Can I claim ex-spouse Social Security benefits at my FRA before he reaches his?

You can claim your ex-spouse benefits when YOU reach your full retirement age, regardless of whether your ex has filed for his benefits or even reached his FRA. The requirements are: marriage lasted at least 10 years (you have 31), you're unmarried now, you're at least 62, and your ex is entitled to SS retirement (even if he hasn't filed yet). Since you'll be at your FRA, you'll get the full 50% of his PIA. The only catch is if you're eligible for your own retirement benefits, you'll get whichever is higher, not both. Hope this helps!

My neighbor went through the EXACT same thing!! He divorce after 25 years and was 3 yrs older than her ex husband. She got her 50% as soon as she hit FRA. didn't have to wait for him to do anything. But she said the SS office kept asking for her divorce papers everytime she called so make sure you have all that stuff ready!!

I think you might be confused about how this works. If you claim at YOUR full retirement age, you'll only get 50% of what your ex-husband would get at HIS full retirement age, not 50% of what he actually receives. And if he hasn't filed yet, there might be complications. The rules are REALLY confusing. When I went through this last year, I got different answers from three different SSA reps!!! So frustrating.

I went through this exact situation. You absolutely CAN claim on your ex's record when you reach your FRA, regardless of whether he's filed or reached his FRA. The key points from my experience: 1. Your marriage was over 10 years (check) 2. You're currently unmarried (I assume this is true) 3. You're at least 62 (you will be at FRA, so check) 4. Your ex is eligible for benefits (even if not claimed yet) The most important form you'll need is the SSA-16 (Application for Retirement Insurance Benefits). Make sure to indicate you're filing for ex-spouse benefits. Also bring your marriage certificate and divorce decree to your appointment. They'll also want your birth certificate and possibly tax records to verify your work history. Don't let them tell you that you need to wait for him to file - that's incorrect for ex-spouse benefits (though it would be true if you were still married).

I was in a similar situation last year and tried calling SSA for weeks but kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent in about 10 minutes. They have a video demo of how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. It was the only way I could finally get someone to answer my questions about my ex-spouse benefits. The agent was able to tell me exactly what documents I needed and scheduled my application appointment. Saved me so much frustration!

lol don't listen to half these people... you get whatever the government decides to give you. my sister thought she was getting 50% of her ex's and ended up with way less. something about "maximum family benefit" or whatever. the whole system is designed to confuse us.

When I filed for my ex-spouse benefits, there was a whole section of the application about whether I was eligible for a pension based on work not covered by Social Security (like certain government jobs). Do you have any pension from a job where you didn't pay Social Security taxes? If so, the WEP and GPO provisions might reduce your benefits. Just something to consider that nobody else mentioned yet.

I'm so confused about this whole 50% thing. Is it 50% of what he WOULD get at his FRA or 50% of what he WILL get when he actually files?? If he waits till 70 does that mean you get more too?? These rules make no sense!!!!!

One more important thing: make sure you compare what you'd get from your own work record vs. the ex-spouse benefit. SSA will pay you whichever is higher, not both. With 31 years of marriage but only part-time work, the ex-spouse benefit is likely higher, but it's worth checking. You can create an account at ssa.gov and see your own estimated benefit amount.

just wondering, does your ex know youre applying for this? do they notify him or anything? my ex would freak out if he knew i was getting money based on his record lol

make sure you bring EVERYTHING to your appointment!!! birth certificate, SS card, marriage license, divorce papers, tax returns, ID, everything!!! my friend forgot her divorce decree and had to reschedule and waited another 6 weeks for an appointment it was a nightmare

Just wanted to add one more tip from my experience - when you do get your appointment scheduled, ask the SSA representative to walk you through exactly how your benefit amount was calculated. They should be able to show you your ex's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) and confirm that you're getting the full 50% since you're filing at your FRA. I found it really helpful to understand the numbers, especially since there can be small variations based on cost-of-living adjustments and when your ex's earnings were recorded. Also, don't be surprised if your first payment takes a few extra weeks to arrive - mine was delayed because they had to verify some old employment records. Good luck with everything!

Just wanted to share my experience as someone who went through this exact situation last year! I was 67 when I filed for ex-spouse benefits, and my ex-husband was only 64 at the time. The SSA representative confirmed that I could absolutely file at my FRA without waiting for him to reach his or file his own benefits. The whole process took about 6 weeks from application to first payment. One thing I'd suggest is calling early in the morning (like 8 AM) to get through to SSA - I found the wait times were much shorter then. Also, when you do speak with them, ask specifically about filing a "restricted application" for spousal benefits if you haven't already filed for your own retirement benefits. This ensures you're getting the maximum amount possible. The peace of mind of having that steady income has been such a relief after years of uncertainty post-divorce. You've got this!

I'm going through something very similar! My divorce was finalized last year after 28 years of marriage, and I'm also about 2 years older than my ex. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea I could file at my FRA without waiting for him. I've been stressing about this for months thinking I'd have to wait until he turned 67. One question for those who have been through this process: did any of you run into issues with SSA initially telling you the wrong information? I'm worried about getting conflicting advice when I call. Also, has anyone tried the online application vs. in-person appointment? I'm wondering which route might be smoother. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - this community has been more helpful than any official resource I've found!

This is such a valuable discussion! I'm in a similar boat - divorced after 26 years, and I'm older than my ex-husband. What really stands out to me from everyone's experiences is how important it is to be prepared with ALL your documents and to be persistent with SSA. It sounds like the key points are crystal clear: 10+ year marriage (check for all of us), currently unmarried, you're 62+, and your ex is entitled to benefits even if he hasn't filed. The fact that multiple people here successfully filed at their FRA without waiting for their younger ex-spouses gives me so much confidence. I'm definitely going to try that early morning calling strategy and ask specifically about the "restricted application" approach. It's frustrating that we have to become experts on these rules ourselves, but this community support makes all the difference. Thank you everyone for sharing your real experiences!

This thread has been absolutely incredible! I'm a newcomer here but found this discussion while researching my own situation. I'm 64 and divorced after 22 years of marriage, with my ex being 3 years younger. I've been so confused about the timing requirements, but reading everyone's real experiences has cleared up so much uncertainty. The consistent message that you can file at YOUR FRA regardless of your ex's age or filing status is exactly what I needed to hear. I'm particularly grateful for the practical tips about document preparation, early morning calls to SSA, and asking specifically about "restricted applications." It's reassuring to see a community where people share actual experiences rather than just speculation. I'm feeling much more confident about moving forward with my application when I reach my FRA next year. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their stories - this kind of peer support is invaluable when navigating such a complex system!