Can both ex-wife and current spouse claim Social Security survivor benefits from same deceased husband?

Yes, both your mother and stepmother CAN potentially receive survivor benefits based on your father's record. This is one of the few situations where Social Security allows multiple people to collect on one person's record. Here are the requirements: - Your mother: Must have been married to him for at least 10 years, be at least 60 years old (50 if disabled), and not currently married (or remarried after age 60) - Your stepmother: As the widow who was married to him at the time of death, she qualifies as long as she's at least 60 (50 if disabled) or caring for his child under 16 Both women would receive their own survivor benefit amount based on your father's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), their ages when they claim, and other factors. It doesn't reduce either benefit that both are collecting.

my friend had this EXACT situation!!! both her mom and stepmom got survivors benefits from her dad. they both had to apply seperately and neither one knew about the other one getting benefits until later! SSA doesnt tell them

I work as a benefits counselor, and this is absolutely correct. Multiple survivors can collect on one worker's record as long as they each qualify under their own circumstances. The key points: 1. Ex-spouse survivor benefits require the 10-year marriage duration, which your mother meets 2. Current spouse survivor benefits have no duration requirement, though your stepmother clearly meets it with 24 years 3. Neither benefit reduces the other - they're calculated separately 4. Each must apply separately (Form SSA-10) 5. Both will need your father's death certificate and their marriage certificates 6. Your mother will also need the divorce decree Both should apply as soon as possible, as benefits are only backdated 6 months from application date at most.

I went through this with my mom. Getting through to Social Security is NIGHTMARE right now. My mom tried for 3 weeks and kept getting disconnected. She finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through - they call SSA and when they reach a live agent, they connect you. Saved her hours of frustration. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once she got through, the agent was actually very helpful about the survivor benefits process. Make sure both women have all their documents ready when they call - especially marriage and divorce paperwork, as SSA will need to verify both relationships.

wait so if a guy has like 5 ex wives who were all married to him for over 10 years they ALL can get survivors benefits??? seems like a loophole lol

what you need to know is that survivor benefits can be up to 100% of what he was getting (if claimed at FRA) so tell both of them not to claim early if they dont have to!!!! claiming at 60 means only 71.5% of his benefit forever!!!! big difference

my husband died in january and im STILL waiting for survivors benefit to start!!! applied right away and its been complete chaos. SS kept saying they needed more documents even after i sent everything. so frustrating! make sure they keep copies of EVERYTHING they submit and get names of anyone they talk to!!!

they both qualify BUT tell them to check if they get more from their OWN ss benefits. survivor benefits only make sense if your dad's amount is bigger than their own. my mom got widows benefits for 2 months until ssa realized her own benefit was $47 more. they switched her automatically

I'm sorry for your loss, Ravi. This is such a complex situation to navigate while grieving. From what I understand, both your mother and stepmother can indeed receive survivor benefits simultaneously - this is one of the unique aspects of Social Security where multiple beneficiaries can draw from the same worker's record without reducing each other's benefits. Since your mom meets the 10-year marriage requirement and never remarried, and your stepmother was married to your father at the time of his death, they each have independent claims. The key is that they'll need to apply separately and provide all the required documentation (death certificate, marriage certificates, divorce decree for your mom). One thing to consider is timing - if your stepmother is only 62, she might benefit from waiting closer to her full retirement age to avoid the reduction in benefits, unless she needs the income now. Your mom at 67 should be able to claim the full survivor benefit amount. I'd recommend both of them create accounts on my.ssa.gov first to check their estimated benefits and see if survivor benefits would be higher than their own retirement benefits. The online portal can also help streamline the application process.

