Can my new spouse inherit my Social Security survivor benefits from my deceased ex-spouse?
I'm currently 64 and receiving survivor benefits from my ex-husband who passed away last year. We were married for 22 years before divorcing in 2018. I'm thinking about remarrying soon (found love again at my age!), but I'm worried about what happens to these benefits if I pass away before my new husband. Would he be eligible to receive any of the survivor benefits I'm currently collecting? I know if I remarry before 60 I'd lose my ex's benefits, but that's not my situation. I'm just wondering if these benefits can "transfer" to my new spouse if something happens to me? I'm trying to make sure he'll be financially secure if I'm gone since he's 59 and not eligible for his own SS yet.
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Raul Neal
congrats on finding love again! but no sorry those benefits dont transfer like that. survivor benefits end with you, they cant be passed on to a new spouse. your new husband would only be eligible for survivor benefits based on YOUR work record not your ex's
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Heather Tyson
•Thanks for the response. That's what I was afraid of. So even though I'm receiving them now, they just stop with me? That seems unfair somehow since I was counting on that income for our household.
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Jenna Sloan
I need to correct some misinformation here. Survivor benefits based on your ex-husband's record cannot be transferred to your new spouse when you pass away. When you die, those benefits stop completely. Your new husband could potentially receive survivor benefits based on YOUR own work record if you have one, but not based on your ex-husband's record. Also important to note - since you're already over 60, remarrying won't affect your current survivor benefits from your ex-husband. You'll continue receiving those for your lifetime regardless of your new marriage.
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Heather Tyson
•Thank you for explaining this clearly. I do have my own work record but it's much smaller than my ex-husband's. I guess my new husband should look into maximizing his own benefits when he reaches retirement age rather than counting on anything from my situation.
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Christian Burns
Wait im confused... I thought all SS benefits transfer to a surviving spouse?? My neighbor gets her husband's SS after he died last year and they told her she gets his full amount now instead of hers because it was higher.
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Jenna Sloan
•You're mixing up two different scenarios. Your neighbor is receiving survivor benefits based on her deceased husband's record - that's correct. But the original poster is asking if her NEW husband could inherit survivor benefits that she currently receives from her EX-husband. That's not possible - benefits can't be "passed through" an intermediary person like that. Social Security doesn't allow benefits to transfer through multiple marriages in that way.
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Sasha Reese
The whole survivor benefit system is SO COMPLICATED!!! I spent THREE MONTHS trying to figure out what I was eligible for after my husband died. Called SSA at least 20 times and got disconnected EVERY SINGLE TIME. Finally had to drive 2 hours to an office that was actually open and wait 4 hours to talk to someone!!! The system is BROKEN and they make it nearly IMPOSSIBLE to get accurate information!!!!!
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Muhammad Hobbs
•I had the exact same experience trying to sort out my mom's benefits last year! After weeks of trying to get through on the phone, I found this service called Claimyr that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in under 10 minutes. It was such a relief after all those automated messages and disconnections. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU or just go to claimyr.com. Seriously saved my sanity when dealing with the survivor benefits paperwork nightmare.
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Noland Curtis
To clarify the rules: Survivor benefits from a deceased ex-spouse terminate with the recipient and cannot be passed on to a subsequent spouse. Here are the key points to understand: 1. Since you're over 60, remarrying won't affect your current survivor benefits 2. Your new husband will never be eligible for benefits based on your ex-husband's record 3. When you pass away, your new husband may be eligible for survivor benefits based on YOUR work record if it results in a higher benefit than his own 4. If your new husband is 59, he should carefully analyze his own claiming strategy to maximize his benefits My recommendation is to schedule an appointment with SSA to review both your and your future husband's benefit options to make the most informed decision for your household's long-term financial security.
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Heather Tyson
•Thank you for such a detailed explanation. This makes perfect sense. I'll definitely schedule that appointment with SSA to discuss our options. At least I now understand that these particular benefits end with me, which helps with our financial planning.
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Diez Ellis
my aunt went thru something similar with her second marriage. just wanted to say make sure your new husband looks into his OWN benefits cause theres all kinds of strategies about when to claim. my aunt's second husband waited till 70 to claim and got wayyy more money than if he took it early. good luck and congrats on the new marriage!
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Heather Tyson
•That's helpful to know! He's been asking about when he should claim his own benefits. Sounds like waiting might be the best approach if he can. I'll make sure we look into that.
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Raul Neal
just curious did you collect on your own record before switching to your ex's survivor benefits? i heard you can switch back and forth to get the best deal but never understood how that works
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Jenna Sloan
•You're referring to a strategy where someone could claim one type of benefit and later switch to another. For example, a person could claim a spousal or survivor benefit first, allowing their own retirement benefit to grow until age 70, then switch to their own (now larger) retirement benefit. However, this flexibility was largely eliminated for most people by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, with some exceptions for specific groups. The rules are complex and depend on birthdate and specific circumstances.
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Heather Tyson
Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! I understand much better now. It seems clear that my survivor benefits from my ex-husband will end with me and can't transfer to my new spouse. We'll make sure to look into maximizing my fiancé's benefits when the time comes. I appreciate all of you taking the time to explain this!
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Noland Curtis
•Glad we could help clarify things. One additional suggestion - make sure your fiancé understands the eligibility for Social Security disability (SSDI) as well, since he's not yet retirement age. If any health issues arise before he reaches full retirement age, knowing the SSDI process could be beneficial. Wishing you both happiness in your new chapter together!
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