Do I need ex-spouse's Social Security number to file for retirement benefits after 24 years divorced?

Good news - you don't need your ex-wife's SSN to file for your own retirement benefits! That information is only required if you're applying for spousal benefits on her record. The online application asks for information about all marriages, but you can simply indicate that you don't have her SSN. As long as you're only filing for your own retirement benefits based on your own work record, this won't delay your application processing. If you ever wanted to file for ex-spousal benefits (which you might be eligible for if her benefit amount is higher than yours), you'd only need to provide her name, date of birth, and approximate dates of marriage. The SSA can usually locate her record with just that information.

When I applied last year the same thing happened to me!!! I was married to my ex for 15 years (THANK GOD THAT'S OVER) and I haven't talked to him in DECADES. The online form kept giving me an error when I tried to submit without his SSN. I ended up having to CALL social security and wait on hold for 3 HOURS!! When I finally got through, they told me I could have just put all zeros in the SSN field and it would have gone through. Nobody tells you these things!!!! The whole system is designed to frustrate people!

If you're having trouble reaching someone at Social Security to help with this, I'd recommend using Claimyr. It got me through to a live person at SSA in under 20 minutes when I was dealing with a similar issue about my divorce records. Their service connects you with an agent without the typical hours-long wait. I used their video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU to figure it out - super straightforward. The agent I spoke with confirmed I didn't need my ex's SSN for my own retirement benefits and helped me complete my application right then.

To provide some technical clarity: SSA Form 8 (Application for Retirement Insurance Benefits) does ask for marriage history, including ex-spouse SSNs, but this is primarily for two purposes: 1) determining if you qualify for higher benefits as an ex-spouse, and 2) fraud prevention to ensure multiple people aren't claiming on the same work record incorrectly. For your retirement claim on your own record, you can proceed without the ex-spouse's SSN. On the online application, when you reach that section, select "I do not know" when prompted for the SSN. The system will allow you to continue. However, I recommend you also provide as much other identifying information as you do have (her full name at time of marriage, date of birth if known, etc.) to facilitate any future comparisons of benefit amounts. The SSA can then determine if you might be eligible for higher benefits on her record without requiring her SSN from you.

my brother had same problem but with his secnd wife not first. he just put unknown and got his benefits fine. ss just wants to know you were married they dont actually need her number if your getting your own benefits. but they might if you try to claim off her record later but you probably wont need to do that if youre a man, women usually have lower benefits than men anyway.

After reading all this I'm confused 🤔 Can someone clarify - if you were married more than 10 yrs (which OP was), aren't you automatically checked for spousal benefits vs your own record to give you the higher amount? That's what I thought they did. So wouldn't they eventually need the ex's info to do that comparison?

Just applied for my benefits 3 months ago with similar situation. Honestly, the online system is glitchy AF. I tried entering "unknown" for my ex's SSN and the form wouldn't submit. Tried calling SSA like 20 times and couldn't get through. Finally drove to the local office and waited 3 hours to speak with someone who told me I could just write "unknown" on a paper application 🙄 Complete waste of time. The actual solution was creating a new online application from scratch and using 123-45-6789 as the SSN placeholder. Ridiculous system.

I'm just here to say that the Social Security Administration is THE WORST government agency to deal with!!! Their website looks like it was built in 1997, their phone lines are always busy, and their rules make NO SENSE. Why do they need marriage info from 24 YEARS AGO for someone applying for their OWN benefits?!?! It's just bureaucracy for the sake of bureaucracy. And don't get me started on their customer service...

One important additional point: if your ex-wife's benefit amount would potentially be higher than yours, you might want to make the effort to provide SSA with as much information as possible about her. As a divorced spouse (married >10 years), you're entitled to up to 50% of her PIA if that amount exceeds your own benefit, without affecting her benefits in any way. The difference could be substantial depending on your respective earnings histories. For example, if your monthly benefit would be $1,800 but 50% of hers would be $2,200, you'd be leaving $400 monthly on the table by not pursuing the ex-spousal benefit. SSA can usually locate her record with full name, approximate DOB, and marriage dates, but the process is more efficient with an SSN. Consider whether this potential benefit difference justifies additional effort to obtain her information.

