Can I claim Social Security benefits from both ex-husbands? Plus questions about FRA vs. age 70 benefit amounts
I've been divorced twice, both marriages lasted more than 10 years each (first one was 11 years, second was almost 13). I'm trying to figure out my options for Social Security as I approach retirement age. Two questions that are really confusing me: 1. Can I pick which ex-husband's Social Security record to claim from, or am I limited to just the most recent marriage? Their earnings were pretty different - my first ex was actually the higher earner by quite a bit. 2. I know I can get up to 50% of my ex's benefit, but I'm confused about WHEN. If either of my exes took their benefits early (like at 62 or 65), but I wait until I'm 70 to claim, would I get 50% of what they're actually receiving, or 50% of what they WOULD have gotten if they had waited until 70? I've tried calling Social Security three times this week but keep getting disconnected after waiting forever. Any insights would be super helpful!
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Adrian Connor
Good news - you actually CAN choose which ex-spouse's record to claim on! The SSA lets you pick the one that gives you the highest benefit. Both marriages were over 10 years, so you qualify for either. Just make sure you're unmarried now when you apply. On your second question: You'll receive 50% of your ex's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) - that's the benefit they'd get at their full retirement age (FRA), regardless of when they actually claimed. So if your ex took benefits early at 62, you'd still get 50% of their FRA amount, not 50% of their reduced benefit. And if they waited until 70 for increased benefits, you'd still only get 50% of their FRA amount, not the higher amount. But remember, you need to be at YOUR full retirement age to get the full 50%. If you claim ex-spouse benefits early, your amount will be reduced.
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Mikayla Davison
•Thank you! This is SO helpful. So even though my first ex-husband made more money, if he claimed early at 62, I might still get more by claiming on my second ex's record if he waited until his FRA? I'm just trying to figure out which one would give me the higher benefit.
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Aisha Jackson
had same sitution,,,both my xhusbands wrked good jobs but 1st one made WAY more $$$...i went with him and got better checks. SSA will tell u which is better when u aply. bring both SSNs when u go
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Mikayla Davison
•Thanks! That's really helpful to know. Did you have to provide divorce papers for both marriages when you applied? I have the decree from my second divorce but might need to request documents for the first one.
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Ryder Everingham
One thing nobody mentioned yet - don't forget to compare these ex-spouse benefits with your OWN retirement benefit! If your own work record gives you more than 50% of either ex's benefit, then you'll get your own instead. SSA will pay you the highest amount you're eligible for. And keep in mind, if you're still working, you might boost your own benefit amount by continuing to work until you claim. Every year of higher earnings can potentially replace a lower-earning year in your benefit calculation. When I was figuring all this out, I spent THREE DAYS trying to get someone on the phone at SSA. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Saved me so much frustration.
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Lilly Curtis
•Is that service legit? Sounds to good to be true lol. I've been calling SSA for a WEEK straight with no luck!
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Ryder Everingham
•It worked for me! I was skeptical too, but after spending days trying to get through on my own, I was desperate. The SSA agent I spoke with was super helpful once I finally got connected.
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Leo Simmons
I'd like to clarify something important about ex-spouse benefits that might help your decision-making. When comparing which ex-spouse's record to claim on, what matters is their Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is based on their lifetime earnings record up to their Full Retirement Age. The benefit amount your ex-spouse actually receives (whether they claimed early at 62 or delayed until 70) doesn't affect your ex-spouse benefit amount at all. You'll get 50% of their PIA if you claim at your FRA, regardless of when they claimed. So, you should find out the PIA for both ex-husbands and choose the higher one. Your benefit will be 50% of that PIA (assuming you claim at your FRA). Also, don't forget that you can switch strategies. You could claim on an ex-spouse's record and then later switch to your own retirement benefit if it would be higher (particularly if you delayed claiming your own benefit until 70 to maximize it).
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Mikayla Davison
•That makes so much more sense now, thank you! So their actual claiming age doesn't matter to me at all - it's all about their earnings record and what their FRA benefit would be. I think I'm going to schedule an appointment with SSA to compare all three options (my record and both ex-husbands).
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Lindsey Fry
DONT WASTE UR TIME with appointments!!! the SSA is COMPLETELY USELESS these days!!! I tried for MONTHS to get correct info about my widows benefits and got different answers EVERY SINGLE TIME!!! One agent told me I could get my deceased husbands full benefit at 60 (WRONG) and another said I couldn't get anything until I was 67 (ALSO WRONG)!!! I finally found out I could get reduced benefits at 60 and full at my FRA. THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW THEIR OWN RULES!!!!
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Saleem Vaziri
•I'm sorry you had such a frustrating experience. While there are certainly inconsistencies between SSA representatives, it's important to note that widow(er) benefits are different from ex-spouse benefits being discussed here. For widow(er) benefits, you can claim as early as age 60 (or 50 if disabled) but with a reduction. For divorced spouse benefits (when the ex is still living), the earliest age is 62 with a reduction. I'd still recommend the OP schedule an appointment, but also do independent research and maybe consult with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security claiming strategies. Having accurate information from multiple sources helps ensure you make the optimal decision.
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Aisha Jackson
my sister thot she could get benefits from ALL 3 of her exhusbands lol!!! She was so mad when SSA said pick 1!!!
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Lilly Curtis
•Haha that would be the dream wouldn't it? Triple-dipping on Social Security! 😂
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Adrian Connor
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.
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Mikayla Davison
•Thank you for the resource recommendation! I'll definitely look up that publication. I do have a my Social Security account, but it only shows my own benefit estimates. I guess I'll need to contact SSA directly to find out what 50% of each ex's PIA would be. I appreciate all the help from everyone!
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