Can Social Security tell me if my ex-spouse is collecting on my record? Does SSA notify exes about benefits?

first thing - ur ex collecting has ZERO impact on ur benefits! they get their own payment and it doesn't reduce yours at all. SSA never notifies exs about being able to collect - its up to each person to know the rules and apply. And yea they go by final divorce date not separation.

To directly answer your questions: 1. No, there's no way for you to find out if your ex-spouse is collecting benefits on your record. The Social Security Administration treats this as private information protected by the Privacy Act. They will not disclose benefit information about your ex to you, nor your information to them. 2. Your benefits are NOT affected if your ex-spouse collects on your record. Their benefit has absolutely no impact on your payment amount. 3. The SSA does NOT automatically notify ex-spouses about their potential eligibility. It's entirely the individual's responsibility to apply. Many people miss out on these benefits simply because they don't know they're eligible. 4. You're correct that they use the date the divorce was finalized. For ex-spouse benefits, the marriage must have lasted at least 10 years before the final divorce date. So if you were legally married for 9 years but the divorce took 2 years to finalize (11 years total), the SSA would consider it a 11-year marriage.

The whole ex-spouse benefit thing is SO confusing!!! I went through this last year and spent WEEKS trying to figure it all out. No one tells you ANYTHING! And trying to get someone at Social Security on the phone? IMPOSSIBLE. I called for THREE DAYS straight and kept getting disconnected or waiting hours just to get cut off!!!

my cousin just went thru this! she wasnt getting any benefits then found out at 68 she coulda been collecting on her ex for like 6 years already! nobody told her nothing, her friend at church mentioned it by accident. she got benefits but missed out on all that backpay cuz SS only goes back 6 months when u apply late. system is mess.

Let me clarify a few technical points about ex-spouse benefits that often cause confusion: 1. When you divorced in 2016 after being married for 11 years total, your ex would be eligible for divorced spouse benefits if they're at least 62 and unmarried. 2. If your ex hasn't applied for benefits yet but is eligible based on age, they could receive up to 50% of your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) if that exceeds what they'd get on their own record. 3. The Full Retirement Age (FRA) for ex-spouse benefits is the same as for retirement benefits - claiming early reduces the percentage they receive. 4. The Government Pension Offset (GPO) might reduce their benefits if they receive a pension from work not covered by Social Security. 5. Most importantly: there is absolutely no reduction to your benefit amount regardless of whether your ex claims on your record. As for notification, SSA has no systematic process for identifying and notifying potentially eligible ex-spouses. This is why many people miss out on benefits they're entitled to receive.

I GOT SO CONFUSED about all this divorce benefit stuff!!! My ex and I were only married 8 years so I didn't qualify anyway, but the lady at Social Security told me they NEVER tell people about ex-spouse benefits - it's totally on you to know about it!!!! Seems really unfair especially for older folks who don't use the internet much!!!!! 😠😠😠

btw i heard somewhere that if ur ex dies you can get survivor benefits instead of just the 50% divorced spouse thing and its higher like 100% of what they got...anybody know if thats true? asking for my sister

Something nobody's mentioned yet - if your ex hasn't reached their Full Retirement Age (FRA) and is still working while collecting benefits on your record, they might be subject to the earnings test. If they earn above the annual limit ($22,750 in 2025), their benefits could be reduced by $1 for every $2 they earn above that limit. This doesn't affect your benefits, just theirs. Also, the divorce has to have been finalized at least 2 years ago for them to collect on your record if you haven't filed for your own benefits yet. Since you're already collecting, this 2-year waiting period doesn't apply in your situation.

Just to share my experience - I had a horrible time trying to figure all this out when I was applying for benefits on my ex's record. The SSA website is confusing, and getting someone on the phone was nearly impossible. Once I finally got through to SSA, the person I spoke with was very helpful and walked me through everything. But it took weeks of frustration to reach that point. For what it's worth, no, they never contacted me about being eligible for ex-spouse benefits. I only found out from a financial advisor who happened to mention it during a consultation about retirement planning.

i forgot to mention - when ur ex applies for benefits on ur record, you will NEVER get any kind of notification from SSA. they wont tell u that someone filed on ur record or is getting paid based on ur work. complete privacy both ways. they take that super serious.