I'm really sorry for your loss, Ravi. Losing a parent is never easy, and dealing with Social Security paperwork on top of grieving makes it even harder. The good news is that yes, both your mom and stepmother can absolutely receive survivor benefits from your father's record. This is actually more common than people realize. Since your dad was married to your mom for 15 years (well over the 10-year requirement) and she never remarried, she qualifies for ex-spouse survivor benefits. Your stepmother qualifies as the surviving spouse since she was married to him when he passed. A few practical tips from someone who's been through this process: - Both need to apply separately using Form SSA-10 - Have all documents ready: death certificate, marriage certificates, and the divorce decree for your mom - Consider the timing - your mom at 67 can get the full benefit, but your stepmother at 62 would only get about 81% if she claims now - They should both check their own Social Security benefits first on my.ssa.gov to make sure survivor benefits are actually higher The hardest part might be getting through to Social Security by phone. Be patient and persistent, or consider using one of those callback services others mentioned. Both women deserve these benefits - your father earned them through his years of work. Take care of yourself during this difficult time.

I'm so sorry for the loss of your father, Ravi. This is already such a difficult time, and navigating Social Security benefits adds another layer of stress. The good news is that both your mother and stepmother can indeed receive survivor benefits from your father's record simultaneously. This is one of the few situations where multiple people can draw benefits from the same worker without affecting each other's amounts. Your mother qualifies for divorced spouse survivor benefits since she was married to your father for 15 years (exceeding the 10-year requirement) and never remarried. Your stepmother qualifies as the surviving widow since she was married to him at the time of his death. A few important things to keep in mind: - They must apply separately (Form SSA-10) - SSA doesn't automatically know about both relationships - Required documents: death certificate, marriage certificates, and divorce decree for your mom - Both should first check their own benefit estimates on my.ssa.gov to ensure survivor benefits would be higher than their own retirement benefits - Timing matters: your mom at 67 can receive 100% of the survivor benefit, but your stepmother at 62 would only receive about 81% if she claims now Given the current challenges with reaching SSA by phone, I'd recommend they try the online application process first, or consider using a callback service if they need to speak with someone directly. Your father worked hard to earn these benefits, and both women are entitled to them. Take care of yourself during this difficult process.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Ravi. Dealing with Social Security paperwork while grieving is incredibly difficult, but you're asking all the right questions. Yes, both your mother and stepmother can absolutely receive survivor benefits from your father's record. This is one of those situations where Social Security actually works in favor of families - multiple survivors can collect without reducing each other's benefits. Here's what you need to know: - Your mom qualifies as a divorced spouse (15-year marriage exceeds the 10-year minimum, and she never remarried) - Your stepmom qualifies as the surviving widow (married at time of death) - Both must apply separately using Form SSA-10 - Each will need: death certificate, their marriage certificate, and your mom will also need the divorce decree Important timing consideration: Your mom at 67 can get 100% of the survivor benefit, but your stepmom at 62 would only get about 81% if she claims now. If your stepmom can wait until her full retirement age (around 66-67), she'd get the full amount. Before applying, both should check their own benefit estimates on my.ssa.gov to make sure survivor benefits would actually be higher than their own retirement benefits. The process can be frustrating with phone wait times, but don't give up. Your father worked hard for these benefits, and both women are entitled to them. Take care of yourself during this difficult time.

I'm deeply sorry for your loss, Ravi. Losing a parent is never easy, and having to navigate Social Security benefits during such a difficult time adds extra stress to an already overwhelming situation. The great news is that both your mother and stepmother can absolutely receive survivor benefits from your father's record simultaneously. This is actually one of the more family-friendly aspects of Social Security - multiple qualified survivors can draw benefits without reducing what the others receive. Your situation breaks down like this: - Your mom qualifies for divorced spouse survivor benefits (married 15 years, which exceeds the 10-year requirement, and never remarried) - Your stepmother qualifies as the surviving widow (married to your father at the time of his death) Both will need to apply separately using Form SSA-10 and provide the necessary documentation: death certificate, their respective marriage certificates, and your mom will also need the divorce decree. One crucial point about timing: your mom at 67 can receive the full 100% survivor benefit, but your stepmother at 62 would only receive about 81% if she claims immediately. If your stepmother can afford to wait until closer to her full retirement age (66-67), she'd get significantly more. Before either applies, I'd strongly recommend they both check their own estimated benefits on my.ssa.gov to ensure the survivor benefits would actually be higher than their own retirement benefits - SSA pays whichever is higher, but not both. Your father earned these benefits through years of hard work, and both women are absolutely entitled to them. Take care of yourself during this process.