someone entitled to Social Security retirement or disability benefits, you may be eligible to receive benefits based on their record.
There are other rules, of course. You must have been married to your ex-spouse for 10 years or more. If you’ve remarried, you can’t collect benefits on your former spouse’s record unless your later marriage ended by annulment, divorce, or death. Also, if you’re entitled to benefits on your own record, your benefit amount must be less than you would receive based on your ex-spouse’s work. In other words, we’ll pay the higher of the two benefits for which you’re eligible, but not both.
You can apply for benefits on your former spouse’s record even if they have not retired, as long as you have been divorced at least two years before applying.
After you reach full retirement age, you can elect to receive only the divorced spouse benefits and delay benefits on your own record, which may mean a higher monthly amount for you.
If you were born before January 2, 1954 and reach full retirement age, you can elect to receive only the divorced spouse benefits and delay benefits on your own record. This may mean a higher monthly amount for you.
The same rules apply for a deceased former spouse. The amount of benefits you get has no effect on the benefits your ex-spouse or their current spouse receives. If your ex-spouse died after you divorced, you can still qualify for widow’s benefits.
Our Benefits Planner gives you an idea of your monthly benefit amount. If your ex-spouse died after you divorced, you can still qualify for widow’s benefits. Visit Retirement Planner: If You Are Divorced to find all the eligibility requirements you must meet to apply as a divorced spouse.
We hope this news adds some joy to the range of emotions you feel when thinking of your “Ex”!
Did you find this Information helpful?
Tags: Disability, full retirement age, General Information, retirement, social security disability benefits, survivors benefits
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Doug Walker, Deputy Commissioner, Communications
Deputy Commissioner, Office of Communications
Comments
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Alycia G.
My ex and I were married nearly 20 yrs. He is 86 and I am 78. I need to know if filing on his ss would be a greater amount than what I now get filing on my own .alycia ghrist
Anne S.
I cannot find how to apply online for my ex spouse social security benefits. Started an application under my name but never found a field for that option or any forms . I would like to claim my half of his SS Benefits . I am 66 years old and need help filing.
How do I find the forms for this specific operation ?
A.C.
Hi, Anne. Thanks for your question. To be eligible for divorced spouse benefits, you had to be married to your former spouse for at least 10 years and you cannot be eligible for a higher benefit on your own record. For more information and how to apply for divorced spouse benefits, visit our Benefits Planner: If You Are Divorced. For specific questions, you can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. Generally, you will have a shorter wait if you call later in the day. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
aytac a.
if ex-spouse is not a American citizen or not a resident and lives at UK as a Uk citizen what should we do at retirement application
L.A.
Hi Aytac. Please contact the nearest Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) to discuss the case. We hope this helps.
orenzo g.
do i hve to pay taxes on us social security in germany
JUDY
Hi everyone, My husband who has left me for 7 months because of his new found mistress is back, We have been married for 14 years with 3 beautiful kids. I love my husband so much but I could not stop him. I need our marriage to work, I have read countless books on how to please your husband but none worked.
I suffered alone with our kids until someone tweet on twitter about how she got his cheating boyfriend back and now they are married. I contacted her on twitter and she told me that I should give(w w w .love solution temple. c o m) a chance to help me bring back my husband using spell casting. I am not a fan of things like that but just for the sake of my marriage to work, and I also do not want to raise our kids in a broken hope home as a single mother. I used the spell service to bring back my husband. I wrote to the love solution temple to seek for help on how to release my husband from the charms of the other woman.
I could not believe it when I saw my husband back with his parents to beg me. This was the next day after the spell has being done. My husband Peter was crying on my feet begging me to please forgive him for abandoning our family.
From that very point I knew the spell was working. This same temple has don the same thing for my best friend who has being divorced for 2 years, but now she is happy with husband because she used same love spell to bring back her ex husband. This temple is the greatest solution temple on earth. I am happy I got my life back on track and everyone is happily living together in love just like the way it was before that witch appeared in our marriage.
PLEASE: Join the spaced words in the brackets above together to get the correct spelling to Love solution.
Susan C.
I am a divorced spouse who was married for almost 14 years. I have not remarried, though I had 2 relationships which looked as if they may head that way. In fact, I lived with one male for over 3 years on an off-and-on basis.
My divorce occurred in 2006, which was well over 2 years ago.
I am now 62 and my ex-spouse is about to turn 64. So neither of us are of our respective retirement ages.
I have two questions re this general issue:
1) If my ex-spouse remarries, could I still claim social security benefits based on his highest years’ of salary?
2) If I relocate to another nation, would these spousal social security benefits be affected in any way?
Thank you very much for this article. It does cast some light onto the state of being middle-aged and single.
Sincerely,
Susan C. Dihle
suedihle@gmail.com
L.A.
Hi Susan. Thank you for your question. To be eligible for divorced spouse benefits, you had to be married to your former spouse for at least 10 years, you have to be age 62, and you cannot be eligible for a higher benefit on your own record. For more information on how to qualify for divorced spouse benefits, visit our Benefits Planner: If You Are Divorced. For information about Social Security benefit payments outside the U.S., please read our publication titled “Your Payments While You Are Outside Of The United States.” For specific questions about your case, please contact us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. We hope this helps.
Connie M.
I have changed my phone number. How do I get the change to Social Security?
L.A.
Hi Connie. Good news! You can change your telephone number online by creating a personal my Social Security account. You can also update your telephone number by calling our toll free number at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778, Monday through Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Generally, you’ll have a shorter wait time if you call later in the week. We hope this helps.
JUDY
I suffered alone with our kids until someone tweet on twitter about how she got his cheating boyfriend back and now they are married. I contacted her on twitter and she told me that I should give(w w w .love solution temple. c o m) a chance to help me bring back my husband using spell casting. I am not a fan of things like that but just for the sake of my marriage to work, and I also do not want to raise our kids in a broken hope home as a single mother. I used the spell service to bring back my husband. I wrote to the love solution temple to seek for help on how to release my husband from the charms of the other woman.
I could not believe it when I saw my husband back with his parents to beg me. This was the next day after the spell has being done. My husband Peter was crying on my feet begging me to please forgive him for abandoning our family.
JUDY
Hi everyone, My husband who has left me for 7 months because of his new found mistress is back, We have been married for 14 years with 3 beautiful kids. I love my husband so much but I could not stop him. I need our marriage to work, I have read countless books on how to please your husband but none worked.
Kimberly A.
I am on disability. I was married for over 10 years. My ex husband is deceased. I am 60 years old. Do I have to wait until I am 62 to file for survivors benefits?
JUDY
I am so grateful and happy because everyone I know that has used this love solution temple never complain because it works.