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my mom got benefits from 2 exhusbands at the same time so it might depend on ur situation call them and check dont listen to ppl on here
That's not possible under Social Security rules. You can be eligible for benefits from multiple spouses/ex-spouses, but you'll only receive the highest amount you're eligible for. Your mother might have received benefits sequentially (first from one ex, then switched to another when it was more advantageous) or she might have received benefits from one ex-spouse and then survivor benefits after another ex passed away, but she wouldn't receive multiple benefits simultaneously.
Has anyone actually successfully claimed on an ex-spouse's record after being widowed from a subsequent marriage? I'm just trying to understand what the process will be like when the time comes. Should I go to my local SSA office or try to handle it by phone?
I did this last year after my husband passed. The local office was backed up for months, so I made a phone appointment using Claimyr to skip the wait. The agent walked me through all my options based on my marriage history. In-person is good if you have lots of documents they need to see, but phone worked fine for my initial application. They just needed me to fax/upload the supporting documents afterward.
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One important factor many people overlook is the impact on survivor benefits. If you're married, the higher of the two spouse's benefits becomes the survivor benefit when one passes away. If you expect your benefit to be higher than your spouse's, waiting to claim increases not just your retirement benefit but potentially your spouse's survivor benefit as well. This creates an additional incentive to delay, especially with family longevity on your side. The survivor benefit protection is essentially free "insurance" that comes with delaying your claim. If you're concerned about Social Security's future, remember that any legislative changes would almost certainly be phased in gradually and likely wouldn't affect those already near retirement age. Current retirees and those close to retirement are typically protected in reform proposals.
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Quick follow-up since there seems to be some confusion in the thread: survivor benefits reach their maximum at your FRA (66 and 6 months for someone born in 1959), unlike retirement benefits which max out at 70. The survivor benefit will be 100% of what your ex-husband was receiving or would have received at his FRA. And yes, you can absolutely switch between benefits - take survivors at your FRA, continue working (with no earnings limit penalty), then switch to your own retirement at 70 if it would be higher. This strategy could maximize your lifetime benefits.
This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I think I understand the strategy now - wait until 66 and 6 months to claim survivor benefits (while possibly still working), then at 70 I could switch to my own benefit if it's higher at that point. I need to find out which would be greater in my case.
does anyone know if the 10 year marriage rule is exactly 10 years or can it be like 9 years and 10 months? asking for my friend who's in a similar situation
It needs to be a full 10 years (to the day) to qualify for any ex-spouse benefits. Unfortunately, 9 years and 10 months wouldn't qualify. The marriage duration requirement is very strict with no exceptions.
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Since your Social Security earnings were from the 1970s/1980s, remember that getting those 5 additional credits now won't significantly increase your benefit amount. SS benefits are based on your highest 35 years of indexed earnings. Working just enough to get the 5 credits won't add much to your calculation unless you earn significantly more than in those early years. Still, qualifying for even a small benefit is generally worth it, especially considering Medicare eligibility. If you decide to pursue this, remember that in 2025 you can earn all 4 credits for the year by making $6,920 total ($1,730 per credit).
This is correct. When I earned my final credits, I wasn't making much above minimum wage at my part-time job, but it was still significantly more than what I earned back in my early working years in the 1970s, so it actually did help my calculation a little bit. Every dollar counts when you're retired!
My neighbor went through something like this. He worked just enough to get his 40 credits, then found out his monthly benefit was only going to be like $120 after WEP. He said even though it wasn't much, it was still free money he would have otherwise left on the table. Plus now his wife gets spousal benefits too I think. You already have 35 credits so might as well get the last 5!
That's encouraging to hear. I'm starting to think it makes sense to just get those last 5 credits. Even a small monthly amount adds up over the years.
Javier Hernandez
what happens if u earn MORE than u expected? do they make u pay it back or just take it from future benefits?
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Malik Jackson
•Great question. If you earn more than you estimated, you're required to notify SSA. They'll adjust future payments to recover any overpayment. If you don't report it, they'll eventually catch it when tax records are processed and you could receive an overpayment notice requiring repayment. It's better to report changes proactively so there are no surprises.
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Freya Andersen
I went through the exact same thing last yr trying to figure this all out. My advise is go to the ssa.gov site and use their retirement calculators. They were really helpful for me to see all the different scenarios.
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LunarLegend
•Those calculators don't include the earnings test though. They just show different claiming ages.
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