Can I receive unemployment and Social Security ex-spouse benefits at the same time until SS payments begin?

This is a tricky situation that depends on your state's unemployment rules. In most states, you DO need to report that you've applied for Social Security benefits, but you don't necessarily have to stop claiming unemployment until you receive your first SS payment. However, depending on your state, your unemployment benefit amount might be reduced by any SS benefits you're ELIGIBLE to receive, even if you haven't received them yet. I'd recommend checking with your state unemployment office specifically about their rules on Social Security and unemployment overlap.

I went thru same thing last yr. kept getting unemployment til my ss started. nobody said anything to me about it being wrong

Did you apply for regular retirement benefits or disability? Because the rules are COMPLETELY different for SSDI vs retirement benefits when it comes to unemployment!!!! Most states won't let you get both SSDI and unemployment because for disability you're saying you CANNOT work but for unemployment you're saying you CAN work. But retirement is different since you're allowed to work while getting retirement benefits up to certain income limits.

When I got my retirement last year, I had a gap between applying and actually getting paid. The payment ended up being retroactive to my eligibility date. So even if you stop unemployment now, you might get that same back pay from Social Security to cover the gap. Just something to consider when making your decision.

You should absolutely call Social Security directly to ask about this! I was on hold for HOURS trying to get this exact question answered last year. Then I found this service called Claimyr that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in like 20 minutes. You can check them out at claimyr.com - they have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Seriously saved me so much frustration. The SSA agent I talked to explained exactly how the transition from unemployment to SS should work.

To give you a more technical answer about your specific situation: When collecting ex-spousal benefits, the official rule is that you need to report your Social Security application to unemployment immediately. However, in practical terms, most state unemployment systems won't automatically terminate your unemployment benefits until Social Security shows up as actual income received. What's most important is: 1. You've already properly reported your SS application to unemployment (which you mentioned you did) 2. You understand that once your first Social Security payment arrives (including any retroactive amounts), you must immediately report that income to unemployment 3. Be prepared that if there is any retroactive Social Security payment that overlaps with weeks you received unemployment, you may need to repay some unemployment benefits Given you've already reported the application, continuing to claim unemployment until your first SS payment arrives is generally considered acceptable practice as long as you're still actively seeking work and meeting all other unemployment requirements.

my sister had kinda the same problem but she got her first check faster then u. dont they give u a lump sum for the months u waited???

also be careful bout how much money u can make on SS. I think its like $22,500 for 2025 before they take some away if ur under your full retirement age.

Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I'm going to: 1) Call my state unemployment office to confirm their specific rules, 2) Use that Claimyr service to reach Social Security without waiting hours, and 3) Continue job searching while making sure I report everything correctly. It sounds like I should be able to keep receiving unemployment until my Social Security payments actually begin as long as I've reported everything properly. I'll update this thread once I get official answers from both offices in case it helps someone else in the future!