Can I claim my deceased ex-husband's Social Security after remarrying at 52? Retiring at FRA next year

Yes, you absolutely CAN claim survivor benefits based on your first husband's record! The rule is that if you remarry after age 60 (or age 50 if disabled), you can still get survivor benefits. But since you remarried at age 52 and weren't disabled (from what you've shared), unfortunately you don't qualify for survivor benefits on your first husband's record. Your options now are: 1. Take your own retirement benefit of $1,500/month 2. Look into spousal benefits based on your current husband's record (potentially up to 50% of his benefit amount) I would suggest scheduling an appointment with your local SSA office to discuss which would be more advantageous for your specific situation.

Theres a loophole u might want to look at!! my cousin got remarried at 55 and she got divorced from 2nd husband after 3 years, then she was able to claim her 1st husbands SS benefits!! so if ur 2nd marriage doesnt work out u can still get those survivor benefits from husband #1. not saying get divorced but just fyi

Sorry to hear about your loss. I'm in a similar situation and it's so confusing! I'm wondering though - have you checked if you can get spousal benefits on your current husband's record? Might be worth looking into that as an alternative?

To add to what others have said - the remarriage age threshold is very strict with Social Security survivor benefits. Since you remarried at 52, which is before the age 60 cutoff (or age 50 if disabled), you unfortunately cannot receive survivor benefits on your first husband's record while you're married to your current husband. You should definitely compare these two options: 1. Your own retirement benefit ($1,500/month) 2. Spousal benefit based on your current husband's record (up to 50% of his PIA) Also, keep in mind that if your current marriage were to end, you could become eligible again for survivor benefits from your first husband. For most accurate information, I recommend setting up an appointment with SSA to review your specific earnings record and all available options.

I was in a similar situation last year trying to get answers from SSA about survivor benefits. After weeks of busy signals and disconnected calls, I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real person at SSA in about 15 minutes instead of spending hours on hold. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU It was such a relief to finally talk to someone who could answer my specific questions about my late husband's benefits. The agent was able to look up both our records and give me definitive answers rather than me trying to interpret the rules on my own.

Thank you all for the responses. I've scheduled an appointment at my local SSA office for next month (earliest they had). I'm still disappointed that I can't access my first husband's benefits, especially since we were married for so long and he paid into the system for over 35 years. I'm also wondering if there would be any advantage to delaying my retirement beyond FRA to increase my own benefit amount? Would the 8% per year increase make a significant difference?

just wondering did ur first husband have kids? my sister gets benefits for her kids from their dad who passed away even tho she remarried

This is why I never remarried after my husband died! I knew I'd lose his higher SS benefit. My sister's financial advisor told her never to remarry before 60 for this exact reason. Seems so unfair they penalize people for finding love again!

I'm sorry you're dealing with this frustrating situation! As a newcomer here, I've been reading through everyone's responses and learning so much. It really does seem unfair that the remarriage age cutoff is so strict - 52 vs 60 shouldn't make such a huge difference when you were married to your first husband for over two decades. One thing I'm curious about - have you considered whether it might be worth consulting with a Social Security claiming strategy specialist or fee-only financial planner who specializes in SS benefits? Sometimes they can spot options or strategies that aren't immediately obvious. Given the potential difference between your $1,500 benefit and what could have been $2,900, it might be worth the consultation fee to make sure you're not missing anything. Also, regarding the delayed retirement credits you asked about - that 8% annual increase is guaranteed and inflation-protected for life, which is pretty rare these days. If you're in good health and can afford to wait, it might be worth running the numbers on delaying at least a year or two. Good luck with your SSA appointment next month!