Can I get 6 months retroactive ex-spouse Social Security benefits when applying separately?

Yes, you're absolutely correct about the 6-month retroactive benefits! When you apply for divorced spouse benefits, SSA can pay you for up to 6 months retroactively from your application date, as long as you were already eligible during those months. Since you've been receiving your own retirement since January, and you meet the length-of-marriage requirement (10+ years), you should qualify for those retroactive payments if the ex-spouse benefit amount is higher than your own benefit. Make sure to specifically request the retroactive benefits during your appointment. Bring certified copies of your marriage certificate and divorce decree to the appointment - they will definitely need those documents.

This exact thing happened to me!!! The online system is SO CONFUSING. I also thought applying for retirement would automatically consider my ex-spouse benefits, but NOPE! I had to schedule another appointment and start all over. And yes, I got 6 months retroactive from when I finally applied for the ex-spouse benefits. Make sure you bring EVERY document you can think of - marriage certificate, divorce decree, tax returns from when you were married, anything! My appointment got rescheduled TWICE because I didn't have all the right paperwork the first time. The whole process took me almost 4 months to resolve. Good luck!!

I went through this in 2024 and discovered something important: there are TWO different retroactive payment situations. First is the 6-month retroactive for divorced spouse benefits that others mentioned. But there's also potentially retroactive benefits for the months between when you were ELIGIBLE and when you APPLIED. This gets complicated with the deemed filing rules depending on your age. If you were full retirement age when you applied for your own benefits in January, you might be eligible for more than just 6 months retroactive! The rules changed in 2015 with deemed filing, so it depends on your birth year. Bring all documentation proving marriage length, your ex's DOB if you know it, and divorce papers. During your appointment, specifically ask them to explain all potential retroactive benefit options in your specific case.

I ran into the exact same problem last year! The SSA online system should really be clearer about this. Even though you provided your ex's information during your initial application, they process divorced spouse benefits as a completely separate benefit application. And yes, you can definitely request retroactive benefits for up to 6 months from your application date for the divorced spouse benefit. One IMPORTANT tip: if the benefit amount on your ex's record is higher than your own, they'll basically give you a "top up" to reach the higher amount. You won't get both full benefits combined. Bring certified copies of both marriage and divorce certificates to your appointment. They may also want proof you haven't remarried (usually just a signed statement). Hope this helps!

just wanted to say thank u for posting this bc i didnt know this either! been getting ss for 3 yrs on my record and nobody ever told me i could get ex spouse benefits too. gonna call tomorrow to make an appointment!!

Have you tried calling SSA to schedule your appointment? I know their phone lines are always jammed, which makes the process even more frustrating. When I was trying to resolve my spousal benefits issue, I discovered a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to a live SSA agent without the hours-long wait. It basically holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me so much time and frustration! You can see how it works at claimyr.com or check out this video demo: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Especially useful since you need to ask specific questions about those retroactive benefits that might be hard to get answered otherwise.

I just went thru this whole process and its SO FRUSTRATING! The rules r different dependin on ur age & when u apply & if ur ex is already collecting. Make sure u ask specifically about GPO/WEP with ur pension - that might b why they didn't process it before? My sisters benefit got reduced to almost nothing bcuz of her teacher pension. Something about "double dipping" the govt says. But definitely ask for backdating 6 months, they won't offer it unless u ask!!!

my sister got denied for 6 mo back pay cuz they said she shoulda known to apply separate. fight for ur rights! the system is designed to confuse us seniors!!

