Do I need certified marriage/divorce records for my OWN Social Security retirement application?

yes u need them! i had same problem last year and SS rejected my app for missing marriage info!! even tho i was applying on my own record! something about making sure ur not double dipping or whatever. u can order copies from the county clerks where u got married/divorced.

SSA requires marriage and divorce information for several reasons, even when you're only claiming on your own record: 1. They need to establish your correct legal name 2. They need to know if you have any current spouse who might be eligible for benefits on your record 3. They need to know if any ex-spouses might qualify for benefits on your record (which doesn't reduce your benefits) 4. They need to verify you're not already receiving benefits on someone else's record You don't always need certified copies for the initial application. In many cases, providing the dates and locations to the best of your knowledge is sufficient. If there are discrepancies, SSA may request documentation later.

I went through this nightmare last year! The online system is TERRIBLE about explaining what's actually required vs. what's just "requested" information. I couldn't remember my exact divorce date from 30 years ago and had NO IDEA how to get those records. Spent WEEKS trying to track down certified copies and getting nowhere with county offices!! Finally got so fed up I called SSA directly and the agent told me I could just put approximate dates for my application and they'd let me know if they needed documentation later. WHAT A WASTE OF TIME AND STRESS!!

The SSA does require marriage and divorce information on your application, but here's what you need to know: 1. For your own retirement benefits, you can often use your best estimate if you can't remember exact dates 2. You'll need to provide names, approximate dates, and locations of marriages/divorces 3. Certified documents are typically NOT required for the initial application 4. If SSA determines they need verification later, they'll request documents 5. If documents are requested later, you can either upload them to your my Social Security account or take them to a local office Note that if your marriage lasted 10+ years, your ex may be eligible for benefits on your record (doesn't affect your amount), which is one reason SSA tracks this information.

I couldn't get through to Social Security for weeks about this exact same issue! Kept calling and getting disconnected or waiting on hold forever. Finally I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The agent confirmed I only needed to provide my best estimate of dates for my initial application - such a relief! Saved me so much stress trying to track down 40-year-old records.

OMG I remember going thru this! The whole time I'm like "I'M APPLYING FOR MY OWN BENEFITS WHY DO YOU NEED MY RELATIONSHIP HISTORY??" lol. I think its cause they need to make sure nobody else can claim on ur record? I just put estimates for my dates and it worked fine. Never had to send anything in.

To clarify some of the conflicting information in this thread: 1. SSA's requirements can vary based on your specific situation and who processes your application 2. The safest approach is to provide as much accurate information as possible in your initial application 3. If you can only provide approximate dates, include a note explaining why (e.g., "Records unavailable, divorce occurred approximately June 1985") 4. For marriages that ended 20+ years ago, SSA is sometimes more flexible about documentation 5. Be prepared that an SSA representative might contact you for additional information For your online application, you can proceed with your best estimates, but be responsive if they request additional information.