How to find my ex-husband's Social Security benefit amount for spousal benefits comparison?

Good news - yes, you can find this out without contacting your ex! The SSA can tell you what your potential spousal benefits would be based on your ex-husband's record. You'll need to provide proof of the marriage (marriage certificate) and divorce (divorce decree), and his Social Security number if you have it. If you don't have his SSN, they can usually find his record with his full name and date of birth. Just call and ask about your potential divorced spouse benefits. They won't tell you his exact benefit amount, but they will tell you what YOUR benefit would be based on his record, which is what you need to know anyway.

Just to add some important information here - make sure you understand the basic qualifications for divorced spouse benefits: 1. Your marriage lasted at least 10 years (yours did at 19 years) 2. You're currently unmarried 3. You're at least 62 (which you will be soon) 4. Your ex is entitled to benefits (even if he hasn't filed yet, he must be eligible) 5. The benefit you're entitled to on your own work record is less than what you'd receive on his Also, if you claim at 62, you'll get reduced benefits - about 32.5% less than if you waited until your Full Retirement Age. This reduction applies whether you take your own benefit or the spousal benefit. At FRA, the spousal benefit would be 50% of your ex's PIA, but at 62 it's significantly less.

If you're having trouble reaching someone at SSA, try using Claimyr.com - it's a service that gets you through to a real SSA agent without the hours of waiting on hold. I used it when I was trying to sort out my own divorced spouse benefits situation last year. It worked great and saved me so much frustration. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once you get through to SSA, ask them to run a calculation showing what your benefit would be on your own record versus what it would be on your ex's record. They can do this comparison for you.

Yes it really does! I was skeptical too but it saved me hours of frustration. SSA phone system is completely broken right now with all the post-covid backlog. With Claimyr they call SSA for you and then connect you once they get through to a real person.

My sister went thru this last yr. She got her ex's benefit amount and it was WAY more than hers would have been. she was married 22 yrs to the guy. SSA told her everything, didnt have to talk to the ex at all. But yeah the wait times on phone are crazy bad now!!

She waited till 65 cuz she was still working part time. Said the extra amount was worth it. But everybody's situation is different ya know?

THE SSA WILL NOT GIVE YOU ACCURATE INFORMATION!!! I went through this last year and the first agent told me one thing, the second told me something completely different! Then when I finally got my benefits they were LESS than both amounts they quoted me!!! The system is BROKEN and they LIE to you! Go to a financial advisor who specializes in SS benefits and PAY for good advice. Dont trust what the SSA tells you!!!

One thing nobody mentioned - if your ex-husband has already filed for his benefits, and you take yours at 62, you'll automatically be given the higher of either your benefit or the divorced spouse benefit. They'll compare them and give you whichever is more. You don't have to choose between them - SSA will just pay you the higher amount. If he hasn't filed yet but is eligible, you can still get divorced spouse benefits if you've been divorced for at least 2 years (which you have). This is called the "independently entitled divorced spouse" provision.

my friend was in your exact situation!!! she said when she went to the SSA office in person they told her everything, but when she called they wouldnt give her any info about the ex. so maybe try going in person if u can?

Thanks for all the helpful advice everyone! I'm going to try calling SSA this week using that Claimyr service someone mentioned. If that doesn't work, I'll try to make an in-person appointment. I'll update once I find out if I qualify for the higher amount on my ex's record.

Just wanted to share my experience as someone who went through this exact situation about 3 years ago. I was also a teacher married to an engineer for 18 years, divorced for 12 years when I turned 62. The SSA was actually very helpful once I got through to them - they calculated both my benefit and the divorced spouse benefit and told me exactly which would be higher. In my case, the spousal benefit was about 40% more than my own would have been! One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned - make sure you have your ex's full legal name as it appears on his Social Security card, not just what he went by. My ex went by "Mike" but his legal name was "Michael" and that caused some initial confusion when they were trying to locate his record. Also, if he's changed jobs a lot or had periods of self-employment, his earnings record might be more complex, so be patient with the process. The hardest part was just getting through to someone at SSA, but once I did, they were knowledgeable and walked me through everything. Good luck!

