Can my ex-spouse get increased Social Security benefits based on my earnings record?

The simple answer is yes, but only if your benefit amount would be higher than his current benefit. Since he already filed at 62, he's receiving a permanently reduced benefit (about 30% less than his full retirement age amount). When you file, he could potentially get an increase IF 50% of your full retirement age benefit is higher than what he's currently getting. For example, if your full retirement age benefit is $3,000 and his current benefit is $1,400, then he could get a boost because 50% of yours would be $1,500. But remember, this doesn't affect your payment at all - you'd still get your full amount.

my cousin went through something similar!! her ex tried to claim on her record but SSA told him he couldn't get anything extra because his own benefit was already higher than what he'd get as an ex-spouse. they don't just give extra money to exes for no reason lol

I want to clarify something important here. Since your ex-husband has already filed for his own retirement benefits, he would only receive the higher of either his own benefit or the spousal benefit (which is up to 50% of your FRA benefit amount). He does NOT get both. Also, because he filed early at 62, any spousal benefits he might be eligible for would also be reduced based on when he originally filed. This is called the "deemed filing" rule. One more crucial point: He would need to contact SSA himself to check if he qualifies for the increased amount. The SSA does NOT automatically check this or notify him when you file. Many people miss out on higher benefits because they don't realize they need to apply for this adjustment.

does anyone know if theres a way to find out what your exs benefit amount is????? i dont talk to mine and have NO IDEA if i should file on his record or mine????????

The entire system is RIGGED against those of us who paid into it our whole lives!!! I bet you anything they'll find some loophole to deny your ex any increase. My ex tried to get benefits on my record after our divorce and the SSA put him through ENDLESS hoops, asking for marriage certificates from 30 YEARS AGO and making him prove things over and over. They just don't want to pay people what they deserve after taking our money for DECADES!!!!

To address your follow-up question - he absolutely needs to contact SSA when you file. They won't automatically check or adjust anything. This is a common misunderstanding about how the system works. And here's something else to consider: if you're delaying until 66+10 months, you'll get almost 108% of your full retirement benefit. However, if your ex tries to claim on your record, he'll only get up to 50% of your FULL retirement amount (not the increased amount), and that's before any reductions for his early filing.

I see a lot of confusion in this thread about ex-spouse benefits. Let me try to straighten things out: 1) For your ex to get benefits on your record, you must have been married at least 10 years (you were - 22 years) 2) He can only get ex-spousal benefits if they're higher than his own current benefit 3) The maximum he could get is 50% of your FRA benefit amount 4) Since he took benefits at 62, any spousal benefits would be reduced 5) He would need to apply for this himself - it's not automatic Have you tried calling SSA directly? I know their phone lines are nearly impossible to get through, but I recently used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of spending days trying. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU An SSA agent can look at your specific earnings records and give you a more precise answer about whether your ex might qualify for an increase based on your record.

Just wondering - does it matter if either of you has remarried? I thought that affected ex-spouse benefits somehow...

Thank you all for the helpful information! I've learned a lot. To answer the question about remarriage - I never remarried, but I believe my ex did about 5 years ago. Based on what you're all saying, it sounds like he wouldn't be eligible for any benefits on my record since he's currently married to someone else. I think I'll still contact SSA before I file just to make sure I understand everything correctly. The Claimyr service sounds like a good way to avoid the frustrating wait times. Thanks again everyone!