Percentage chart for ex-spouse Social Security benefits based on application age?

Yes, there is a reduction chart for early filing. If you claim ex-spouse benefits at 62, you'll receive approximately 65% of what you'd get at your full retirement age (67). Each year you wait increases the percentage: Age 62: 65% Age 63: 70% Age 64: 75% Age 65: 80% Age 66: 86.7% Age 67 (FRA): 100% Remember that your ex must be at least 62 (even if not claiming yet), and you must remain unmarried to claim on his record. Also, if your own work record would provide a higher benefit, SSA will pay you that amount instead.

my sister had same question last year. she ended up just going to the SSA office with appointment. they printed her a whole chart thing with dollar amounts based on HER situation. might be worth calling them

I went through this last year with my ex. The percentages the first commenter posted are right BUT what they don't tell you is that the SSA website calculator is COMPLETELY USELESS for ex-spouse benefits!!! It kept giving me errors or showing my own benefit instead. I spent WEEKS trying to get through on the phone. The whole system is DESIGNED to make us give up!!! And then when I finally got someone they couldn't even explain why the numbers were so different from what I calculated myself.

I had similar questions last month and found that calling SSA was nearly impossible until I tried a service called Claimyr. It got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours or getting disconnected. The agent was able to calculate my specific ex-spouse benefit amounts at different ages, which was way more helpful than the general charts online. I'd recommend checking out their video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU to see how it works. Their website is claimyr.com. It saved me a ton of frustration.

One thing no one mentioned yet is that you need to also factor in whether you're still working! I claimed ex-spouse benefits at 63 not realizing I would be hit with the earnings test since I was still working part-time. They took back almost half my benefits because I earned over the limit ($21,240 in 2025). Make sure you consider that too!

i got divorced three years ago after 22 years married and i just turned 62 last week. applied for my ex husband benefits and got approved but the amount was so small i was shocked!!! only getting $1087 a month even though he was making good money. they said something about my own benefit being higher eventually but right now this is what i get. just giving you real numbers to consider

I have a slightly different question related to this. If my ex-husband passes away, does that change the percentage I can get? I thought I heard that survivor benefits are different from just regular divorced spouse benefits. Sorry to hijack your post but it seemed related enough.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! I've made notes on all the percentages and considerations. I think I'm going to use that Claimyr service to get through to SSA and get my personalized calculation, especially since I need to understand how the earnings limit might affect me. It sounds like waiting until at least 63 or 64 might be a good compromise for my situation, but I want to see the actual dollar amounts before deciding.

Just wanted to add one more thing that helped me when I was in a similar situation - you can create a my Social Security account online at ssa.gov and it will show you estimates for your own retirement benefits at different ages. While it won't calculate the ex-spouse benefits directly, it can help you understand what your own benefit would be so you can compare. Also, if you're really struggling financially, don't forget that you might qualify for other assistance programs while you're deciding about Social Security timing. The Area Agency on Aging in your county often has counselors who can help you think through all these decisions together. Good luck!

As someone who went through this process recently, I'd also recommend asking SSA about the "deemed filing" rule when you call. If you're eligible for both your own retirement benefit and ex-spouse benefits, they might automatically file you for both and give you the higher amount. This caught me off guard because I thought I was only applying for ex-spouse benefits, but they explained that at 62+ you're essentially applying for all benefits you're eligible for. Also, keep in mind that your ex-spouse doesn't need to have filed for his benefits yet - as long as you've been divorced for at least 2 years, you can claim on his record even if he's still working. This was a relief for me since my ex is still working at 65!

I'm also navigating this same situation and found this thread incredibly helpful! One additional resource I discovered is the AARP Social Security Calculator - while it doesn't handle ex-spouse benefits perfectly, it does give you a good baseline for understanding your own benefits at different claiming ages. Also, if you're having trouble getting through to SSA by phone, I had success going to my local SSA office first thing in the morning without an appointment. They have a "take a number" system and while I waited about 90 minutes, the representative was able to run all the calculations for me right there and print out a personalized benefit estimate sheet. She explained that ex-spouse benefits don't get delayed retirement credits past your full retirement age (so no benefit to waiting past 67), which is different from your own retirement benefits that can grow until age 70. This really helped me understand the trade-offs better.

I wanted to share my recent experience with ex-spouse Social Security benefits since I just went through this process last month. I'm 63 and was in a very similar situation - divorced after 15 years of marriage and trying to figure out the best timing for claiming benefits. After reading through all the great advice here, I ended up using a combination of approaches: I visited my local SSA office early in the morning (around 7:30 AM when they opened) and also created the my Social Security account online beforehand to have my own benefit estimates ready. The SSA representative was incredibly helpful and ran multiple scenarios for me. She confirmed that at 63, I'd get about 70% of my ex-husband's full retirement age benefit, and importantly, she calculated the exact dollar amounts based on his actual earnings record - not just percentages. One thing that surprised me was learning that even though my ex hasn't filed for his benefits yet (he's 64 and still working), I could still claim on his record since we've been divorced for over 2 years. I ultimately decided to wait until 64 to claim, which will give me 75% instead of 70%, because the extra $180 per month was worth the one-year delay in my financial situation. Also, make sure to bring documentation of your marriage and divorce decree when you go - they'll need certified copies for your file.

