Can I claim ex-spouse Social Security benefits after only 6 years of marriage?

You need to have been married for at least 10 years to be eligible for divorced spouse benefits. This is a firm requirement from SSA - no exceptions. And no, your ex doesn't need to be deceased for you to claim on his record as long as he's eligible for benefits himself (62 or older). If he hasn't filed yet, you'll need to be divorced for at least 2 years before claiming on his record. Unfortunately with only 6 years of marriage, you wouldn't qualify for ex-spouse benefits. You'll need to claim on your own work record.

my sister got her exs benefits and they were only married 8 yrs so maybe call and check??

Good question! I had to figure all this out last year. The rules are different depending on if your ex is alive or deceased. Since he's alive (I think from your post?), you need 10 years of marriage minimum to qualify for divorced spouse benefits. If he passed away, you could get survivor benefits with a 9-month marriage, but only if you haven't remarried before age 60. It's so confusing!!

Unfortunately with only 6 years of marriage, you won't qualify for divorced spouse benefits on your ex-husband's record. The 10-year marriage duration requirement is one of those non-negotiable rules in the Social Security system. You should create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov to see your own benefit estimates based on your work history. Even with a spotty work record, you might be eligible for more than you think. Also, if you've had other marriages that lasted longer than 10 years, you could potentially claim on one of those ex-spouses' records instead.

THE SSA MAKES EVERYTHING SO COMPLICATED!!! I spent MONTHS trying to figure out my benefits after my divorce. Kept getting different answers from every person I talked to at the office. The 10-year rule is FIRM though - found that out the hard way. I was at 9 years and 10 months and they wouldn't make ANY exceptions. Had to take my own measly benefit instead of half of my ex's much bigger one. SO FRUSTRATING!!! 😠

Have you tried calling SSA directly to ask about your specific situation? Sometimes there are exceptions or other programs you might qualify for that aren't obvious.

I tried calling SS sooooo many times last month about my disability application! Kept getting busy signals or would wait forever and then get disconnected. Super frustrating! Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual person in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Saved me literally hours of hold time. Might be worth trying if you need specific answers about your situation.

To summarize what others have correctly stated: You need to have been married for at least 10 consecutive years to qualify for divorced spouse benefits. With only 6 years of marriage, you unfortunately won't be eligible to collect benefits on your ex-husband's record. At this point, I'd recommend: 1. Create a my Social Security account to see your own benefit estimates 2. Consider delaying your benefits until 70 if possible to maximize your monthly amount 3. Review if you have any other ex-spouses from marriages that lasted 10+ years 4. If you've remarried, you may be eligible for spousal benefits on your current spouse's record You mentioned spotty work history, but even with limited work credits, you might qualify for your own retirement benefits. If your own retirement benefit would be very low, you might also want to look into SSI (Supplemental Security Income) depending on your financial situation.