General, SSI

Will Remarrying Affect My Social Security Benefits?

September 5, 2017 • By

Reading Time: 2 Minutes

Last Updated: October 14, 2021

married couple hugging Whether it’s a morning ceremony or an evening gala, excitement’s in the air. You’re getting remarried! Social Security is with you throughout life’s journey and we are here to help you on any Social Security related questions, after your special day!

If you’re getting remarried, you may have some questions about changing the name on your Social Security card. Also, if you’re remarrying, you may wonder how that affects your Social Security benefits.

Remarrying may affect your benefits if you receive any of the following benefits:

  1. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments — your SSI payment amount may change as a result of your new spouse’s income and resources. If you and your spouse both get SSI, your payment amount will change from an individual rate to a couple’s rate.
  1. Widow/widower, or divorced widow/widower payments
    • If you remarry before age 50 — you won’t be entitled to survivor’s or disability benefits unless you divorce.
    • If you remarry between the ages of 50 and 59 — you can’t get benefits. Note: If you remarry before you turn 60 and that marriage ends, you may become entitled or re-entitled to benefits on your prior deceased spouse’s earnings record. Your benefits begin the first month in which the subsequent marriage ended if all entitlement requirements are met.
    • If you remarry after age 60 — you may still become entitled to benefits on your prior deceased spouse’s Social Security earnings record.
  1. Divorced spouse’s benefits — Generally, if you remarry, benefits paid to you from your prior spouse’s account stop. Check out if you are divorced for more information.
  1. Children’s benefits (under age 18 or student ages 18 or 19) — Children’s benefits end once the child marries. You can find more information in our Benefits for Children page.

Visit our Benefits page for more information. Please share this information with family and friends – and post it on social media.

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About the Author

Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications

Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications

Comments

  1. Regina N.

    Can getting married change your disability payments?

    • Vonda V.

      Hi Regina, thanks for your question. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions web page for details on marriage and benefits. We hope this is helpful.

  2. Paul B.

    If my divorced wife remarries she gives up social security benefits from me, but does she get any from her new husband? Alternatively she gives up any future social security benefits since she has none based on her own record.

    • Vonda V.

      Hi Paul, thank you for your question. The marriage of a divorced spouse will terminate entitlement to divorced spouse’s benefits unless the marriage is to an individual entitled to a widow(er)’s, mother’s, father’s, child’s disability, divorced spouse’s, or parents benefits. Hopefully this helps.

  3. Mark

    hi, i’m gonna get a divorce, we lived with my wife for almost 40 years…
    can she get my benefit after divorce? i don’t want her to get anything…
    and also does anybody used this service? https://www.californiaonlinedivorce.com
    i just want to get online divorce as quickly as it possible…

    • Vonda V.

      Hi Mark, thanks for using our blog to ask your question. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions web page for details on what your former spouse may be eligible for on your record. We hope this is helpful.

  4. MG

    My husband of 21 years died at age 47, I was 45. He earned way way more than I did so I would collect his benefits at retirement age. If I remarry before age 60, I lose ALL of his benefits, correct?
    Thank you for your reply.

    • Vonda V.

      Hi MG, thank you for your question. Widows that remarry after age 60 (age 50 if disabled), may continue to qualify for benefits on their deceased spouse’s Social Security record. If your new spouse is a Social Security beneficiary, you may want to apply for spouse’s benefits on that record. If that amount is higher, you may be entitled to the higher amount, based on both records. Generally, you must be married for one year before you can get spouse’s benefits. Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions web page to see how marriage can affect Social Security benefits. We hope this helps!

  5. Lena

    I am 28. I get social security i believe drawing off of my mom. But i am disabled. If i got married would that effect the amount of money I revived monthly?

  6. Allison

    question….if someone is collecting benefits from a deceased spouse and they get remarried (over age of 60)….start collecting benefits from the new spouse, but decide within 4 months they the marriage was a mistake and get divorced. Can that person go back to collecting benefits from the prior deceased spouse? I hope this makes sense

  7. Deidre L.

    My husband of eleven years died. I was told at the time of his death I had to wait until he would have been 62 to file for his benefits. In the interim, six years later, I remarried. Does that mean I no longer qualify for my first husbands benefits?

    • Kenny O.

      Hi Deidre, thank you for the question. Widows that remarry after age 60 (age 50 if disabled), may continue to qualify for benefits on their deceased spouse’s Social Security record. If your new spouse is a Social Security beneficiary, you may want to apply for spouse’s benefits on that record. If that amount is higher, you may be entitled to the higher amount, based on both records. Generally, you must be married for one year before you can get spouse’s benefits. Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions web page to see how marriage can affect Social Security benefits. We hope this helps!

  8. Ken

    A moderator really needs to get to work on this page… there are some posts (I just saw 2, side by side, same content) that very clearly and explicitly violate the Comment Policy…

    Thanks!

  9. Nancy J.

    I am currently drawing on my passed husband’s benefits(widows pension). However, i have been married for over 10 yrs to my current husband who has retired can i draw more on his ssc than on my late husbands. Not sure how that works didn’t get remarried until i was over 60. Can you give me infor on this? Don’t want to do anything wrong!

  10. Jim W.

    If I am currently re-married and wish my current wife, not my former wife from whom I am divorced, to receive any social security benefits – how do I achieve that? Is there a “designated beneficiary” form I need to submit?

Comments are closed.