Remarrying after divorce - Will I lose my ex-spouse Social Security benefits?

Yes, unfortunately when you remarry, you do lose eligibility for divorced spouse benefits. The SSA rule is very clear on this - when you remarry, your divorced spouse benefits stop. You would switch to your own benefit amount of $520/month unless your new spouse's record provides a higher spousal benefit. If your new husband has a substantial work history, you could potentially claim spousal benefits on his record after you've been married for at least one year.

welcome to the wonderful world of SS rules that make no sense!! my sister went thru EXACT same thing last year. its so stupid that u lose benefits just for getting married again. she ended up just living with her boyfriend instead of getting married. saved her like $800 a month!!

Before you change your wedding plans, you should find out exactly what your fiancé's Social Security benefit is. If he has a good benefit amount, you might actually qualify for a decent spousal benefit on HIS record after one year of marriage. The spousal benefit can be up to 50% of his full retirement age benefit. You'll need to compare that potential amount with what you're getting now as a divorced spouse. Also, if your fiancé passes away after you're married, you could qualify for his full benefit amount as a widow.

I went through EXACTLY this situation 2 years ago! What u need to do is call SSA and speak with someone who can tell u EXACTLY what your benefit would be after remarriage. Don't just guess based on internet advice!! But good luck getting through to them - I spent 3 weeks trying to reach someone!!

Have you considered WHEN you get married? If you're already 70, I assume you've already filed for all benefits you're eligible for. If you wait until you've maximized all possible benefits (especially if you haven't yet taken your own benefit and could get delayed retirement credits), the math might change slightly. Also, what about your fiancé's situation? Has HE maximized his benefits? That could affect what you'd be eligible for as his spouse after marriage. The timing matters with Social Security.

If your fiancé claimed early at 62, his benefit is permanently reduced, which means your potential spousal benefit based on his record would also be lower than if he had waited until his Full Retirement Age. Additionally, since he claimed early, the maximum spousal benefit you could receive would be less than 50% of his Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). Regarding your own benefit - if you haven't claimed your own yet, you've been accumulating Delayed Retirement Credits from age 66 to 70, which means your own benefit of $520 has been growing by 8% per year and could now be worth around $676/month. Still not great compared to your current $1,450, but better than the original $520.

The previous commenter raises a good point about widow benefits. If you remarry after age 60 and your new spouse passes away, you can potentially receive widow's benefits on his record. Additionally, if your ex-husband passes away, you might be eligible for surviving divorced spouse benefits EVEN IF you've remarried, as long as the remarriage occurred after age 60. This is one of the few exceptions to the remarriage rule. But this is only relevant if either your ex or new husband pass away, which hopefully won't happen anytime soon.

DO NOT GET MARRIED!!! The govt PUNISHES seniors for getting married!! My mom lost THOUSANDS when she remarried at 68. They DONT CARE about our happiness!!! Why should we lose benefits just for finding love again??? The system is RIGGED against seniors. If you really love each other just live together and skip the paperwork!!!!!

I want to add some balance to this discussion. While it's true that remarriage affects divorced spouse benefits, there are legitimate reasons for the policy. The original purpose of spousal and divorced spouse benefits was to provide for financially dependent spouses within a marriage or after divorce. When you remarry, the expectation is that your new marriage creates a new financial partnership. That said, it's absolutely worth calculating the financial impact and making an informed decision based on your specific circumstances. Have a frank conversation with your fiancé about finances and get exact benefit amounts from SSA before making any decisions.

I'm glad to hear you were able to get through to SSA and get some clarity on your situation! This is such a complex issue that affects so many seniors. One thing I'd suggest is also asking SSA about the Medicare implications of remarriage - sometimes people focus on the Social Security benefits but forget that marriage can also affect Medicare premiums and coverage, especially if you or your fiancé have Medicare Supplement plans or are in different income brackets. Also, don't forget to consider the tax implications of your decision - both the Social Security taxation rules and potential changes to your filing status. Whatever you decide, make sure you're looking at the complete financial picture, not just the monthly benefit amount. Best of luck with your decision!

As someone new to navigating Social Security benefits, I'm really grateful for this detailed discussion! I'm not in this exact situation yet, but my divorce was just finalized after 15 years of marriage, and I'm trying to understand what benefits I might be eligible for in the future. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational. A few questions for the group: Is there a minimum age requirement to start receiving divorced spouse benefits? And do you have to wait until your ex-spouse starts collecting, or can you file independently? Also, I see mentions of needing to be married for 10 years - does the timing of when the divorce is finalized matter, or is it just the total length of the marriage that counts? Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - it's helping those of us who are just starting to figure this system out!

As someone who works in financial planning with seniors, I want to emphasize how important it is to get ALL the numbers before making this decision. Beyond just the Social Security calculations, consider creating a comprehensive budget that includes both of your incomes, expenses, and any other retirement savings you both have. Sometimes the total household income after marriage (even with reduced SS benefits) can still provide better financial security than living separately. Also, don't forget about non-financial factors - things like shared housing costs, healthcare decisions, inheritance rights, and legal protections that come with marriage. I've seen couples make both choices (marry vs. cohabitate) successfully, but the key is making an informed decision based on YOUR complete financial and personal situation, not just the Social Security rules. Consider meeting with a financial advisor who specializes in retirement planning to run through all the scenarios before your wedding date.

