Do I need marriage licenses & divorce decrees from all previous marriages for Social Security survivor benefits?
I'm preparing to apply for Social Security survivor benefits after losing my husband about 15 months ago. We were married for 27 years before he passed. I'm concerned about documentation requirements for previous marriages. Both of us had prior marriages before we met (mine ended in 1991, his in 1987). None of these previous marriages lasted even close to 10 years. My question is: Will SSA require me to provide actual marriage licenses and divorce decrees from ALL these previous relationships, or will just providing the dates be sufficient? His divorce papers would be especially difficult to track down since his first marriage ended in 1987 and was in another state. If I need all these documents, I'll need to start hunting them down now before my appointment. Has anyone gone through this process recently who can tell me what documentation was actually required?
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Ava Kim
For survivor benefits, SSA primarily needs documentation of your marriage to the deceased spouse. They will ask for dates of any previous marriages for both of you, but typically don't require actual documentation unless there's something unusual about your case. Since none of the prior marriages lasted 10+ years (which would potentially qualify for divorced spouse benefits), they're less concerned with those details. What you should definitely have: - Your marriage certificate to your late husband - His death certificate - Your birth certificate - His Social Security number They'll ask for the previous marriage information during the interview, but in most standard cases, they won't require you to produce those old documents.
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Emma Garcia
•Thank you so much for this information. That's a huge relief! I was dreading having to track down those old records, especially his. I do have our marriage certificate, his death certificate, and all the other documents you mentioned ready to go. One quick follow-up question - will they want to see my divorce decree from my previous marriage, or just the dates?
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Ethan Anderson
when i applied for survivors last yr they just wanted dates of previous marriages. didnt have to show any paperwork from those marriages just had to tell them when they were and when they ended. only needed my marriage license to my husband who passed and his death certificate. the rest was just answering questions
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Emma Garcia
•Thanks for sharing your experience! That makes me feel much better about the process. Did they verify the dates you provided in any way or just took your word for it?
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Layla Mendes
I went through this exact process last year and was totally panicking about the same thing! SSA only asked for our marriage certificate and his death certificate, plus my ID and SSN card. For previous marriages they just took down the dates verbally during the interview. HOWEVER, they did say they might request those documents later if needed for verification, but I never heard anything more about it. Just know the dates and locations in case they ask!
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Lucas Notre-Dame
•This is generally accurate, but I would add that sometimes they DO require previous marriage documentation if there's anything in their records that doesn't match what you tell them. For example, if you say a divorce was in 1991 but they have info suggesting it was different. It doesn't hurt to try locating these documents just in case, especially if you're worried there might be discrepancies. The 10-year marriage rule is only relevant for divorced spouse benefits, not for whether they need documentation.
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Aria Park
THE SSA MADE ME PRODUCE EVERYTHING!!! Marriage licenses, divorce decrees, the works. The rep said it was "required" even though I told her my ex and I were only married for 3 years back in the 80s. Wasted 2 months tracking down paperwork they supposedly didn't need. It depends entirely on which employee you get and what mood they're in that day. Their own rules don't seem to matter. Bring whatever you can find just to save yourself the hassle of multiple appointments.
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Noah Ali
•This is unusual but not unheard of. The official SSA policy is that they only need documentation for marriages that might affect benefit eligibility (like the marriage to the deceased or marriages lasting 10+ years). However, individual claims specialists sometimes request additional documentation if they have reason to believe there might be issues or inconsistencies in the information provided. It's always good to be prepared, but in most cases, they won't require all previous marriage documentation.
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Chloe Boulanger
I've been trying to call SS for 3 weeks about this exact question and can't get through to anyone!!! Just endless holds and disconnections. So frustrating trying to prepare for this appointment without getting answers.
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Lucas Notre-Dame
•I had the same problem until I discovered Claimyr. It's a service that gets you through to a live SSA agent without the wait. I was skeptical but it actually worked - got through in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Saved me so much frustration when I was applying for my survivor benefits.
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Chloe Boulanger
•Thanks, I'll check that out! At this point I'd try anything to get some answers before my appointment next month.
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Noah Ali
From my experience assisting clients with survivor benefit applications, here's what typically happens: 1. SSA will ask for dates and locations of all marriages and divorces during your interview 2. You'll need to provide your marriage certificate to the deceased spouse and their death certificate 3. For previous marriages, verbal information is usually sufficient UNLESS: - There's a discrepancy in SSA records - A previous marriage lasted near or over 10 years - There's reason to question benefit eligibility I recommend at minimum knowing the full names of previous spouses, approximate dates of marriages and divorces, and locations where they occurred. Have your own previous divorce decree accessible if possible, but don't stress about obtaining your late husband's 1987 divorce documentation unless specifically requested later.
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Emma Garcia
•This is extremely helpful, thank you! I do have all the information about names, dates and locations for both our previous marriages, so it sounds like I should be prepared. I'll focus on making sure I have all the current documentation in order first, and then see if I can locate my divorce decree just in case.
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Ethan Anderson
btw make sure u kno his earnings history too cuz they look at that for calculating ur benefit. my husband worked for the govt for a few years so they had to calculate something called WEP or GPO i think? took longer to process my claim cuz of that special calculation
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Ava Kim
•This is an important point! If your late husband worked in jobs not covered by Social Security (like some government positions), the Government Pension Offset (GPO) or Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) might affect your survivor benefits. If you know he had any government employment not covered by Social Security, bring any information you have about that to your appointment.
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Layla Mendes
After reading all these replies I'm confused now... seems like some people had to provide all documentation and others didn't? Is it just random whether they ask for everything or not?
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Noah Ali
•It's not random, but it is case-specific. The standard procedure is to only require documentation for the relationship that establishes benefit eligibility (your marriage to your late husband). However, SSA claims specialists have discretion to request additional documentation if they have reason to believe there might be issues affecting eligibility or benefit amounts. The majority of straightforward cases don't require documentation for brief prior marriages, but it's always good to be prepared.
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Layla Mendes
•That makes sense, thanks for explaining! Sounds like it's better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.
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Emma Garcia
Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences and knowledge! Based on your advice, I'm going to: 1. Make sure I have all the basic documents ready (our marriage certificate, his death certificate, my ID, etc.) 2. Write down all the dates and locations of previous marriages for both of us 3. Try to locate my own divorce decree just in case 4. Not stress too much about his old divorce papers unless they specifically ask for them I feel so much better prepared now. This community has been incredibly helpful!
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