After seeing all these responses about people struggling to reach someone at Social Security, I wanted to follow up. When I used Claimyr (claimyr.com), I spoke with an agent who explained that for ex-spouse benefits, they really just need the name and date of birth - the SSN makes their job easier but isn't strictly required. The agent can input notes in your file explaining the situation. That's what worked for me when I couldn't provide my ex's information.

Better yet I got I got another one for you I didn't need her social security number because they found her in the computer I didn't know it and she weren't going to give it to me anyways my ex but then after 6 months then they told me oh what do you have her birth certificate. No one will ex-wife or ex-husband what's the chances that if you were able to get in touch with they're going to give it to you with with marriages ended bad a lot in life from cheating or whatever they're not going to give you nothing and social security knows that why they asked that question so they can cut down their payouts they're scammers. I wonder how many illegal aliens had to show their birth certificate to get full of social security. None of them not only that they're all stealing their damn money you know I'm still pissed off about that they're crooked

I went through this exact same situation last year when I turned 66! You absolutely do NOT need your ex-wife's Social Security number to file for your own retirement benefits. I was panicking about the same thing because my divorce was finalized 18 years ago and there was no way I was contacting my ex-husband. Here's what I did: On the online application, when it asked for his SSN, I selected "I do not know" from the dropdown menu. The system allowed me to continue and I was able to submit my application without any issues. I received my first benefit payment exactly on schedule. The SSA representative I spoke with later confirmed that they only need the ex-spouse's SSN if you're specifically applying for benefits based on their work record. Since you're applying for your own retirement benefits that you've earned through your own work history, it's not required. Don't let this delay your application - you've earned those benefits and deserve to start receiving them on time!

I just went through this exact situation 6 months ago! I was married for 11 years and divorced for 20+ years with zero contact with my ex-husband. The online application kept asking for his SSN and I was ready to give up. Here's what worked for me: I called the SSA national number (1-800-772-1213) early in the morning around 8 AM - much shorter wait times than calling later in the day. The representative walked me through the application over the phone and explained that I could simply state "unknown" for the SSN field. She processed my application right then and there. The key thing she told me was that SSA uses marriage history mainly to determine if you might qualify for higher benefits as an ex-spouse, but they can do that comparison later using just the name and approximate birth date if needed. Your own retirement benefits aren't dependent on having your ex's SSN. My advice: Don't stress about the online form if it's giving you trouble. A 20-30 minute phone call with SSA will get this sorted out and you'll have peace of mind. Good luck with your application!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm turning 62 next year and already worried about dealing with this exact situation. My ex-husband and I were married for 14 years and divorced 19 years ago - no contact since then either. Reading everyone's experiences here is really reassuring that I won't be stuck unable to apply for my own benefits. @Carmen Vega and @Ravi Gupta - thank you for sharing your successful experiences! It's helpful to know that both the online "I do not know" option and the phone application route work. I think I'll try the early morning phone call approach since it sounds like you get more personalized help that way. One question for anyone who's been through this - did SSA ever follow up later asking for more information about your ex-spouse, or once you filed for your own benefits was that the end of it? I'm just wondering if I should expect any additional requests down the road.

I went through something very similar when I applied for my benefits at 66! I was married for 13 years and divorced 16 years ago - absolutely no contact with my ex-wife since then. The online application definitely asks for all that marriage information, but here's what I learned: You can complete your application without her SSN. When the form asks for it, there should be an option to select "unknown" or "I do not know." If the online system gives you trouble (which it did for me initially), calling SSA in the early morning hours works much better - I got through in about 25 minutes around 8:15 AM. The SSA representative explained that they ask for ex-spouse information for two main reasons: to check if you might qualify for higher benefits on their record, and for their internal record-keeping. But your own retirement benefits that you've earned through your work history don't depend on having that information. I did provide my ex-wife's full name and approximate birth date (which I remembered), and that seemed to satisfy their requirements. My benefits started exactly on schedule with no delays or additional requests for information. Don't let this hold up your application - you've earned these benefits and deserve to start receiving them when you turn 65!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! I'm 64 and planning to file for my benefits in a few months. My ex-husband and I were married for 16 years and divorced 12 years ago - absolutely zero contact since then. I've been putting off starting my application because I was worried about this SSN requirement. Reading all these responses has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. It sounds like the consensus is that you can definitely proceed without the ex-spouse's SSN for your own retirement benefits. I'm planning to try the early morning phone call approach that several people mentioned - it seems like that gives you the most personalized help and avoids any potential glitches with the online system. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences! It's so valuable to hear from people who have actually been through this process successfully. Sometimes the official SSA website and forms make things seem more complicated than they actually are in practice.

