Can I collect from both my own Social Security and my ex-spouse's benefits, or just the higher amount?

You don't get both - you get the higher of the two. If your ex-spouse's benefit would give you more than your own work record, then you'd get that amount instead of your own benefit. But there's a strategy here: you could take your ex-spouse's benefit at your full retirement age and let your own benefit grow until 70 if your own would be higher by then with the delayed retirement credits. I struggled with this exact same issue last year. Spent WEEKS trying to get through to Social Security to get a straight answer. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real person at SSA in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent explained everything clearly and helped me figure out which option was best in my situation. Worth every penny to save the frustration!

yes i went through this 2 yrs ago u just get the higher one not both sorry

Social Security rules for ex-spouse benefits can be confusing, but here's how it works: 1. You don't receive both benefits simultaneously. SSA will pay your own retirement benefit first, then supplement it if your ex-spouse's benefit would be higher. 2. To qualify for ex-spouse benefits: - Marriage lasted at least 10 years (you qualify with 23 years) - You must be unmarried currently - You must be at least 62 - Your ex must be entitled to benefits (doesn't need to be claiming them) 3. The maximum you can receive on your ex's record is 50% of his full retirement age benefit amount. 4. If you claim before your Full Retirement Age (FRA), both your own benefit and the ex-spouse benefit will be permanently reduced. 5. Importantly, if your ex hasn't filed yet but is eligible, you can still claim on his record if you've been divorced for at least 2 years. I would recommend scheduling an appointment with SSA to get a personalized analysis. They can calculate exact amounts based on both earnings records.

Whichever is higher. But be careful! My sister thought she'd get her ex's and did all the paperwork only to find out she made $237 too much in some random year in the 90s to qualify or something ridiculous like that. The whole system is designed to confuse people and deny benefits if you ask me.

just went thrugh this exact thing but m still working part time. Social security only give you the higher of the two benefits not both added together. I was so disappointed because I was counting on both!!! They should make this more clear on their website!!

I have a similar question aobut my situation. My husband passed away last year and I'm getting survivor benefits now (I'm 60). When I reach 62 next year, can I switch to my own SS if it's higher? Or once I start survivor benefits am I stuck with that forever? The whole system is SO CONFUSING!!!

Here's the technical explanation of what happens: SSA doesn't actually give you "whichever is higher" in the way most people think. What actually happens is you receive your own retirement benefit first, and then if your spousal benefit would be higher, you receive an additional amount to bring the total up to the higher benefit level. From SSA's perspective, you're receiving both benefits, but you're only getting the differential amount from the second benefit. That's why people say "you get the higher of the two" as a simplification, though it's not technically how the system calculates it. This is important because it affects how certain reductions and increases are applied. For example, if you're subject to the Government Pension Offset or Windfall Elimination Provision, understanding how the benefits are actually calculated becomes crucial. At your age (64), taking benefits now means accepting a permanent reduction of approximately 13.3% from your full retirement age amount. If maximizing monthly income is important, you might consider waiting until your full retirement age.

my friend told me if u call the SS office directly they'll tell u the exact amount you'll get on your record vs your ex. save u all the trouble of guessing

Just wanted to update that I ended up using Claimyr this afternoon after seeing so many people mention long hold times. It really did work! Got connected to a Social Security rep in about 15 minutes. The rep confirmed that in my case, my own benefit would be slightly higher than the ex-spouse benefit, so I'll be going with that when I reach my full retirement age next year. Such a relief to have a clear answer finally!