Do I need my birth certificate to claim Social Security ex-spouse benefits after 24-year marriage?

same thing happened with me last yr... they INSISTED on seeing my birth certificate even tho i had passport, drivers license everything!! so annoying

I went through this process last year. Yes, SSA typically requires a birth certificate when you're filing for any type of benefits, including ex-spouse benefits. While your REAL ID proves identity, the birth certificate specifically verifies your age and citizenship status. However, if you absolutely cannot obtain your original birth certificate, SSA sometimes accepts alternative documents like a religious record of birth or early school records. But honestly, it's best to just get the birth certificate sent to you to avoid delays. The SSA is very particular about documentation, especially for divorced spouse benefits where they're verifying multiple relationship factors.

When I was trying to get my spousal benefits (I'm still married though), I had the WORST time getting through to Social Security to ask questions like this. After being on hold for 3+ hours and getting disconnected twice, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes. You might want to check them out at claimyr.com - they have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Saved me so much frustration, and the agent I spoke with confirmed I needed my birth certificate even with a REAL ID.

I'm a retired federal employee who worked closely with SSA. Here's the definitive answer: For ex-spouse benefits, SSA requires: 1. Proof of age (birth certificate is preferred but passport is usually accepted) 2. Marriage certificate 3. Divorce decree showing marriage lasted at least 10 years 4. Your Social Security number and your ex's (if you have it) If you have a valid unexpired passport, that's typically acceptable as proof of age instead of a birth certificate. If you don't have a passport, you should arrange to get your birth certificate. Don't rely on a REAL ID alone - while it proves identity, SSA has specific documentation requirements for age verification when calculating benefits. The safest approach is to call your local SSA office directly before applying and confirm exactly what documents they'll accept in your specific situation.

i didnt need birth certificate when i filed for my own benefits last year but maybe its different for ex spouse benefits? idk the rules are confusing

CALL BEFORE YOU GO!!! I went through this nightmare last year trying to get widow benefits. Dragged myself down to the SS office with all my papers and they told me the system was down and I needed to come back!! And when I did come back they said I was missing stuff that nobody told me about the first time. Always call first to confirm EXACTLY what you need. The requirements can be different based on your specific situation and sometimes even depends on which agent you get!!!

my friend just got her exhusbands ss and she had to have birth certificate. they made her show everything marriage divorce the works

One more thing to consider - make sure your ex is actually eligible for Social Security (either currently receiving benefits or eligible to receive them). You can only claim ex-spouse benefits if they're eligible, and you'll need to know their Social Security number or date of birth when you apply. Also, since you mentioned you're 66, that means you're at or very close to your full retirement age (FRA), which is good timing for ex-spouse benefits.

I just went through this exact process 6 months ago for my divorced spouse benefits! You absolutely need either a birth certificate OR a valid passport - the REAL ID alone won't cut it unfortunately. I ended up having to order a certified copy of my birth certificate from the state vital records office online, which took about 2 weeks and cost around $25. It was way easier than I expected - most states let you order online now and they mail it directly to you. Don't delay your application waiting for your sister to mail yours - just order a fresh certified copy yourself. The SSA is very strict about having proper age documentation for benefit calculations, especially for divorced spouse benefits where they're verifying multiple eligibility factors. Better to spend the small fee and get it done right than risk delays in your benefits starting!

I just helped my mom with this exact situation last month! She was applying for divorced spouse benefits after a 28-year marriage. We tried to argue that her REAL ID should be sufficient, but the SSA representative was very clear that they needed either a birth certificate OR a current passport for age verification. Since getting her birth certificate from out of state was going to take forever, we ended up ordering a certified copy online from her birth state's vital records website. Most states have online ordering now - it cost about $20-30 and took 10-14 business days. Way faster and less stressful than trying to coordinate with relatives! The online application let us upload the documents once we had them, which made the whole process much smoother. Don't let the birth certificate requirement delay your application - just order a fresh certified copy and you'll be all set!

Just wanted to add my recent experience - I applied for divorced spouse benefits 3 months ago and yes, they absolutely required a birth certificate. I tried to use my passport initially, but the SSA office said it was expired by just 2 months so they wouldn't accept it. Had to get a certified birth certificate copy from my state's vital records office online. The whole process took about 3 weeks from ordering to getting my benefits approved. One tip - when you order online, make sure to get the "long form" birth certificate if your state offers different versions, as SSA sometimes rejects the shorter abstract versions. Also, if you're planning to file online through my.ssa.gov, have all your documents ready to scan/upload because the system times out if you take too long between pages. Good luck with your application!