Just to clarify a few important points about your situation: 1. Yes, you can receive up to 6 months of retroactive benefits when applying for divorced spouse benefits. 2. If you're already FRA (which it sounds like you are), you can file a "restricted application" for just divorced spouse benefits if that would be advantageous. 3. GPO will reduce your divorced spouse benefits by 2/3 of your government pension amount. If this reduction would eliminate your divorced spouse benefit entirely, that might be why they didn't process it automatically. 4. Bring your marriage certificate, divorce decree, and information about your pension to the appointment. 5. Ask specifically about all filing strategies available at your age, including retroactive benefits and restricted applications if applicable. The rules get complex at the intersection of divorced benefits and government pensions, so be prepared with specific questions during your appointment.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! Just want to add that when you go to your appointment, make sure to ask them to explain exactly how they calculate the GPO reduction with your specific pension amount. With a $2,750 monthly pension, the GPO would reduce any divorced spouse benefit by about $1,833 (2/3 of $2,750). So your ex-spouse benefit would need to be higher than that amount for you to receive anything. Also, even if the GPO eliminates your current divorced spouse benefit, it's still worth filing because if your ex-spouse passes away first, survivor benefits have different calculation rules and might not be completely eliminated by GPO. The SSA representative should be able to run all these scenarios for you during your appointment. Don't let them rush you - make sure you understand all the numbers before you leave!

I went through this exact same situation about 8 months ago! The SSA online system is definitely confusing about divorced spouse benefits. You're right about the 6-month retroactive payments - just make sure you specifically ask for them during your appointment because they won't automatically offer it. One thing I learned is that even though you provided your ex's info during your initial application, they treat divorced spouse benefits as a completely separate application process. It's frustrating but that's how their system works. Given your state pension amount that others mentioned, the GPO might reduce your divorced spouse benefit significantly, but it's still worth applying to get the official calculation. Also, bring extra copies of all your documents (marriage certificate, divorce decree, etc.) because sometimes they want to keep copies for their files. The whole process took me about 3 months to complete, but I did get my retroactive payments once everything was approved. Good luck with your appointment!

I just wanted to thank everyone for all this incredibly helpful information! As someone who's been navigating the SSA system for the first time, this thread has been a goldmine. I had no idea that divorced spouse benefits required a completely separate application - the online system really should make this clearer. Reading about everyone's experiences with the 6-month retroactive benefits and the GPO calculations has helped me understand what to expect. I'm definitely going to print out some of these responses to reference during my appointment. It's so frustrating that we have to become experts in all these rules just to get the benefits we're entitled to, but at least we can help each other figure it out. This community is amazing!

I'm going through something very similar right now! I applied for my own Social Security benefits last year and also provided all my ex-husband's information during the online application. Like you, I was surprised they never asked for marriage or divorce certificates at that time. It wasn't until I called about an unrelated issue that I discovered I needed to file a completely separate application for divorced spouse benefits. I have my appointment scheduled for next month. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - especially learning about the 6-month retroactive benefits and how GPO might affect the calculations. I'm also a former government employee, so I'm expecting the pension offset to significantly reduce any potential divorced spouse benefit. But like others have mentioned, it's still worth applying to get the official numbers and understand all my options. I'm definitely going to ask specifically about retroactive payments and bring certified copies of all my documents. It's frustrating that the SSA system isn't more integrated, but at least we can learn from each other's experiences. Thanks for posting this question - it's helping more people than you probably realize!