I'm in a similar situation myself - about to turn 62 and trying to figure out the best strategy. One thing I learned from my research is that you can actually apply for benefits and then change your mind within 12 months if you find out you made the wrong choice. It's called "withdrawal of application" and you'd have to pay back what you received, but it gives you some flexibility if you're unsure. Also, don't forget that if you do take reduced benefits at 62, they'll automatically recalculate and increase your payment when you reach full retirement age if you're still working and earning credits. The system is designed to give you the highest benefit you're entitled to. I'd also suggest checking if your state has any free Social Security counseling programs - many do through their aging departments. Sometimes getting a second opinion from someone who deals with these cases regularly can be really valuable.

As someone who works in retirement planning, I wanted to add a few practical tips for your SSA conversation. When you call, have all your documents ready: marriage certificate, divorce decree, your Social Security card, and your ex's SSN or at least his full legal name and date of birth if you have it. Ask specifically for a "benefit estimate comparison" - this will show you side by side what your own retirement benefit would be versus the divorced spouse benefit at different claiming ages (62, full retirement age, etc.). This helps you see the trade-offs clearly. One thing to keep in mind: if you're still working and earning income after claiming at 62, there's an earnings test that could reduce your benefits temporarily until you reach full retirement age. Make sure to discuss this if it applies to your situation. Also, consider that your ex claiming his benefits (or not) doesn't affect your ability to claim divorced spouse benefits as long as you meet all the other requirements. Your benefits are independent of his decision to file.

One thing I'd recommend is creating a my.ssa.gov account if you don't already have one. While it won't show you your ex-husband's benefit information directly, it will give you a clear picture of your own estimated benefits at different claiming ages. This can be really helpful to have as a baseline when you're comparing with the divorced spouse benefit amounts that SSA calculates for you. Also, when you do get through to SSA, don't be afraid to ask them to repeat the numbers or explain their calculations. I've found that sometimes the first agent you talk to might not be as experienced with divorced spouse benefits, so if something doesn't sound right or if you're getting confusing information, it's totally okay to politely ask to speak with someone else or call back to get a second opinion. The key is getting accurate numbers so you can make the best decision for your financial future. Take notes during the call and ask them to mail you a written summary if possible - having everything documented will help you feel more confident about your choice.

I just went through this process myself about 6 months ago! I was so nervous about calling SSA but it turned out to be much easier than I expected once I actually got through to someone. A couple of things that really helped me: First, I called right at 8 AM when they opened - the wait times were much shorter in the morning. I also had my ex's full Social Security number which made the process go really smoothly, but they told me they could have found his record with just his full legal name and date of birth. The agent was able to tell me exactly what my divorced spouse benefit would be and compared it to my own benefit at different claiming ages. In my case, waiting until my full retirement age of 67 made a huge difference - the divorced spouse benefit at FRA was almost double what it would be at 62. One thing that surprised me was that they also explained how my benefit could potentially increase even more if my ex continues working and earning higher wages, since his benefit calculation would be updated. They really took the time to walk me through all the scenarios. Definitely have all your paperwork ready before you call, and don't hesitate to ask them to repeat the numbers or explain anything you don't understand. Good luck with your call!

I wanted to share something that might help with getting through to SSA more easily. Some local SSA offices allow you to schedule phone appointments instead of just calling the main number. You can find your local office on the SSA website and see if they offer this service - it's been a game changer for me because you get a scheduled callback at a specific time instead of waiting on hold for hours. Also, just to reinforce what others have said - the SSA representatives really can give you all the information you need without you having to contact your ex-husband at all. They'll calculate your potential divorced spouse benefit and compare it to your own benefit. The key things they'll need are proof of your marriage and divorce (which you mentioned having) and either his SSN or his full legal name and date of birth. One last tip: when you do talk to them, ask specifically about the "restricted application" strategy if you're considering waiting until full retirement age. Depending on your birth year, there might be additional claiming strategies available to you that could maximize your total benefits over time.

