Frequently Asked Questions
Does my ex-spouse need to know that I am filing for benefits based on their record?
No, your ex-spouse does not need to know, nor will government offices notify them when you file. The application process is completely confidential between you and the agency. Furthermore, your claim does not reduce your former partner’s monthly benefit check or impact payouts for their current spouse or other former partners.
What happens if I was married twice for over ten years each, and both ex-spouses are still living?
If you have multiple qualifying marriages of 10 or more years, you can claim ex-spousal benefits on whichever record yields the highest monthly payment. Federal rules prohibit combining benefits from multiple exes. Representatives evaluate all qualifying records linked to your application and automatically assign you the highest monthly benefit available.
Can I collect ex-spousal benefits if my ex-spouse hasn’t applied for retirement yet?
Yes, under Independent Entitlement rules. If your marriage lasted at least 10 continuous years, you have been divorced for at least two consecutive years, and both you and your ex-spouse are at least age 62, you can claim ex-spousal benefits even if your former partner has not yet applied for their own benefits.
If my current marriage ends in divorce or death, can I revert to claiming on a previous ex-spouse’s record?
Yes. If a subsequent marriage ends through divorce, death, or legal annulment, your eligibility to claim benefits based on an earlier qualifying marriage of 10-plus years is restored. As long as you are unmarried when applying, you can select the highest qualifying benefit record from your prior marriages.
Yes, I have been married multiple times but my first marriage was of 23 years and then my second one is a 15 years and my first marriage. She’s already collecting Social Security and I will be 62 in October but they said I cannot collect on my first marriage. Thought I would have to be divorced from my second husband to collect off of my first husband, even though my husband now is 63 and he will not collect Social Security until he is 65 but I should be able to collect I think in my own mind from my first husband at 62 because he is 66 and he’s already collecting.
I am not an expert on Social Security just from life experiences and what I read, but I think once you marry after divorce you lose the ability to collect on that person, that is what I think is true. What about collection on your own Soc. Sec. until your husband retires, then it will be half of his, and then you will lose yours if his is more.
You can collect on a previous spouse ssn if you wait to remarry after 60. Then you can start collecting on your previous spouse’s ssn at 60 with no penalties. But you have to wait to remarry after 60 years of age.
I received this info from my financial advisor at Fidelity while auditing my financial health & if I’m on a right path to retire at 62 years old.