One other important thing to know - you need to be unmarried when you apply for ex-spouse benefits. If you remarry, you generally can't collect on a former spouse's record unless your later marriage ends by death, divorce, or annulment. Also, claiming on your ex's record has no effect on what they receive. Some people worry about this, but your ex will never even know you've applied for benefits on their record.

Just wanted to add something that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you're eligible for benefits on multiple ex-spouses' records (if you had other marriages that lasted 10+ years), Social Security will automatically pay you the highest amount. You don't have to choose between them. Also, there's a little-known rule that if your ex-spouse dies, you may be eligible for survivor benefits instead of spousal benefits, which could be up to 100% of what they were receiving (compared to the 50% maximum for spousal benefits). Just something to keep in mind for future planning. The whole system is definitely confusing, but it sounds like you're in a good position with your 12-year marriage and your ex already collecting!

I want to clarify something important: Your first month of entitlement (April in your case) is the first month you're eligible for benefits. The actual payment for April will come in May. Here's what I recommend based on my experience: 1. Work until your birthday (April 28th) 2. Make sure your April earnings stay under the monthly limit (around $2,000/month in 2025) 3. Have savings to cover expenses from your last paycheck until late May 4. Apply for benefits 3-4 months before April (so December 2024/January 2025) This approach minimizes your income gap while ensuring you don't lose benefits due to excess earnings. And applying early gives SSA time to process everything so your May payment isn't delayed.

Just wanted to add one more tip that helped me - consider setting up direct deposit for your Social Security benefits BEFORE your first payment is due. You can do this online at ssa.gov or when you apply. This ensures your May payment goes straight into your account without any additional delays from waiting for a paper check to arrive in the mail. Also, if you have a credit union or bank that offers short-term emergency loans to members, it might be worth asking about that option to cover the gap. Some financial institutions have special programs for retirees in exactly this situation.

Just wanted to add another perspective - I'm a financial advisor and see these situations occasionally with clients. Beyond what others have mentioned, this could also be a State-administered supplement that gets processed through SSA. Some states have supplemental payment programs for Social Security recipients, and when someone dies, any unpaid amounts can be forwarded to next of kin. The 6-month delay often happens because these payments have to go through multiple agencies for processing and verification. Definitely get that written explanation from SSA as Ravi suggested - you'll want it for tax purposes too, since depending on what type of payment it is, it might be reportable income for your husband.

I went through something very similar when my grandmother passed last year. We received an unexpected check for $620 about 4 months after her death. It turned out to be a combination of her final month's benefit payment plus a small retroactive adjustment for a COLA increase that hadn't been properly applied to her account. What helped us was bringing the uncashed check directly to our local SSA office along with her death certificate and my dad's ID (as next of kin). They were able to pull up her payment history immediately and show us exactly what the payment represented. The staff there was much more helpful than trying to navigate the phone system. One thing I learned is that SSA has up to 2 years to make these kinds of posthumous adjustments, so the 6-month delay isn't necessarily unusual. They often discover calculation errors or missed payments during their routine account reviews after someone dies. Just make sure you keep good records of everything in case you need them for taxes next year!

You probably have already answered this, but I was married to my ex-husband for 35 years. We divorced, didn't marry anyone else, and then remarried each other again 3 years later. I was 57 when we remarried. When he dies, will I be able to claim widow's benefits on him as a second marriage even though we remarried before I was 60?

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to thank everyone for this incredibly informative discussion! I'm currently going through my own Social Security planning and this thread has been more helpful than hours of trying to navigate the SSA website. What I find particularly valuable is seeing both the community knowledge and the official confirmation from SSA that Malik received. It really demonstrates how this forum can provide practical guidance while emphasizing the importance of getting official verification for individual situations. Isabella's detailed explanations about how marriage periods are evaluated separately were especially enlightening - I had no idea that each marriage to the same person could be considered independently for the 10-year rule. And Freya's real-world experience with almost the exact same situation provides such reassuring confirmation. For anyone else reading this thread later, it seems the key takeaways are: 1) Each marriage period stands on its own for the duration requirement, 2) You'll need all marriage certificates and divorce decrees when applying, and 3) Don't give up on getting through to SSA even if it takes multiple attempts. Thanks again to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences!

Going back to the COLA question - the increases have been pretty significant lately! 5.9% in 2022, 8.7% in 2023, 3.2% in 2024. So that $2750 could be quite a bit higher in 4 years if inflation stays high. Just wanted to add some optimism to the thread!

I'm sorry for your loss, Steven. As someone new to this community, I wanted to share what I learned when helping my aunt navigate similar decisions. The SSA website has a benefit calculator tool that might help you estimate your future survivor benefits with projected COLAs included. Also, if you haven't already, consider scheduling an appointment at your local SSA office about 6 months before you plan to apply - they can walk you through the entire process and help you understand all your options. Sometimes having that face-to-face conversation can clarify things that seem confusing online. The folks here have given you excellent advice about keeping documentation and double-checking calculations. Wishing you the best as you plan ahead.