how do I find out my ex husbands ssa amount

Hi Rosemary! You're asking about the same thing as the original poster. The good news is you don't actually need to find out your ex-husband's exact SSA amount - what you need is to find out what YOUR divorced spouse benefit would be based on his record, which is different. Here's what you can do: 1. Call SSA directly (try calling right at 8 AM for shorter wait times) 2. Have ready: your marriage certificate, divorce decree, and your ex's Social Security number (or his full legal name and date of birth if you don't have his SSN) 3. Ask them to calculate your potential "divorced spouse benefit" and compare it to your own retirement benefit You need to have been married at least 10 years, be currently unmarried, and be at least 62 years old to qualify. SSA won't tell you his exact benefit amount, but they will tell you what YOUR benefit would be based on his earnings record - which is what you actually need to know for planning purposes. Some people mentioned using services like Claimyr to help get through to SSA faster, or checking if your local SSA office offers scheduled phone appointments instead of waiting on hold. Good luck!

I'm in a very similar situation and have been researching this extensively! One additional resource that might help is contacting AARP's Social Security helpline if you're a member - they have specialists who can walk you through the divorced spouse benefit calculations and help you understand your options without the long SSA hold times. Also, I wanted to mention that even if your ex-husband hasn't filed for his benefits yet, as long as he's eligible (which at 64 he definitely is), you can still claim divorced spouse benefits under the "independently entitled" rule since you've been divorced for more than 2 years. This was a huge relief for me to learn since my ex is also still working and hasn't filed yet. One thing I found really helpful was creating a simple spreadsheet comparing the monthly amounts at different claiming ages (62, full retirement age, etc.) for both my own benefit and the estimated divorced spouse benefit. It made the decision much clearer when I could see the numbers side by side and calculate the breakeven points. The SSA representative can give you all the numbers you need to do this analysis. Best of luck with your call to SSA! From everything I've read here, it sounds like once you get through to someone knowledgeable, they're quite helpful with divorced spouse benefit questions.

I wanted to add one more tip that really helped me when I went through this process - if you're feeling overwhelmed by all the information and options, consider writing down your top 3 questions before you call SSA. For example: 1) What would my divorced spouse benefit be at age 62 vs. full retirement age? 2) What would my own benefit be at those same ages? 3) If I claim at 62, what's the exact monthly difference between the two options? Having specific questions written down helped me stay focused during the call and made sure I didn't forget to ask about something important. The representatives seem to appreciate when you're prepared and know exactly what you need to find out. Also, don't feel bad about taking notes during the call or asking them to slow down if they're giving you a lot of numbers at once. This is a major financial decision and you have every right to make sure you understand everything completely before hanging up. I actually asked my representative to email me a summary, and while they couldn't do that, they did give me a reference number for my call so I could refer back to it if I needed to call again. Good luck with your call! It sounds like you have all the right documents and a solid plan for getting the information you need.

I just wanted to say how helpful this entire thread has been! I'm in a similar situation - divorced after a long marriage and trying to figure out the best Social Security strategy. Reading everyone's experiences and advice has given me so much confidence about calling SSA. A few key takeaways I'm noting for my own call: - Call right at 8 AM for shorter wait times - Have all documents ready (marriage certificate, divorce decree, ex's info) - Ask specifically for a "benefit estimate comparison" - Write down specific questions beforehand - Don't be afraid to ask for clarification or take detailed notes It's so reassuring to hear from people who've successfully navigated this process. The fact that SSA can give you all the information you need without having to contact your ex is such a relief! Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice that makes all the difference.

I just wanted to echo what everyone else has said - you absolutely do not need to contact your ex-husband to get this information! I went through this exact process about 2 years ago and SSA was very helpful once I got through to them. One thing I'd add that I don't think anyone mentioned - if you're having trouble finding your ex's Social Security number in your old documents, check any old tax returns you might have from when you were married. His SSN would be listed there if you filed jointly. I found mine on a 2010 tax return that I had stored away. Also, when you do get through to SSA, make sure to ask them about the "deemed filing" rules. At 62, if you apply for one benefit, you're automatically considered to be applying for any other benefits you're eligible for, and they'll give you the higher amount. This means you don't have to worry about choosing the "wrong" one - they'll calculate both and give you whichever is better. The whole process was much less stressful than I anticipated. Good luck!