Social Security application confusion about reporting short marriages - what happens after saying 'yes' to prior marriages?

I filled out my application last month and remember this part. If you select "yes" to prior marriages, it asks for details about each one regardless of length. THEN after you enter the dates, if it calculates the marriage was less than 10 years, it basically ignores that data for benefit calculations but still keeps the information on file. You'll need to enter start/end dates of the marriage and how it ended (divorce/death). It's not too bad, just a few extra questions.

When my husband applied last year, he answered YES to previous marriages and then had to provide documentation for ALL prior marriages, even the short one that lasted only 3 years!!! The local office made him bring in the divorce decree even though it didn't affect his benefit amount at all. Such a headache and delayed his application by almost a month while we dug up those old records. Maybe other offices handle it differently though?

The online application process asks for ALL marriages initially, but only marriages lasting 10+ years affect benefit calculations (for ex-spouse benefits). Your husband should answer truthfully that yes, he was previously married. The system will then ask for details including dates. After entering this information, if the marriage lasted less than 10 years, the system notes this but doesn't require documentation typically. However, SSA reserves the right to verify any information on your application. In most cases, they don't request documentation for short marriages unless there's a specific reason for verification or if something seems inconsistent. Some field offices are more thorough than others. The important thing is to answer truthfully, as providing false information on a federal application can create problems down the road.

just put NO if the marrage was less than 10 years... thats what I did. they dont care about short marraiges and it saves you from a ton of extra questions!! the SSA is so backed up they dont check that stuff anyway

I went through this exact situation with my SS application in November. Here's what happened: I answered YES to previous marriages, and then for each marriage, it asked for start date, end date, and how it ended. I had one marriage that lasted 8 years, so after entering the dates, the system calculated it was less than 10 years. The system then gave me a message saying something like "This marriage doesn't meet the duration requirement for benefit considerations, but the information will be kept on record." I wasn't asked to upload any documentation for that marriage, but they did request docs for my other marriage that was over 10 years. I was able to finalize my application successfully that day. When I had my follow-up phone appointment, the agent didn't even mention the short marriage - only verified details about the longer one. Hope this helps with what to expect! Be truthful on the application and you'll be fine.

I've been waiting on hold with Social Security for THREE HOURS trying to ask this exact question!!! Why is it so impossible to talk to a real person there??!?

On a related note - does anyone know if there's a spot on the application to explain special circumstances? My husband had a complicated divorce situation with his ex (they were separated for 3 years before legally divorcing) and I'm worried about how to explain that if it comes up.

Thank you all for the helpful responses! We'll go ahead and answer truthfully about the prior marriage and just provide the basic information. Good to know that the system will recognize it's less than 10 years and probably not request documentation. I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences!

Just wanted to add my experience from when I helped my mom with her application last year. The online system is actually pretty smart about the 10-year rule. When you answer "yes" to previous marriages, it walks you through each one with just basic info - marriage date, end date, spouse's name, and how it ended (divorce/death). Once you enter the dates, if it's under 10 years, the system basically says "noted but won't affect benefits" and moves on. The whole marriage section took maybe 5 extra minutes total. Much less complicated than I expected! The key is just being honest upfront rather than trying to game the system.

I am filing for social security online. I have 3 previous marriages - only one lasted past 10 years. The online application says to list all your marriages. When I add the 2 that were less than 10 years. I get a red error next to the end date and it says this marriage did not last 10 years. Yes, I know but you asked me to list all 3! If I leave those other 2 on the application, it does not let me proceed with reviewing, signing and submitting. There is a big red X next to the details. If I remove them, it will allow me to move forward with submitting. Anyone else experienced this?

Thank you all for your help. I did hit yes for prior marriage and it just asked if it lasted 10 years or more. It didn't ask for dates nor a name, though, I did put that name for a prior name. I did finish it and it did state that they needed proof of your marriage, which one? They will contact me if they need any document of it. My husband did not need to provide anything on his, no since like me I thought it was one that lasted 10 years or more. He has never been contacted.