Can I claim Social Security survivor benefits from first husband who died if my third husband was a state employee?

Yes, you likely qualify for survivor benefits from your first husband since you were married for more than 10 years and never remarried before age 60. The fact that your third husband worked in a job not covered by Social Security doesn't affect your eligibility for benefits from your first husband's record. You can claim these benefits as early as age 60, but they'll be reduced (about 28.5% reduction at age 60 compared to your full retirement age). I'd recommend scheduling an appointment with SSA to discuss all your options, as you might also be able to claim your own retirement benefits later if they'd be higher.

When I tried calling social security about my widow benefits it took FOREVER to get through!!! i called like 6 times and kept getting disconnected after waiting for an hour each time, so frustrating. my situation wasnt exactly like yours but similar cause i had multiple marriages too

The key thing here is that you were married to your first husband for more than 10 years, and you'll be 60 when you apply - both requirements for divorced spouse survivor benefits. The fact that your third husband didn't pay into Social Security means you might be subject to the Government Pension Offset (GPO) if you receive a pension from his state employment. But that only affects benefits based on HIS record, not your first husband's. Make sure to bring your marriage certificate and divorce decree from your first marriage when you go to SSA.

I went through something similar last year. I was married twice, first husband died and second was a government employee. I had such a hard time getting through to Social Security by phone - kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real person at SSA in about 20 minutes instead of hours of waiting. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - totally worth it for complicated situations like yours where you really need to talk to someone who can look at all your records.

I think ur gonna have 2 deal with the WEP thing cause of ur state worker husband. My mom lost like half her ss money cause of that! It's so unfair how they do that to people!

I'm so sorry about your losses. The rules about multiple marriages and Social Security are EXTREMELY CONFUSING!!!! I've been trying to figure out my own situation for months. The SSA website says one thing, then when you call they tell you something completely different. I spent THREE HOURS at the office last week and still don't have clear answers. It's ridiculous how they make this so complicated!!!

To clarify about your specific situation: since your first husband paid into Social Security and you were married for more than 10 years, you're eligible for survivor benefits based on his record starting at age 60. The fact that your third husband worked for the state in non-covered employment only matters if you're receiving a pension from his employment. If you are receiving such a pension, the Government Pension Offset might reduce any benefits based on HIS work - but not benefits from your first husband. When you turn 62, you can also claim your own retirement benefits if they would be higher.

congrats on turning 60! Im in the same boat, multiple marriages and trying to figure out SS. Did you know you can apply online? I tried but got confused with all the questions about my marriages so ended up going to the office instead. Bring all your marriage certificates and death certificates!

My uncle was a state worker and my aunt couldn't get his SS either, something about the windfall provision I think? But she got his pension so it worked out ok. Good luck!

After reading through all the comments, I think your situation is actually more straightforward than it might seem. Since you were married to your first husband for more than 10 years before divorcing, and you'll be 60 when applying, you should be eligible for survivor benefits on his record now that he's deceased. The fact that you later married other people doesn't affect this eligibility since you're over 60 now. When you contact SSA, ask specifically about 'surviving divorced spouse benefits.' Also, make sure to compare this amount with what you might get on your own record when you reach 62, as you can switch to whichever is higher later.