Confused about spousal benefits calculation with prior 10+ year marriage - does ex-spouse factor in?

You're right that SS rules aren't always intuitive, but in this case, they're pretty clear. You CANNOT receive benefits on an ex-spouse's record if you are currently married. The only way you could receive benefits on your ex's record would be if your current marriage ended (either by divorce or death) AND you remained unmarried after that. So with your current 12-year marriage, your ex-spouse's earnings won't factor in at all. You'll receive either your own retirement benefit OR 50% of your current husband's PIA, whichever is higher. Hope that helps clarify things!

my sister went thru something similar last yr and they told her the same thing cant get ex spouse benefits if currently married dont even matter how long the marriages were

Just so you know, there are some exceptions to the remarriage rule when it comes to survivor benefits (not spousal). If you're collecting survivor benefits from a deceased spouse and remarry after age 60, you can continue receiving those survivor benefits. But that doesn't apply to your situation since you're talking about spousal benefits, not survivor benefits, and your ex is presumably still alive. Also, a note about WEP - make sure you understand exactly how the repeal is being implemented. It's being phased out gradually over time, not all at once. Depending on when you're planning to claim, you might still face some WEP reduction, just not as severe as before.

I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH SOCIAL SECURITY FOR 3 YEARS NOW AND THEY CONSTANTLY GIVE MISINFORMATION!!! Just last month they told me one thing at the office and something COMPLETELY different on the phone. It's RIDICULOUS how their own employees don't understand their own rules sometimes. But regarding your question - they're right that you can't claim on an ex while married. BUT when your current husband passes away (sorry to be morbid), you could potentially switch to survivor benefits from either your current husband OR your ex-husband (if he passes away too), whichever is higher. So keep that in mind for long-term planning.

I'm a retired financial planner who specialized in Social Security strategies. Everyone has given you correct information about not being able to claim on an ex-spouse while currently married. However, I want to caution you about claiming at 63 just because the WEP repeal passed. The WEP phase-out is gradual (10% reduction of the penalty each year), and you're still taking a permanent 20% reduction by claiming at 63 instead of your full retirement age. Have you calculated your break-even point? For many people, waiting until at least FRA (66+) is still financially advantageous in the long run, even with the WEP relief. I'd recommend getting a detailed calculation done before making your decision.

ive been trying to reach SSA for WEEKS about my own benefit question and cant get through!! phones just disconnect after holding forever and my local office is booked 3 months out. how is anyone supposed to get answers??

To summarize what everyone's saying: 1. You CANNOT receive benefits on an ex-spouse while currently married 2. You'll get either your own benefit or 50% of your current husband's PIA (whichever is higher) 3. Survivor benefits have different rules (which don't apply now but might in the future) One more thing to consider - if your own benefit is already higher than the spousal benefit from your current husband, filing early at 63 only reduces YOUR retirement benefit, not any potential spousal benefit. So that's another factor that might make filing at 63 more attractive in your specific situation.

my neighbor said you could get benefits from multiple spouses but i guess thats wrong from what everyone here is saying?

congrats on figuring out ur ss strategy! ive been putting off even thinking about it bc its so confusing lol. good luck with ur application!!