Collecting Social Security ex-spouse benefits when she turns 62 - how does the timing work?

I think ur getting this backwards. Ex-spouses can claim on YOUR record, not the other way around. My ex tried claiming on mine and SSA told him it doesnt work like that. Men claim on their own record, women can claim on ex-husband's record. thats how it works

I went through something similar with my ex-husband's record. Here's what I learned: since you're already collecting your own benefits and you're past your Full Retirement Age (FRA), what you'd potentially receive is the difference between your current benefit and 50% of your ex-wife's Primary Insurance Amount (what she would get at her FRA). The good news is that since you've been divorced for more than 2 years, you CAN apply based on her record even if she hasn't filed for her own benefits yet. And no, she won't be notified - SSA keeps that information confidential. BUT - and this is important - if your own benefit is already higher than 50% of hers, you won't get anything extra. Ex-spousal benefits are max 50% of the worker's FRA amount.

You need to specifically apply for the ex-spouse benefits. Social Security doesn't automatically check if you could get higher benefits on someone else's record. Also, important clarification: since you're already receiving your own retirement benefits, you'd get the higher of either your own benefit OR up to 50% of your ex-wife's full retirement age benefit (regardless of when she actually claims). At $1,850/month, your benefit is already fairly substantial. For you to receive additional money, your ex-wife's FRA benefit would need to be more than $3,700/month (so that 50% would exceed your current $1,850). That's possible for a high-earning engineer, but it would be on the higher end of Social Security benefits. You should definitely apply and check, though! If eligible, they'll give you the difference between your current benefit and the ex-spouse benefit amount.

i got divorced after 9 years and 11 months and my ex told the judge to wait one more month so I could get ss benefits later but the judge wouldnt listen now im out of luck just one month short

Just to add some clarification to the excellent advice you've already received: 1. The earliest anyone can receive ex-spousal benefits is age 62 (which you've already passed) 2. Since you've been divorced more than 2 years, your ex-wife doesn't need to have filed for her own benefits before you can claim on her record 3. Your potential benefit would be the greater of: your own benefit OR up to 50% of her full retirement age benefit amount 4. Since you're already receiving your own benefit, you would only get a "top-up" to reach the higher amount if 50% of her FRA benefit exceeds your current benefit 5. Your ex-wife's benefit is completely unaffected by your claim - her payments won't be reduced 6. She will NOT be notified if you file on her record The best approach is to contact SSA directly to verify if you qualify for additional benefits. Bring your divorce decree to prove the marriage lasted over 10 years.

wait so if he gets benifits from her record, does that mean her benefits get reduced?? thats not fair

my friend tried to do this but SSA said since he remarried he couldnt get his exwife's benefits anymore did you remarry?

One thing nobody's mentioned yet: if you do qualify for additional benefits based on your ex-wife's record, you might be eligible for some retroactive benefits too. Since you're past your FRA, you could potentially get up to 6 months of back payments for the difference amount if it turns out you've been eligible for a while. Definitely bring this up when you talk to SSA. Every little bit helps with today's prices!

You can definitely handle this by phone, especially with the proper documentation ready. When you call, be prepared with: 1. Your Social Security number 2. Your ex-wife's Social Security number (if you have it) 3. Your marriage certificate 4. Your divorce decree showing the marriage lasted over 10 years 5. Birth certificates for both of you If you don't have all of these, don't worry. SSA can often look up some of this information in their system. The most important document is your divorce decree proving the 10+ year marriage. If you prefer, you can also schedule an appointment at your local office using the SSA website. Some people find it easier to discuss complex benefit situations in person.