Can I really get both my own Social Security retirement AND surviving divorced spouse benefits?
I'm so confused about a Social Security notice I just received. I'm 93 years old and have been collecting my own retirement benefits since I was in my 60s (currently $1,111/month). My ex-husband (we were married 12+ years) passed away in 2015, but I had no idea I might qualify for any benefits related to him until recently. We divorced back in 1991 when I was 59. I finally applied for widow's benefits in January 2025, and just got a Notice of Award saying I'm entitled to $787 as a widow's benefit "in addition to" my own benefit of $1,111. They gave me a retroactive payment of $5,409 for July 2024 through January 2025. This doesn't make sense to me. I thought Social Security only gives you the higher of the two benefits, not both. My own benefit ($1,111) is clearly higher than the widow's benefit ($787), so why did they give me retroactive payments? Was this a mistake? The notice just says they'll send both benefits on one check under my own number. I don't want to cash this check if it's an error that I'll have to pay back later. Has anyone else dealt with getting both types of benefits at once?
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GalacticGladiator
Your actually getting what's called a COMBINATION BENEFIT!!! it's not a mistake. U get your full retirement benefit PLUS a partial widow benefit that equals the difference between your benefit and what your ex's full benefit would have been. The notice is correct but they explain it terribly!!! Congrats on the extra $$$
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Aisha Hussain
•Are you sure? I thought it was an either/or situation. This is such a relief if true, but I'm still worried about cashing that check if they made a mistake. Why would they wait until I was 93 to tell me about this?
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Ethan Brown
The previous commenter is partially correct, but let me clarify how this works. You're entitled to your own retirement benefit plus a "partial" or "excess" surviving divorced spouse benefit. Basically, the SSA calculates it this way: 1. They determine what your surviving divorced spouse benefit would be if you hadn't earned your own benefit (likely around $1,898) 2. They subtract your own benefit ($1,111) from that amount 3. The difference ($787) is paid as an additional amount This is why you're getting both your $1,111 plus an additional $787. It's completely legitimate and you should definitely cash that check. The retroactive payment is because you were eligible for these benefits before you applied, and SSA can pay up to 6 months of retroactive survivor benefits. Many people don't realize they can qualify for both their own benefit and a partial surviving divorced spouse benefit. It's not a mistake.
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Aisha Hussain
•Thank you so much for explaining! I had no idea this was possible. So I've actually been missing out on this additional amount since he passed away in 2015? Is there any way to get more than 6 months of back pay?
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Ethan Brown
Unfortunately, you can only get up to 6 months of retroactive benefits for survivor claims, so you won't be able to receive payments going all the way back to 2015. This is a standard SSA limitation. The SSA generally doesn't proactively inform people about all the benefits they might be eligible for, which is why it's good practice to inquire about all possible benefits when life events occur (like an ex-spouse passing away).
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Yuki Yamamoto
•THIS is exactly why the SSA sucks!!!! They owe this lady YEARS of back benefits but they have this random 6 month rule?? My aunt lost out on thousands because nobody told her about widows benefits either. They should have to PAY PEOPLE what they are ENTITLED TO!!!!
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Carmen Ruiz
my neighbor had something similar happen. shes been getting both benefits for years now so its definitely not a mistake. just cash the check and enjoy the extra money!
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Andre Lefebvre
I'm trying to reach SS to ask about a similar situation for my mother, but I've been trying for WEEKS with no luck. Always busy signals or disconnects after hours on hold. This is so frustrating! Does anyone know how to actually get through to a real person? My mom might be missing out on benefits too.
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Zoe Dimitriou
•I was having the same issue last month trying to sort out my retirement application. After 3 failed attempts and getting disconnected after waiting for 2+ hours, I found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in under 20 minutes! They basically wait on hold for you and call you when an agent is ready. I was skeptical at first, but it worked perfectly. Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Saved me so much frustration, and the agent I spoke with was able to resolve my issue right away.
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Aisha Hussain
Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! I went ahead and deposited the check, and I've been told my monthly benefit will now include both amounts. I wish I had known about this years ago, but I'm grateful to at least be receiving the correct amount now. I appreciate all your explanations that helped me understand how this works.
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GalacticGladiator
•So happy for u!! Enjoy the extra $$$!!
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QuantumQuest
This thread has been really informative. I'm approaching retirement age myself and had no idea about these rules regarding divorced spouse benefits. Does anyone know if there are other benefit combinations I should be aware of? I was married for 22 years before divorcing, and my ex is still alive but already collecting Social Security.
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Ethan Brown
•If you were married for at least 10 years (which you were), you may be eligible for divorced spouse benefits on your ex's record if you're at least 62 and unmarried. The benefit would be up to 50% of your ex's full retirement amount. However, similar to the combination benefit discussed above, you'll only receive the higher of either your own benefit or the divorced spouse benefit - not both simultaneously while your ex is still living. The situation changes once an ex-spouse passes away (as in the original poster's case), which is when the surviving divorced spouse benefit rules come into play and allow for the combination benefit. I recommend making an appointment with SSA to go over all your options when you're ready to claim benefits. Different claiming strategies can significantly impact your lifetime benefits.
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