Best way to apply for Social Security retirement and ex-spouse benefits - online vs. phone vs. in-person?

I just went through this exact situation four months ago! Personally, I found that doing it by phone was the best option. The rep was able to walk me through all the details about applying on my own record plus my ex's. There were a few questions about our marriage dates that I wouldn't have known were important if I'd done it online by myself. Make sure you have these documents ready before your call: - Your birth certificate (or passport) - Marriage certificate - Divorce decree - Your ex's SSN if you have it (but they can find it if you don't) - Your bank account info for direct deposit The phone appointment was worth the wait in my case because the rep caught that I was eligible for more on my ex's record than I realized.

online is TERRIBLE!!! I tried doing mine online and the system kept timing out. wasted 3 hours and had to start all over again twice. ended up having to go to the office anyway. especialy with ex spouse stuff the online system gets confusing!!

For straightforward retirement claims, online works fine. But for anything involving divorced spouse benefits, I'd strongly recommend either phone or in-person. These claims have specific requirements (like proving the marriage lasted at least 10 years) that are handled better with an actual representative. A couple of important points: 1) You don't need your ex's permission or involvement to claim on their record 2) You're eligible for either 50% of their FRA benefit or 100% of your own, whichever is higher (not both) 3) If you've reached your FRA (67), there are no reductions for working while collecting In my experience, the in-person appointment tends to be more efficient because you can bring all your documents and have them scanned right there. However, if the office is 30 miles away, phone might be more convenient despite the wait.

My sister tried doing this online last year and ended up with a HUGE headache because she put something wrong about the divorce date. Took her almost 4 months to sort it out! I'd definitely go in person if I were you.

I did mine in person at the local office. Had to wait about 2 hours but the lady who helped me was so nice and made sure everything was entered correctly. For the divorced spouse benefit they need to verify the marriage lasted 10+ years so bring divorce papers!

To answer your question from earlier - you'd receive your own $1,900 benefit in that scenario. The ex-spouse benefit only helps if 50% of their FRA amount is higher than 100% of your own benefit. For example, if your benefit is $1,900 and your ex-spouse's FRA benefit is $4,000, then you could get $2,000 (50% of their amount). But if your ex's FRA benefit is, say, $3,400 or less, you'd just get your own $1,900.

To answer your question about documents - they don't need to physically see them during the phone call, but they'll ask for details from them (dates, etc). If you can't find your marriage certificate, you might need to order a new one from the county where you got married before your benefits can be finalized. However, they can usually start the application process without it. And regarding your ex's benefit amount - SSA has all that information in their system. You just need to provide his name, SSN if you have it, and the marriage/divorce dates. They'll calculate everything for you.

if you do phone route get ready to be on hold FOREVER! i called last month and waited 2.5 hours just to talk to someone!! and then got disconnected and had to start over the next day 😡

Have you tried using Claimyr? It's this service that basically waits on hold with SSA for you and then calls you when they get a representative. I used it last month when I needed to talk to someone about my Medicare enrollment and it saved me hours of holding time. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Might be worth it instead of waiting 3 weeks for a scheduled call or driving all that way to the office.

i tried applying online and got sooooo confused about the ex-spouse section! kept asking me for his earnings record which i obviously don't have access to!!! ended up having to go in person anyway which was a huge hassle with parking and waiting forever

Based on everything I've experienced and heard from others, here's what I'd recommend for your situation: 1) If you want it done fastest and most accurately: Use a service like Claimyr to get through to SSA by phone quickly, then request they mail you a protective filing date letter immediately. This preserves your filing date even if documentation takes longer. 2) Then schedule an in-person appointment and bring all your documents (birth certificate, divorce decree, etc). Having that protective filing date already established takes the pressure off. The key with ex-spouse benefits is making sure they have all the documentation to verify the marriage duration. The 10-year marriage requirement is strictly enforced for divorced spouse benefits.

my cousin works for SSA and she always says the ex-spouse claims are among the most complicated for people to do online by themselves! definitely get help with that part