I'm in a very similar situation and this thread has been incredibly informative! I'm 61 and will be eligible for ex-spouse benefits next year after a 14-year marriage. Reading through everyone's experiences, I'm realizing there are so many factors I hadn't considered - the earnings test, deemed filing, and the fact that there's no benefit to waiting past full retirement age for ex-spouse benefits. I'm particularly interested in the local SSA office approach that several people mentioned. Has anyone had luck making an appointment ahead of time, or is the early morning walk-in strategy generally better? Also, for those who used the Claimyr service, was it worth the cost, or did you find the in-person SSA visit gave you everything you needed? Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical advice that's hard to find elsewhere!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really impressed by how thorough and helpful everyone has been in sharing their experiences! I'm 60 and will be facing this same decision in a couple of years after my 13-year marriage ended. Reading through all these responses has given me a much better understanding of what to expect and how to prepare. The combination of visiting the local SSA office early in the morning with all documentation ready, plus creating the my Social Security account beforehand to understand my own benefit estimates, seems like the best approach based on everyone's experiences. I'm particularly grateful for the specific details about the earnings test, deemed filing rules, and the fact that ex-spouse benefits don't get delayed retirement credits past full retirement age - these are exactly the kinds of nuances I wouldn't have known to ask about. Thank you all for creating such a valuable resource for those of us navigating this complex process!

As someone new to this community and this whole Social Security process, I want to thank everyone for such detailed and helpful responses! I'm 59 and will be eligible for ex-spouse benefits in a few years after my 11-year marriage. This thread has been incredibly educational - I had no idea about things like the earnings test, deemed filing, or that ex-spouse benefits don't get delayed retirement credits past FRA. The step-by-step approaches people have shared (creating the my Social Security account first, visiting SSA early in the morning with all documentation, asking for printed estimates at multiple ages) give me a clear roadmap for when my time comes. It's so valuable to hear real dollar amounts and actual experiences rather than just percentages and theoretical information. I'm taking notes on all of this for future reference!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm amazed by the wealth of practical information shared here! I'm 58 and expecting to face this same decision in a few years after my 16-year marriage ended last year. Reading through everyone's detailed experiences has given me such a clear understanding of the process and potential pitfalls. The consensus approach of creating a my Social Security account first, then visiting the local SSA office early in the morning with all documentation ready, and asking for printed benefit estimates at multiple claiming ages seems like the most effective strategy based on all the success stories shared here. I'm particularly grateful for the insights about the earnings test (since I plan to keep working part-time), the deemed filing rules, and learning that ex-spouse benefits don't receive delayed retirement credits past full retirement age - that last point really helps narrow down the decision timeline. Thank you all for being so generous with sharing specific dollar amounts and real-world experiences. This thread will definitely be my reference guide when I start this process myself!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to express my gratitude for this incredibly comprehensive thread! I'm 61 and will be eligible for ex-spouse benefits next year after my 10-year marriage. This discussion has been more helpful than hours of research on official websites. The systematic approach that's emerged from everyone's experiences - setting up the my Social Security account first, visiting the local SSA office early morning with all necessary documentation, and requesting printed benefit estimates at multiple claiming ages - gives me a clear action plan. I'm especially thankful for learning about the earnings test (crucial since I'm still working), the deemed filing automatic process, and that ex-spouse benefits don't grow past full retirement age like regular retirement benefits do. The real dollar amounts and specific timelines people have shared make this so much more concrete than just reading percentages. I'm taking detailed notes from this thread to prepare for my own journey through this process. Thank you all for creating such a valuable resource for those of us navigating these important financial decisions!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful for this comprehensive discussion! I'm 60 and will be facing this decision in two years after my 15-year marriage. This thread has been more informative than anything I've found on official government websites. The step-by-step approach that's emerged from everyone's shared experiences - creating the my Social Security account first, visiting the local SSA office early in the morning with all documentation ready, and requesting printed benefit estimates at multiple claiming ages - gives me a clear roadmap to follow. I'm particularly thankful for learning about the earnings test implications (since I plan to continue working part-time), the automatic deemed filing process, and the crucial fact that ex-spouse benefits don't receive delayed retirement credits past full retirement age. The real dollar amounts and specific timelines people have shared make this so much more tangible than just reading percentages and general information. I'm saving this entire thread as my reference guide for when I begin this process myself. Thank you all for being so generous with your knowledge and creating such a supportive environment for those of us navigating these complex financial decisions!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely blown away by the wealth of practical knowledge shared in this thread! I'm 63 and just started exploring ex-spouse benefits after my 11-year marriage ended last year. Reading through everyone's detailed experiences has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea about so many crucial aspects like the earnings test, deemed filing rules, or that ex-spouse benefits don't grow past full retirement age like regular retirement benefits do. The systematic approach that's emerged from all your shared experiences gives me such confidence: setting up the my Social Security account first, visiting the local SSA office early morning with all documentation ready, and asking for printed benefit estimates at multiple claiming ages. I'm particularly grateful for the specific dollar amounts people have shared - seeing that $180 monthly difference between claiming at 63 vs 64 really puts the percentages into perspective in a way the official websites never could. Since I'm still working about 20 hours a week, the earnings test warnings are especially valuable for my planning. I'm going to follow this proven roadmap and visit my local SSA office next week. Thank you all for creating such a supportive and informative resource - this community is truly special for how generously you share real-world guidance!