Can I receive Social Security survivor benefits from first husband while second husband is still alive?

There's no such thing as a 'projection matrix' in Social Security benefits - they might have been referring to a benefit projection statement or calculation. But regarding your actual question: Yes, you might be eligible for divorced survivor benefits based on your first husband's record! Since you were married for more than 10 years before divorcing and you haven't remarried before age 60, you could potentially claim survivor benefits from your first husband's record while your current husband is still alive. The fact that you remarried after 60 makes you eligible. Call the SSA to discuss your specific situation though - their rules can get complicated, especially with the timing.

im 90% sure u cant get benefits from an ex if ur married now, gotta be single to claim exs benefits. my aunt tried this and got denied. projection matrix sounds like math homework lol

I work with retirees navigating Social Security and see this situation frequently. There's an important distinction here that causes confusion: the rules for divorced spousal benefits vs. divorced survivor benefits are different. In your case, since your first husband passed away, we're talking about survivor benefits. Here's what matters: 1. You were married 12 years (over the 10-year minimum) 2. You remarried after age 60 (based on timeline) You WOULD be eligible to claim survivor benefits from your first husband's record even while currently married. However, the optimal strategy depends on several factors: - Your own work record - Your current husband's benefit amount - Your first husband's benefit amount One common approach is to take the survivor benefit at 60-FRA while letting your own retirement benefit grow until 70 (or vice versa). This is called a restricted application strategy and can significantly increase lifetime benefits.

Yes, the SSA maintains those records indefinitely. BUT - since you mentioned you were a teacher, this is crucial information! If you receive a pension from work not covered by Social Security (many teacher pensions fall in this category), you might be subject to the Government Pension Offset (GPO) which could reduce or eliminate survivor benefits. You absolutely need personalized advice on this situation.

EVERYONE LISTEN UP! The SSA deliberately makes this stuff confusing so you'll miss out on benefits you're entitled to!!!! I went through something similar and found out I'd missed out on THOUSANDS because no one at SSA bothered to tell me about survivor options after my ex died. The GPO is a SCAM to steal benefits from public servants. 😡😡😡

If you're having trouble reaching someone at SSA, check out Claimyr (claimyr.com). My sister had a similar situation with complex survivor questions and was going crazy trying to get through to SSA. Claimyr got her connected to a real person in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - Saved her hours of frustration and she got all her questions answered in one call.

I used it last month after spending 3 days trying to get through on my own. It worked exactly as advertised - had a real person on the line in about 15 minutes. Definitely worth it when you have complex questions that can't be answered on the website.

Thank you everyone for the helpful advice! I'm going to try to reach SSA to get specific information about my situation. I'll ask about: 1. If I'm eligible for survivor benefits from my first husband despite being remarried 2. How my teacher pension affects things (GPO) 3. Whether I should take survivor benefits now and my own benefits later or vice versa Wish me luck navigating this maze!

One last tip - when you talk to SSA, ask them to run a benefits calculation called the "maximize my benefits" scenario, where they look at all possible filing strategies. Also, request a copy of your deceased ex-husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) - that's the base figure they'll use for your potential survivor benefit before any reductions. Good luck, and feel free to come back with questions after your call!