Missed spousal benefits from ex-husband's Social Security - Can I get retroactive payments?
I finally started collecting my own Social Security retirement benefits in January 2025, but there's a problem with my ex-spousal benefits. My financial advisor told me I was eligible for an additional $410 per month based on my ex-husband's earnings record (we were married 12 years). When my benefits started, I was only getting MY benefit amount. I called SSA multiple times and after 3 months of confusion, they finally added the ex-spousal portion in April. But shouldn't those extra payments be retroactive to January? That's over $1,200 they still owe me! The SSA rep I spoke with yesterday just kept saying "the system shows your benefits are current" but wouldn't address the missing months. Has anyone dealt with this situation? Am I entitled to those backdated payments or am I out of luck? The whole process has been incredibly frustrating!
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CosmicCadet
YES! You are absolutely entitled to retroactive benefits from when you first qualified. This is a classic SSA processing error. I had almost the identical situation with survivor benefits last year. You need to specifically request what's called a "manual adjustment" for your ex-spousal benefits starting from your entitlement date in January. Make sure when you call to use these exact words: "I'm requesting a manual adjustment for underpayment of ex-spousal benefits from January through March 2025." Don't let them just say the "system is current" - that means current going forward, not that past errors were corrected. You should also submit a written request through your local office documenting this underpayment. Keep copies of everything!
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Mei Chen
•Thank you SO MUCH for this specific advice! I was beginning to think I was crazy or misunderstanding something. I'll definitely use those exact words about a "manual adjustment" when I call tomorrow. Should I also mention anything about interest on the late payments? And how long did it take for your situation to get resolved?
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Liam O'Connor
same thing happened to my sister!! took her like 6 phone calls and 2 visits to the local office before they actually fixed it and gave her the backpay. don't give up!!!
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Mei Chen
•Six calls?! Ugh, I've already made four and I'm exhausted. Did she have to speak to a supervisor to finally get it resolved? I'm wondering if I should just go directly to my local office instead of dealing with the phone system anymore.
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Amara Adeyemi
This is actually quite common with divorced spouse benefits. The problem is that different parts of your claim are often processed by different people/departments at SSA. What happened is your retirement benefit (RIB) was processed correctly, but your divorced spouse benefit (DRIB) wasn't triggered properly in the system. When they finally added it in April, the system only calculated current month forward because no one flagged it as a correction. You are 100% entitled to those retroactive payments from January-March. You need to speak with a Claims Specialist specifically (not just any SSA rep) and request: 1. A "critical payment" for the underpaid months 2. A formal review of your benefit computation date (BCD) Don't be surprised if they tell you it will take 30-60 days to process the underpayment once approved. That's standard for these types of corrections.
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Mei Chen
•Thank you for explaining this so clearly! I didn't realize there were different specialists I should be asking for. When I call back, I'll specifically ask for a Claims Specialist. Is there anything I should bring if I end up going to my local office instead? Any specific forms I should request or documentation I should have ready?
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Giovanni Gallo
The same thing happened to me but with widows benefits! I just gave up after trying for months because every time I called SSA I got different answers and waited FOREVER on hold. Some people told me I was eligible for backpay, others said no. So frustrating!!
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CosmicCadet
•You should absolutely not give up! The law is clear on this. If you were underpaid benefits you were legally entitled to, SSA MUST pay you the difference. There's no time limit on correcting underpayments. You could still file for that underpayment correction now, even if it was months ago.
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Fatima Al-Mazrouei
Getting through to SSA on the phone is the worst part of this whole process! I finally found a service called Claimyr that gets you through to a real person at Social Security without the hours of waiting. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU I used it when I had a similar issue with delayed disability payments, and was able to get my backpay approved in one call. It was worth every penny to not spend half my day on hold just to get disconnected. Just make sure you have your case details ready when you call through their service.
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Giovanni Gallo
•Oh wow, I've never heard of this! Does it really work? I'm so tired of calling at 8am exactly and still waiting 2+ hours.
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Fatima Al-Mazrouei
•Yes, it absolutely works! I was skeptical too, but it got me through to a representative in about 10 minutes. Just make sure you're prepared with all your information when they connect you.
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Dylan Wright
I HATE how SSA treats us like we're trying to scam them or something!! YOU worked and EARNED those benefits and your ex worked and you're entitled to those too after a long marriage! They act like they're doing us a favor by giving us OUR OWN MONEY BACK!!! The whole system is designed to wear people down until they give up. DON'T GIVE UP!!!
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NebulaKnight
•While I understand your frustration, it's important to remember that most SSA errors aren't malicious - they're the result of an understaffed agency dealing with extremely complex benefit rules and outdated computer systems. The frontline employees are often doing their best with limited resources. To the original poster: Be persistent but polite. Document every communication with SSA (date, time, representative name if possible, and what was discussed). Request a Benefit Verification Letter that shows when your ex-spousal benefits were added. This creates a paper trail that will help your case.
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Liam O'Connor
does anyone know if theres a form you can fill out for this instead of calling?? i hate talking on the phone lol
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Amara Adeyemi
•Yes, you can submit a Request for Reconsideration (Form SSA-561) to address benefit underpayments. However, in the case of obvious processing errors like this one, a phone call to a Claims Specialist is usually faster. If you prefer written communication, you could also use the message feature in your my Social Security account to request the correction, though response times vary significantly.
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CosmicCadet
OP - just checking in. Were you able to get this resolved? Any updates to share with the group?
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Mei Chen
•Update: SUCCESS!! I followed the advice here and specifically asked for a Claims Specialist and used the phrase "manual adjustment for underpayment." The specialist immediately understood the issue and confirmed I was owed the ex-spousal benefits from January-March. She said I should receive the payment within 2-3 weeks! I'm so grateful for everyone's help here. I never would have known what to say without your guidance. Will update again when I actually receive the payment.
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