To answer your follow-up question about resources, SSA Publication No. 05-10084 "Benefits For Your Divorced Spouse" is very helpful. You can find it on the SSA website. Also, regarding documents, yes - you'll need to provide marriage certificates and divorce decrees for both marriages to prove they each lasted at least 10 years. If you don't have them, you can request them from the county courthouse where the divorce was finalized. When you're comparing benefits, remember these key points: 1. You must be at least 62 to claim ex-spouse benefits 2. You'll get the higher of: your own benefit OR 50% of either ex-spouse's PIA 3. If you claim before your FRA, your benefit amount will be permanently reduced 4. You cannot receive ex-spouse benefits if you're currently married (unless your current marriage occurred after age 60) I recommend creating a my Social Security account online if you haven't already. This will show you your estimated benefit based on your own work record, which is crucial for comparing your options.

I went through this exact same situation a few years ago! One thing that really helped me was requesting a "benefit estimate" from SSA for each ex-spouse's record. You can do this by calling or visiting a local office with both of their Social Security numbers and your divorce paperwork. They'll give you a written estimate showing what 50% of each ex's PIA would be, which makes it much easier to compare. Just be prepared - it can take a few weeks to get the estimates back. Also, don't forget that if you're born in 1954 or later, your Full Retirement Age is 66+ (not 65), so make sure you know your exact FRA when planning your claiming strategy. The SSA website has a chart that shows FRA by birth year. One last tip: if you end up choosing to claim on an ex-spouse's record, you can still delay your own retirement benefit until age 70 to earn delayed retirement credits (8% per year). Then at 70, you could potentially switch to your own higher benefit if it ends up being more than the ex-spouse benefit. It's like having a backup plan!

they usually add it automatic when your husband files but sometimes they mess up. make sure u call them right after he files to check.

I'm in a very similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm 65 and took my benefits early last year, and my husband is 66 and still working. He's planning to wait until his FRA next year to file. One thing I learned from my local SSA office (after finally getting an appointment) is that it's really important to keep good records of both your earnings histories and any correspondence with SSA. They told me that sometimes the spousal benefit calculations can get delayed if there are discrepancies in their system. Also, for what it's worth, I used the SSA's online benefit estimator tool on their website (ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/estimator.html) to get a rough idea of what our combined benefits might look like under different scenarios. It's not perfect but it helped me understand the numbers better than trying to do the math myself. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's so much more helpful to hear from people who've actually been through this process!

Pro tip: if you can't get through online, try calling your local SSA office instead of the main number. Sometimes they can help you over the phone or set up an in-person appointment if needed. Google 'SSA field office locator' to find the closest one to you.

I had this exact same issue a few months ago! It turned out my account had some kind of verification flag that was causing the loop. What finally worked for me was calling the SSA technical support line (1-800-772-1213) and specifically asking to speak to someone in the "online services" department. They were able to reset something on their end that fixed the login issue immediately. The whole call took about 30 minutes once I got through. Definitely mention that you've already tried different browsers and clearing cache - that shows you've done the basic troubleshooting steps.

One more thing to add - make sure you understand exactly how much you'll get after GPO. The calculation is: 50% of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount MINUS (2/3 × your teacher's pension). So if your husband's PIA is $2,300, half of that is $1,150. Then if your pension is $1,875, two-thirds of that is $1,250. So $1,150 - $1,250 would mean zero benefit. But if his PIA is higher than what he receives, you might get something. The SSA can calculate this precisely for your situation.

Just wanted to share my experience as someone who went through this process recently. I was a school librarian for 35 years and applied for spousal benefits last fall at age 78. The good news is that yes, you can absolutely get retroactive benefits for up to 6 months if you were eligible during that period, which you definitely were. When I applied, I specifically asked for retroactive benefits back to my eligibility date, and they approved it. The SSA worker was very clear that I needed to request it - it's not automatic. After the GPO reduction (2/3 of my pension), I ended up with about $180/month, which was more than I expected because my husband had delayed his benefits past FRA so his PIA was higher. My advice: apply in person if possible, bring all your documents, and don't let them discourage you about the GPO until they run the actual numbers. Sometimes the calculation works out better than you think, especially if your husband's PIA is higher than his current benefit amount. Good luck!

i just wanna say ur inspiring me! im 58 and on disability and always wanted to finish my degree. maybe its not too late for me either

This thread has been so helpful! I'm 64 and have been on SSDI for 8 years following a stroke. I've been hesitant to pursue any educational goals because I was afraid it might jeopardize my benefits or trigger unwanted reviews. Reading everyone's experiences, especially the distinction between scholarships (which don't count as income) versus work-study earnings (which do), gives me confidence to explore some online courses I've been interested in. My occupational therapist has actually been encouraging me to engage in mentally stimulating activities as part of my recovery. Ava, best of luck with your program - you're showing all of us that it's never too late to learn!