I'm in almost the exact same situation! I'll be 65 in two months and have been dreading this part of the application process. My ex-husband and I were married for 11 years, divorced 22 years ago, and there's absolutely no way I could get his SSN even if I wanted to track him down. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a relief - I had no idea that "I do not know" was even an option on the online form! I've been staring at that SSN field thinking it was mandatory. I think I'm going to follow the advice about calling early in the morning rather than wrestling with the online system. It sounds like the phone representatives are really helpful in walking you through these situations and can clarify exactly what information is actually required versus what's just "nice to have." Thank you to everyone who shared their success stories - it's so reassuring to know that this common situation doesn't have to delay getting the benefits we've all worked so hard for!

I had the same exact situation when I applied for my Social Security benefits at 65! I was married for 14 years to my ex-husband and we've been divorced for over 20 years with absolutely no contact. When I saw that SSN requirement on the online form, I nearly panicked thinking I'd have to somehow track him down. Here's what actually happened: I called the SSA number early in the morning (around 8 AM like others suggested) and got through to a representative in about 30 minutes. She was incredibly helpful and explained that the ex-spouse SSN is NOT required for filing your own retirement benefits - it's only needed if you're trying to claim spousal benefits on their record. She walked me through the phone application and when we got to that section, I simply told her I didn't have his SSN. She noted "unknown" in the system and we moved on. I did provide his full name and approximate birth date (which I happened to remember), but she said even that wasn't strictly necessary for my own retirement claim. My benefits started exactly on time with no delays or follow-up requests. Don't let this one field hold up your application - you've earned those benefits and deserve to start receiving them when you turn 65! The phone application route is definitely the way to go if you're having any doubts about the online system.

I went through this exact same thing when I applied at 62! I was married for 10 years and divorced 15 years ago with zero contact since. The online form kept giving me errors when I tried to leave the SSN field blank or put "unknown." Here's what finally worked for me: I called the 1-800-772-1213 number at exactly 8:00 AM on a Tuesday morning and got through in about 20 minutes. The representative was super helpful and explained that for your OWN retirement benefits, the ex-spouse SSN is completely optional - they just use it to cross-check if you might qualify for higher spousal benefits later. She processed my entire application over the phone in about 45 minutes. When we got to the ex-spouse section, I just said "I don't have that information and can't obtain it" and she marked it as "unavailable" in their system. No problem at all! My benefits started right on schedule and I've never heard anything more about it. Don't let this one field stress you out or delay your application - you've earned these benefits through your own work record and that's all that matters for getting started. The phone route is definitely easier than fighting with their website!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm 64 and planning to apply for my benefits next month. My ex-wife and I were married for 15 years, divorced 18 years ago, and there's absolutely no way I could get her SSN even if I wanted to. Based on all the success stories here, I'm convinced that the early morning phone call approach is the way to go. It sounds like the SSA representatives are much more helpful over the phone and can walk you through exactly what's required versus what's just optional information for their database. What I'm taking away from everyone's experiences: 1) You absolutely DO NOT need your ex-spouse's SSN for your own retirement benefits, 2) The online system can be glitchy about this but phone reps can easily mark it as "unknown," and 3) Calling around 8 AM seems to drastically reduce wait times. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories - you've turned what felt like an impossible roadblock into a manageable phone call. Sometimes real-world experiences are so much more valuable than trying to decipher government websites!

