Ex-wife's rights to my SSDI benefits at 63 - will it reduce my payment?

Your ex-wife can potentially claim spousal benefits based on your record if she meets certain criteria, but the good news is this will NOT reduce your SSDI payment at all. For her to be eligible: 1) She must be at least 62 years old, 2) Must be unmarried currently, 3) Your marriage lasted at least 10 years (which you said it did at 18 years), and 4) The benefit she'd receive on her own work record is less than what she'd get from yours. When an ex-spouse claims, it has zero impact on your payment amount - the SSA treats these as completely separate entitlements.

My ex tried to do this same thing to me!! They'll take from your check to pay her dont listen to that other person!! My brother in law works for SSA and he told me they split the amount between both people. She's just trying to take advantage of your disability!

this happened with my parents. mom got benefits from dads record after divorce. didnt affect his check at all. they been divorced like 25 yrs now lol

Just adding some additional information - there's another aspect to consider. Even though your ex-wife's claim won't affect your SSDI amount, the timing matters for her. Since you're receiving SSDI rather than regular retirement benefits, your ex-wife doesn't need to wait until your Full Retirement Age (FRA) to claim without reduction. However, SHE will face a reduction if she claims before her own FRA. At 62, she'd only get about 70-75% of what she'd receive at her full retirement age. Also worth noting - if she's worked enough on her own record, SSA will pay her own benefit first, then supplement up to the spousal benefit amount if that would be higher.

everyone here is missing the obvous question - why is she telling you she's applying?? she doesn't need your permission or help to apply. SSA doesn't even notify you when ex spouses claim on your record. sounds like she's trying to get money from you directly maybe? be careful!

I was in almost the exact same situation last year. I'm 64, on SSDI, and my ex-wife of 15 years applied for benefits on my record. Everyone here is correct - it didn't affect my payment AT ALL. She can apply if eligible, but it's completely separate from your benefit amount. The frustrating part for me wasn't that, but trying to get through to SSA to confirm all this. I kept calling for weeks and either got disconnected or was on hold for 2+ hours. Eventually I used this service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes (claimyr.com). They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Totally worth it to get this sorted out quickly and have peace of mind. The agent confirmed everything about how ex-spouse benefits work and that my payments weren't affected.

To answer your follow-up question: Since you're receiving SSDI, it's already calculated at your full benefit rate regardless of your age. SSDI converts to regular retirement benefits when you reach FRA, but the amount typically stays the same. So your disability benefit is essentially calculated as if you were at FRA already. Your ex-wife's reduction would be based on her age when she applies, not yours. If she's only 61, she'll need to wait until 62 to be eligible for ex-spouse benefits. And yes, if she applies at 62, she would face an early claiming reduction on the spousal benefit amount (potentially 25-30% less than if she waited until her FRA).

btw she might not even get approved my aunt tried to claim on my uncles record and got denied cause she made too much $ on her own

I just went through this whole mess with my ex husband. Had to fight SSA for months to get what I was entitled too!!!!! If your ex wife was married to you for 18 years she ABSOLUTELY can claim on your record as long as she's 62 or older AND not remarried. But like others said it DOESN'T effect your payment so dont worry about that part!!!!!! The real question is WHY is she telling you about it? SSA doesn't need your approval or even tell you when someone files on your record. Kinda suspicious tbh...

One additional piece of info that might help - if your ex-wife remarried at any point after your divorce, she wouldn't be eligible for benefits on your record UNLESS that marriage also ended (by death, divorce, or annulment). This is something people often misunderstand about ex-spouse benefits. And if she's currently married to someone else, she definitely can't claim on your record.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - my ex-husband is on SSDI and I'm trying to understand my options. Reading through all these responses has been really helpful! Just want to add that when I spoke with SSA last week, they confirmed that the ex-spouse benefit is actually calculated as 50% of the primary beneficiary's full retirement age benefit amount (before any early filing reductions). So even though your ex-wife might face reductions for filing early, the base calculation starts from your full benefit rate. Also, one thing I learned is that if she's worked enough quarters on her own, SSA will automatically pay whichever benefit is higher - her own or the spousal benefit - but never both. The whole process seems pretty straightforward once you understand the rules, but I agree with others that it's odd she's discussing this with you beforehand.