I'm a newcomer here but this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea that divorced spouse benefits required a separate application - I thought the SSA would automatically consider all benefit options when you applied. Reading everyone's experiences makes me realize I should probably check my own situation. I've been receiving my Social Security for about 8 months now and was married for 12 years before my divorce in 2018. The fact that so many people have encountered this same issue really highlights a problem with how the SSA communicates these requirements. It seems like they should either automatically process both applications when you provide ex-spouse information, or at least clearly explain that a separate application is needed. Thank you to everyone for sharing your knowledge - this community is such a valuable resource for navigating these complex government systems!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm shocked by how many people have encountered this exact same issue! I've been lurking here for a while but felt compelled to create an account after reading this thread. I'm in a very similar situation - received my retirement benefits starting in February and provided all my ex-husband's information during the online application, only to discover through reading posts like this that I need a separate application for divorced spouse benefits! We were married for 13 years and divorced in 2012. I had absolutely no idea this was a separate process. The SSA website really needs to be clearer about this - it's obviously a widespread confusion. I'm calling tomorrow to schedule my appointment and will definitely ask about the 6-month retroactive benefits based on everyone's advice here. This community has been more helpful than hours of trying to navigate the official SSA resources. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and helping newcomers like me understand this complicated system!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this thread incredibly valuable! I'm in almost the exact same situation - started collecting my retirement benefits in December 2024 and provided my ex-husband's information during the online application, thinking SSA would handle everything automatically. We were married for 11 years before divorcing in 2015, and I've remained single. Like many others here, I had no idea that divorced spouse benefits required a completely separate application! I'm also a former state employee with a government pension, so the GPO discussion has been particularly enlightening. It sounds like my pension might significantly reduce any potential divorced spouse benefit, but based on everyone's advice, it's still worth applying to get the official calculation. I'm calling SSA tomorrow to schedule my appointment and will definitely ask specifically about the 6-month retroactive benefits. This community has taught me more in one thread than months of trying to decipher the official SSA website. Thank you all for being so generous with sharing your experiences - it's clear this is a widespread issue that SSA really needs to address in their system design!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm amazed at how many people have experienced this exact same issue! I just joined after reading through this incredibly helpful thread. I'm in a nearly identical situation - started receiving my Social Security retirement benefits in October 2024 and provided all my ex-wife's information during the online application process, assuming SSA would automatically consider both my own benefits and any potential divorced spouse benefits. We were married for 14 years before our divorce in 2019, and I've remained unmarried since then. Like so many others here, I had absolutely no idea that divorced spouse benefits required a completely separate application! The SSA online system really should make this much clearer - it's obviously causing widespread confusion among applicants. Based on all the valuable advice shared here, I'm going to call SSA this week to schedule an appointment for divorced spouse benefits and will specifically ask about the 6-month retroactive payments. I'll also start gathering certified copies of my marriage and divorce certificates right away. This thread has been more informative than anything I've found on the official SSA website. Thank you to everyone for sharing your experiences and helping newcomers like me understand this complicated process!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely stunned by how many people have encountered this exact same issue! I just created an account after reading through this incredibly informative thread. I'm in a very similar situation - I started receiving my Social Security retirement benefits in November 2024 and, like so many others here, provided all my ex-husband's information during the online application, fully expecting SSA to automatically process both my retirement benefits and any potential divorced spouse benefits. We were married for 16 years before divorcing in 2017, and I've remained single since then. I had absolutely no clue that divorced spouse benefits required a completely separate application process! The fact that this thread has attracted so many people with nearly identical experiences really exposes a serious flaw in how SSA communicates these requirements. Their online system should either automatically process both applications when ex-spouse information is provided, or at the very least, clearly explain that a separate application is necessary. Based on all the excellent advice shared here, I'm calling SSA first thing Monday morning to schedule my divorced spouse benefits appointment and will specifically ask about the 6-month retroactive payments. I'm also going to start gathering certified copies of my marriage and divorce certificates this weekend. This community thread has been exponentially more helpful than anything I've found on the official SSA website or through their customer service. Thank you to everyone for sharing your experiences and creating such a supportive resource for navigating this confusing system!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful to have found this thread! I just joined after discovering I'm in the exact same situation as so many others here. I started receiving my Social Security retirement benefits in January 2025 and provided all my ex-wife's information during the online application, assuming SSA would automatically consider divorced spouse benefits. We were married for 12 years before our divorce in 2020, and I've remained single. Like everyone else, I had no idea this required a separate application! Reading through all these experiences has been both enlightening and frustrating - it's clear there's a major systematic problem with how SSA handles this information. The fact that so many people have had nearly identical experiences really shows this isn't user error but a serious gap in their system design. Based on all the excellent advice shared here, I'm calling SSA tomorrow to schedule my divorced spouse benefits appointment and will specifically ask about the 6-month retroactive payments. I'm also gathering my certified marriage and divorce documents right away. This community has provided more useful information in one thread than months of trying to navigate the official SSA website. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and helping newcomers like me understand this complicated process!