Can my 86-year-old mom claim ex-spouse survivor benefits 10 years after my dad died?

Yes, your mother might be eligible for divorced widow's benefits! Since they were married for over 10 years (35 years is well over the minimum), and she's currently unmarried, she could potentially receive benefits based on your father's earnings record if they're higher than her current benefit. The 10-year delay isn't necessarily a problem for eligibility, but it does impact potential retroactive benefits - SSA typically only allows 6 months of retroactive payments for survivor benefits. She should contact Social Security immediately to see if his benefit amount would be higher than what she's currently receiving.

my neighbor went thru this exact same thing!!! her ex died and she didnt know for 3 yrs she could get higher payments. SSA never told her nothing about it, she found out from her hairdresser believe it or not. She got switched to the ex's benefit but only got like 5 months backpay even tho he was dead for years. she was FURIOUS

There's a critical detail you need to understand about survivor benefits for divorced spouses. Your mother would only be eligible if her benefit as a survivor exceeds her own retirement benefit. At her age (86), she would receive 100% of your father's benefit amount IF that amount is higher than her current benefit. Since she's been collecting her own benefit since 65, you need to compare the numbers. If your father's benefit was substantially higher than hers, this could be significant. If they were similar, there might be little to no increase. Regarding retroactivity, survivor benefits can only be paid retroactively for 6 months maximum, so unfortunately, she wouldn't receive payments going back to 2015. However, if she qualifies for a higher monthly amount, that would continue for the rest of her life. I recommend she schedule an appointment with SSA to discuss her specific situation. They'll need your father's SSN, their marriage certificate, divorce decree, and his death certificate.

I went through something similar with my aunt last year. Getting through to Social Security to discuss survivor benefits was a NIGHTMARE. We called for WEEKS and either couldn't get through or got disconnected after waiting on hold forever. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got us a callback from SS within like an hour. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once we actually got to speak with someone, they were helpful and my aunt started getting an extra $320/month based on my uncle's record. Definitely worth pursuing but be prepared for the frustration of actually reaching someone at SSA.

Your mother should definitely apply for divorced widow's benefits immediately. Here's what she needs to know: 1) The marriage duration requirement is 10 years minimum (she meets this at 35 years) 2) She must be currently unmarried to receive benefits on ex-spouse's record 3) The real question is whether your father's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) would give her a higher benefit than her current one 4) Unfortunately, retroactive benefits are limited to 6 months maximum for survivor claims 5) There is NO deadline to apply for survivor benefits (the 2-year rumor some people believe is false) The comparison is straightforward: If your father's benefit amount (what he was receiving) is higher than what your mother currently receives, she should be able to step up to that higher amount. At 86, she's well past Full Retirement Age, so she would receive 100% of his benefit amount. I strongly recommend she call SSA or make an appointment. Have her gather: her ID, her SSN, your father's SSN, marriage certificate, divorce decree, and death certificate. If she doesn't have these, SSA can often access them in their systems.

Thank you all for your helpful responses! I spoke with my mom and we're going to gather whatever documents we can find and try to contact Social Security this week. It sounds like even if she can only get 6 months of back payments, the ongoing higher benefit could really help her financially. I'll let you know how it goes after we talk to them!

My mom did this but she had to bring like 50 papers to the office and wait for hours!! Make sure your mom brings EVERYTHING or they'll make her come back again!

One more important point - when your mother applies, she should specifically ask about the Lump Sum Death Payment as well. This is a one-time $255 payment that she might be eligible for, even as a divorced spouse, if she wasn't remarried before your father's death. Many people don't know to ask about this. While $255 isn't a large sum, it's still beneficial. Also, make sure she asks SSA to run a complete benefits calculation to ensure she's receiving all benefits she's entitled to. Sometimes people are eligible for multiple benefit types, and SSA is required to pay the highest benefit amount.