I went through something very similar when I was on SSDI. Your ex-wife calling you about this is definitely unusual - SSA handles ex-spouse benefit applications completely independently and doesn't require any input or notification to the primary beneficiary. When my ex applied for benefits on my record, I never even knew about it until months later when I happened to ask an SSA representative during a routine call about something else. The fact that she's asking about "paperwork" and discussing her financial struggles with you raises some red flags. It's possible she's either misinformed about the process (thinking she needs your permission or cooperation) or she might be hoping you'll offer direct financial help out of guilt or concern. Either way, I'd recommend keeping clear boundaries here. Your SSDI benefits are completely protected - her potential claim won't affect your payment at all. But you're under no obligation to assist with her application or provide any information. If you want peace of mind about how this all works, contact SSA directly yourself rather than relying on what she tells you about the process.

As someone who's been navigating the disability system for a few years now, I can confirm what others have said - your SSDI payments are completely safe. Ex-spouse benefits don't reduce the primary beneficiary's amount at all. What I find concerning is the timing and approach of her contact. In my experience dealing with SSA, they handle ex-spouse applications entirely independently. There's literally no reason she would need to discuss this with you beforehand or ask about paperwork on your end. When someone files for ex-spouse benefits, SSA verifies the marriage records and work history through their own databases. I'd suggest being cautious here. It sounds like she might be either confused about the process (thinking she needs your involvement somehow) or possibly hoping you'll offer direct financial assistance. Either way, you don't need to engage with this beyond understanding that your benefits won't be affected. Focus on your health and let SSA handle whatever she decides to file.

Just wanted to chime in as someone new to this community who's been learning about SSDI. This whole discussion has been incredibly informative! I'm dealing with my own disability application process right now, and it's reassuring to see how supportive everyone is here with sharing their experiences and knowledge. From everything I've read here, it seems like the consensus is clear - your SSDI benefits are completely protected from any ex-spouse claims, which must be such a relief given your current financial situation. The red flags that others have pointed out about her unusual approach (contacting you directly, asking about paperwork, mentioning her financial struggles) really do seem concerning. It sounds like you've gotten excellent advice from this community - focus on your own health and financial stability, maintain clear boundaries, and let SSA handle whatever she decides to do through their normal processes. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has been really educational for someone trying to understand how all these benefits work!

Just want to add my voice to the chorus here - I went through this exact situation about 3 years ago when I was 59 and newly on SSDI. My ex-wife of 14 years contacted me out of the blue asking about "filing for benefits" and I panicked thinking my already tight budget would get even tighter. Everyone here is absolutely right - your SSDI payments will NOT be reduced at all if she files for ex-spouse benefits. It's completely separate money that comes from the general fund, not from your specific benefit amount. What really helped me was calling SSA directly (took forever to get through, but worth it) and having them explain this over the phone. The part about her contacting you first is definitely unusual though. When my ex actually did file months later, I never heard anything about it from SSA - no paperwork, no notifications, nothing. I only found out because she mentioned it in passing during a conversation about our daughter. The whole process happens completely independently of you. Given your recent diagnosis and adjustment to SSDI, you have enough on your plate without worrying about this. Focus on your health and know that your $2,410/month is secure regardless of what she decides to do.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share that I'm currently going through the SSDI application process myself, and this entire thread has been incredibly educational! It's really reassuring to see how supportive everyone is here with sharing their real experiences and knowledge about these complex benefit situations. From everything I've read in these responses, it's clear that your SSDI benefits are completely protected - ex-spouse benefits are paid separately and won't reduce your monthly payment at all. That must be such a huge relief given that you're already adjusting to living on a fixed income with your recent diagnosis. The red flags that several people have pointed out about her unusual approach (contacting you directly, asking about paperwork, mentioning financial struggles) really do seem concerning. Based on everyone's experiences here, SSA handles ex-spouse benefit applications completely independently with no involvement needed from the primary beneficiary. It sounds like you've received excellent advice from this community - focus on managing your health and maintaining your financial stability, and let SSA handle whatever she decides to do through their normal processes. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - threads like this are invaluable for people trying to understand how the disability system works!