Welcome to the community! I'm new here too and have been following this discussion with great interest. As someone approaching retirement age myself, I really appreciate how this conversation has evolved from the initial question about remarriage and Social Security benefits to covering so many related aspects like Medicare, taxes, and overall financial planning. What strikes me most is how the Social Security system creates these difficult choices for people who are simply trying to rebuild their lives after divorce or loss. The fact that you have to choose between love and financial security seems particularly harsh for people who have already contributed to the system for decades. I'm curious - has anyone here looked into whether there are any legislative efforts to reform these remarriage penalty rules? It seems like this affects enough seniors that it might be worth advocating for policy changes. In the meantime, I'm grateful for resources like Claimyr and the detailed advice shared here about getting comprehensive financial planning help before making such major decisions.

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly thorough and educational discussion! I'm not facing this exact situation yet, but as someone who's recently divorced after a 12-year marriage, I'm trying to understand all the potential Social Security implications for my future. What really strikes me about this conversation is how it demonstrates the importance of understanding these rules BEFORE you're in a time-sensitive situation like planning a wedding. I'm wondering - for those of us who are newly divorced, would it be wise to schedule a consultation with SSA now to understand our future benefit options, even if we're still years away from retirement age? That way we'd have a baseline understanding of what we might be eligible for and how different life choices (like remarriage) could affect those benefits. Also, I'm curious if anyone has experience with how these rules apply to domestic partnerships or civil unions in states where they're recognized - do they trigger the same remarriage penalties as traditional marriage? Thank you again to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise - this community is such a valuable resource for navigating these complex systems!

As a new community member, I want to express my gratitude for this incredibly comprehensive discussion! Reading through everyone's experiences and advice has been so educational. What really stands out to me is how this conversation demonstrates that Social Security decisions aren't made in isolation - they intersect with so many other aspects of retirement planning like Medicare, taxes, estate planning, and overall financial security. For anyone facing similar decisions, it seems like the key steps are: 1) Use services like Claimyr to get exact benefit calculations from SSA, 2) Have honest financial discussions with your partner about both of your complete financial pictures, 3) Consider consulting with a financial planner who specializes in retirement to model different scenarios, and 4) factor in both the financial and non-financial aspects of your decision. I'm also struck by how many people are choosing cohabitation over marriage purely due to these benefit rules. While that might work for some couples, it does mean giving up legal protections and rights that come with marriage. It really highlights how these policies can force people into difficult choices between financial security and their personal values. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and expertise - this kind of community support is invaluable for people navigating these complex systems!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly impressed by the depth and helpfulness of this discussion! I'm currently going through a divorce myself after 18 years of marriage, and while I'm not yet at retirement age, reading through all of these responses has given me so much valuable insight into what I need to consider for my future planning. What strikes me most is how this conversation has highlighted the importance of getting professional guidance early and often. The recommendation to use Claimyr to actually speak with SSA representatives seems crucial - so many of these decisions depend on specific numbers and individual circumstances that generic advice can only go so far. I'm also fascinated by the various strategies people have mentioned, from timing considerations to the potential widow benefit exceptions. It really drives home how complex the Social Security system is and how one decision can have ripple effects across multiple aspects of retirement planning. For the original poster - I hope you were able to have that financial discussion with your fiancé and that whatever decision you make brings you both happiness and security. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise. This is exactly the kind of community support that makes navigating these challenging systems more manageable!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly detailed and helpful discussion! I'm not currently facing this exact situation, but as someone who's recently started thinking seriously about retirement planning, this thread has been an eye-opening education in how complex Social Security rules can be. What really impresses me is how the community has provided both practical advice (like using Claimyr to reach SSA representatives) and emotional support for such a difficult decision. The original poster's dilemma really highlights how these benefit rules can force people to choose between financial security and personal happiness - something that seems particularly unfair for people who've already contributed to the system for decades. I'm taking notes on all the key points raised here: the importance of getting exact benefit calculations from SSA, considering Medicare and tax implications, having comprehensive financial discussions with partners, and potentially consulting with retirement-focused financial planners. This seems like essential information for anyone navigating these systems. For those facing similar decisions, it's clear that there's no one-size-fits-all answer, but having all the facts and professional guidance can help ensure you make the choice that's right for your specific situation. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise - this is exactly the kind of community support that makes these challenging decisions more manageable!

As a new member of this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly thorough and educational discussion! Reading through all the responses has been so enlightening about the complexities of Social Security benefits and remarriage. What really strikes me is how this thread demonstrates the importance of getting personalized, professional advice rather than making assumptions. The recommendation to use Claimyr to actually speak with SSA representatives seems invaluable - I had no idea such services existed to help navigate the notoriously difficult SSA phone system. I'm also impressed by how the discussion has evolved to cover not just the immediate Social Security impact, but all the related considerations like Medicare implications, tax consequences, and overall retirement planning. It really reinforces that these decisions can't be made in isolation. For anyone facing similar situations, it seems like the key takeaways are: get exact numbers from SSA, have comprehensive financial discussions with your partner, consider professional retirement planning advice, and factor in both financial and non-financial aspects of marriage. To the original poster - I hope you and your fiancé were able to work through all the numbers and make a decision that brings you both happiness and financial security. This community's support and knowledge sharing is truly remarkable!