Need advice for upcoming SS spousal excess benefit call - divorced spouse situation

Definitely be prepared! For divorced spousal benefits, have your marriage certificate and divorce decree ready. They'll need your ex's SSN if you have it, but they can look it up if necessary. Since you'll be at FRA, the earnings test won't apply to you anymore, but they'll still need to calculate your own benefit vs. the spousal excess. I'd suggest asking these questions: 1. How exactly will my benefit amount be calculated? (Make them explain the formula) 2. When will my first payment arrive if approved? 3. Will I need to file a separate application for my own retirement and the divorced spouse benefit, or is it combined? And yes, request a technical specialist who works with divorced spouse claims. Regular reps sometimes don't understand all the nuances of excess spousal benefits, especially in divorce situations.

i went thru this last yr. the first person i talked to had NO IDEA about spousal excess for divorced ppl. got transferred 3 times!!! finally reached someone who knew what they were doing. whole process took 5 months to get approved. dont give up!!

Since you're reaching FRA, make sure to clarify that you want to file for BOTH your own retirement benefit and the divorced spousal benefit simultaneously. The rules changed after 2015, and you can no longer file for just one benefit and let the other grow. What will happen is SSA will calculate your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) based on your earnings history. Then they'll calculate what you'd get as a divorced spouse (up to 50% of your ex's PIA). If the spousal benefit is higher, you'll receive your own benefit plus the "excess" amount that makes up the difference. In your initial call, specifically ask: 1. What is my calculated PIA based on my earnings? 2. What would 50% of my ex-spouse's PIA be? 3. What will my combined monthly benefit amount to? And yes, have your most recent tax return handy, plus your birth certificate, marriage certificate, and divorce decree.

When I had my Social Security call last year, I kept getting disconnected or had to wait 2+ hours on hold. It was incredibly frustrating! I eventually used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that held my place in line and called me back when an agent was available. Saved me hours of waiting and stress. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU For your actual questions - definitely ask for a specialist in divorced spousal benefits. The regular agents often don't understand the nuances. Also ask if your continued work might increase your own benefit enough to affect the excess calculation. And get everything in writing after the call!

WATCH OUT! My sister went through this and SSA calculated everything wrong the first time!! They didn't count 3 years of her work history and gave her a much smaller benefit than she deserved. Make sure you go through your earnings record with them line by line during the call. Don't trust them to get it right without double-checking!

I was in almost the exact same situation last year! One thing nobody mentioned to me that I wish I'd known - if you're planning to continue working past FRA, you might want to delay taking your own retirement benefit (but still take the spousal excess) if your current earnings are higher than your past earnings. Working even 1-2 more years at a good salary can increase your own benefit calculation. But the most important thing is definitely asking for a technical expert who specializes in divorce cases and excess benefits. The first person I spoke with gave me completely wrong information. Don't be afraid to politely ask for someone else if they seem confused about your situation.

To clarify the confusion in this thread: No, you cannot take just the excess spousal benefit while delaying your own retirement benefit. This used to be possible under a strategy called "restricted application" but that ended for people born after 1/1/1954. When you file at FRA or later, you'll receive the higher of: your own retirement benefit OR up to 50% of your ex-spouse's benefit (whichever is more). But you can't split them or delay one while taking the other. For your situation, since you're still working, you might want to calculate if delaying your application entirely (both benefits) until age 67 or 68 would result in a higher monthly amount. Each year you delay past FRA increases your own retirement benefit by 8%, which might offset any spousal excess you'd be eligible for now.

Make sure they check if your ex has multiple exes filing on his record! Many people don't realize there's no 'family maximum' for divorced spouse benefits - each eligible ex-spouse can receive benefits without reducing the others. But it DOES affect survivor benefits later, which is something to keep in mind for future planning.

On your call, request a complete breakdown of your benefit calculation in writing. SSA should send you an award letter after your claim is processed, but it doesn't always show the detailed math. Specifically ask for: 1. Your PIA based on your own work record 2. The spousal benefit amount you're eligible for (up to 50% of ex's PIA) 3. The excess amount (the difference between #2 and #1) 4. How continuing to work might change these calculations Keep detailed notes during your call - write down the name and direct extension of anyone helpful that you speak with. If you need clarification later, it's much easier if you can get back to the same person rather than explaining everything to someone new. Also, while your current earnings won't reduce benefits at FRA, they could potentially increase your own PIA if these are high-earning years for you, which might reduce the spousal excess portion (though your total would remain the same or increase).