Can I claim Social Security benefits from both ex-husbands after reaching FRA? First marriage 20+ years, second 10 years

Yes, you can definitely claim ex-spouse benefits! Since both marriages lasted at least 10 years before divorce, you qualify for divorced spouse benefits from EITHER ex-husband. The key part is you can't claim benefits from both simultaneously - SSA will pay you whichever amount is higher. So you should find out which ex had higher lifetime earnings and claim on that record. I went through something similar after my 15-year marriage ended. I called SSA and what they did was calculate both amounts and automatically gave me the higher benefit. The rep was super helpful once I finally reached someone. Don't give up if you can't get through on the phone lines right away!

u can claim on either ex, doesnt matter which 1. they look at both and give u the higher amount automatically. im in the same boat, married 12 yrs to first husband and 18 to second. got way more from second ex cuz he made more $$$ over his lifetime

My aunt tried to do this and SSA gave her the runaround for months!!! They kept saying she needed more proof of her first marriage from the 1970s! Make sure you have ALL your paperwork in order - both marriage certificates, both divorce decrees, and be prepared to wait. The system is designed to frustrate people into giving up!!!!

Just to be 100% clear on the rules here since there's some confusion in the responses: 1. You qualify for divorced spouse benefits on BOTH ex-husbands' records since both marriages lasted at least 10 years 2. You can only receive ONE benefit payment - SSA will pay the higher of the two amounts 3. At your FRA, you're eligible for 50% of either ex-spouse's full retirement benefit amount 4. You can apply for these benefits even if your ex-husbands haven't applied yet, as long as both of you are at least 62 and have been divorced for at least 2 years 5. Your ex-spouses will never know you've claimed on their record, and it doesn't affect their benefits at all Make an appointment with your local SSA office and bring whatever documentation you have. They can access most of the records they need electronically.

Wait I'm confused about something... does this mean you can just keep marrying rich guys for exactly 10 years, divorce them, and collect benefits from all of them??? That doesn't sound right. There must be some limit to how many exes you can claim from.

I just went through this exact process last year! I was married twice (12 years first marriage, 16 years second marriage). When I applied, I brought both divorce decrees and my current ID. I tried calling SSA first but kept getting disconnected after waiting for hours. I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to reach a live agent - they have this service where they get you through the phone system much faster. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU showing how it works. Totally worth it because I got through in about 10 minutes instead of waiting for hours or getting disconnected. The agent looked up both my ex-husbands' records and told me right there which one would give me the higher benefit. Turns out my first husband who I thought earned less actually had several high-earning years I didn't know about, so I got about $320 more per month by claiming on his record instead of my second ex!

@OP They also asked for my birth certificate (or passport), and they wanted the names, birthdates and Social Security numbers of both ex-husbands if I had them. I only remembered one SSN but they were still able to find both records. The whole process was much smoother than I expected once I actually got through to someone!

WAIT A MINUTE! Everyone's forgetting to mention that if you remarry, you CANNOT collect on either previous spouse!! OP said she's divorced from her second husband but if she remarries again, she loses eligibility for both exes' benefits! This happened to my cousin and she was DEVASTATED after discovering this too late!!

Thank you all for the helpful responses! This is much clearer now. I'm going to gather my documents (birth certificate, divorce decrees, etc.) and try to reach SSA. I'll definitely check out that Claimyr service since calling SSA directly has been so frustrating. One last question - once I start receiving benefits from one ex-spouse, if the other ex gets a big raise or promotion years later, can I switch to claiming on their record instead? Or am I locked into my initial choice?

oh and dont forget bout taxes! up to 85% of SS can be taxable if ur other income is high enuf. caught me by surprise first year