Social Security after 25-year marriage - how will ex-husband claiming early affect my survivor benefits?

Yes, if your ex-husband claims early and passes away, your potential survivor benefits would be reduced. Survivor benefits are generally based on what the deceased was actually receiving at death (with some exceptions). Since you were married more than 10 years, you qualify for both ex-spousal benefits and ex-survivor benefits depending on the situation. If he claims at 62 instead of his FRA, that early filing reduction (about 30%) would carry over to any survivor benefits you might receive if he passes away.However, there's an important distinction: while he's alive, any ex-spousal benefits you might claim would NOT be affected by his decision to file early. Only the survivor benefits after death would be impacted.

Thank you for explaining that! So to make sure I understand - while he's alive, if I claim ex-spousal benefits, I'd get 50% of his FRA amount regardless of when he filed. But if he passes away, any survivor benefits would be based on his reduced amount because he claimed early? That seems like an important distinction.

my sister was in the same boat!!! her ex took ss at 62 and died at 68 and she got stuck with lower payments forever. its not fair they should give u what he WOULD have gotten if he waited till full age

I understand the frustration, but that's how the system works. The early claiming reduction carries through to survivor benefits in most cases. That's why financial planning around Social Security can be so complex - one person's decision can affect another person's benefits years later, even after divorce.

I've been trying to navigate this exact situation! The SSA website is SO confusing when it comes to divorced spouse benefits vs. survivor benefits. Have you tried calling them directly? I've been trying for WEEKS and can't get through to anyone who can explain this properly. Just endless hold times and then disconnections. Beyond frustrating!

I had the same problem trying to sort out my survivor benefits. After wasting hours on hold and getting disconnected repeatedly, I found a service called Claimyr that got me through to a live SSA agent in about 20 minutes. It actually worked! They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU that shows how it works. Totally worth it to actually speak with someone who could answer my specific questions instead of trying to decipher the website information.

Thanks for the tip! I'll check that out. At this point I'm desperate to talk to someone who actually knows the rules.

just wanted to say that its really nice to see someone being thoughtful about an ex. too many bitter divorces out there

This is actually a lot more complicated than most people realize. There's something called the

I didn't even think about the maximum family benefit! I'll definitely look into getting professional advice. Do you happen to know if the SSA provides any consultations for these complex situations, or should I just go straight to a financial advisor?

Let me try to simplify this with the key facts:1. You were married 25 years (over the 10-year minimum required), so you qualify for ex-spouse benefits2. Ex-spouse benefits while he's alive: 50% of his FRA benefit (regardless of when he claims)3. Survivor benefits if he passes away: Based on what he was actually receiving, which means reduced if he claimed early4. Special rule: If you're at your FRA when you claim survivor benefits, you get the higher of: - What your ex was receiving at death (reduced by his early claiming) - 82.5% of his full retirement age benefitSo his early claiming does impact potential survivor benefits, but the reduction might not be as severe as his own reduction depending on your age when you claim survivor benefits.Also important: You can switch between your own benefit and survivor benefits to maximize lifetime payout. Many people take the smaller benefit first, then switch to the larger one later.

Thank you SO much for breaking this down! I had no idea about that 82.5% minimum if I'm at my FRA when claiming survivor benefits. That special rule actually makes a big difference in my planning. And the strategy of switching between benefits is brilliant - exactly the kind of optimization I was hoping to learn about.

I'm still confused about one thing... what if the ex-husband takes early retirement but then continues working and earning over the limit? Does that affect the survivor benefit calculation too???

Great question. If your ex claims early but keeps working and exceeds the earnings limit, the SSA may withhold some of his benefits. This could potentially increase survivor benefits slightly because SSA recalculates the reduction when benefits are withheld due to work.However, this is a very complex calculation and depends on how many months of benefits were withheld due to work. The actual impact might be minor in most cases, but it's technically a factor in the calculation.

My husband always said I should wait til 70 to get the biggest check but he died last year and now everyones telling me different things about when to take MY ss and when to take HIS. I HATE THIS SYSTEM!!

I'm very sorry for your loss. The choice between your own benefit and survivor benefits is indeed confusing. Generally speaking, you want to take the smaller benefit first and then switch to the larger one later. If your own benefit at age 70 would be larger than your survivor benefit, consider taking survivor benefits earlier and switching to your own at 70. Every situation is different though - this is definitely a case where speaking directly with SSA about your specific numbers is important.

Thank you all so much for these responses! I have a much clearer picture now of how this works. My takeaways:1. His early claiming WOULD reduce potential survivor benefits if he passes away2. But there's that 82.5% minimum rule that might help offset some of the reduction3. I can strategically switch between my own benefits and survivor benefits to maximize my total lifetime payout4. I should definitely consult with an expert on Social Security claiming strategies given all the complexitiesIt's definitely more complicated than I initially thought, but I feel much better equipped to have an informed conversation with a financial advisor now. Thanks again for all your help!