I'm facing this exact same situation and this thread has been a lifesaver! I'm 66 and was supposed to apply for my benefits last month but got completely stuck on the ex-spouse SSN requirement. My ex-husband and I were married for 13 years, divorced 17 years ago, and I have absolutely no way to contact him (nor would I want to). After reading everyone's experiences here, I'm definitely going to try the early morning phone call approach. It's amazing how many people have successfully handled this same situation - I was starting to think I was going to be stuck in bureaucratic limbo forever! One quick question for those who've been through this: when you called, did the representative ask for any additional documentation about your marriage/divorce that wasn't mentioned in the online application requirements? I want to make sure I have everything ready before I call. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories - you've given me the confidence to move forward instead of continuing to stress about this impossible requirement! 🙏

I just want to add my voice to all the reassuring responses here! I went through this exact situation 8 months ago when I applied at 65. I was married for 12 years, divorced 21 years ago, and had zero contact with my ex-husband since then. Like many others here, I initially panicked when I saw the SSN requirement on the online form. But after calling SSA at 8 AM on a Wednesday morning (got through in about 25 minutes), the representative was incredibly understanding and helpful. She explained that the ex-spouse information is primarily used for benefit comparison purposes, but it's absolutely NOT required to process your own retirement benefits. She walked me through the entire phone application, and when we reached the ex-spouse section, I simply said "I don't have that information and cannot obtain it." She marked it as "information unavailable" and we continued without any issues. I provided his full name and approximate birth year (which I happened to remember), but she assured me even that wasn't strictly necessary. My benefits started exactly on schedule - no delays, no follow-up requests, no complications whatsoever. The whole phone application took about 40 minutes and was so much less stressful than trying to navigate their website. Don't let this one field derail your well-deserved retirement benefits! The early morning phone call approach really is the way to go. You've earned these benefits through decades of work - don't let bureaucratic forms make you think otherwise!

I just went through this same situation 2 months ago! I was married for 14 years, divorced 23 years ago, and absolutely no contact with my ex-wife since then. The online application kept asking for her SSN and I was getting really frustrated. Here's what worked for me: I called the SSA number (1-800-772-1213) at 8:05 AM on a Monday morning and got through in about 18 minutes. The representative was fantastic and immediately put me at ease. She explained that the ex-spouse SSN is only required if you're applying for spousal benefits on their record, not for your own retirement benefits. She processed my entire application over the phone in about 35 minutes. When we got to the marriage history section, I told her I didn't have my ex-wife's SSN and couldn't obtain it. She simply noted "unavailable" in the system and we moved on. I did provide her maiden name and the approximate year she was born (which I remembered), but she said even that was optional for my own benefits claim. My retirement benefits started right on schedule with zero complications. No follow-up calls, no additional documentation requests - nothing. The representative even mentioned that this is a very common situation they deal with all the time, especially for people who've been divorced for many years. Don't let this delay your application! You've worked hard for those benefits and deserve to start receiving them when you turn 65. The early morning phone call approach really is the best way to handle this situation.

I'm currently going through this exact same situation and this entire thread has been incredibly reassuring! I'm 64 and planning to file for my Social Security benefits in the next few weeks. Like so many others here, I was married for over 10 years (13 years in my case), divorced many years ago (16 years now), and have absolutely no way to contact my ex-husband or obtain his SSN. Reading through everyone's successful experiences has completely changed my perspective on this issue. I was initially panicking thinking this one missing piece of information would somehow prevent me from getting the benefits I've earned through 40+ years of work. But the consistent message from everyone who's actually been through this process is clear: you absolutely DO NOT need your ex-spouse's SSN to file for your own retirement benefits. I'm definitely going to follow the advice about calling the SSA number early in the morning (around 8 AM) rather than struggling with the online application. It sounds like the phone representatives are much more knowledgeable about handling these common situations and can easily note "unknown" or "unavailable" in their system without it causing any delays. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their detailed experiences - you've turned what felt like an impossible bureaucratic nightmare into a straightforward phone call. It's amazing how much peace of mind comes from hearing real stories from people who've successfully navigated this exact situation! 🙏