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.

This is really helpful information! I'm actually in a similar situation - my spouse has two previous marriages, one that lasted 12 years and another that was only 4 years. Based on what everyone is saying, it sounds like we should expect to provide documentation for the longer marriage but probably not the shorter one. It's reassuring to know that the online system seems to handle this pretty intelligently by calculating the duration and filtering accordingly. Has anyone dealt with multiple previous marriages in the application? I'm wondering if having two makes the process more complicated or if it's just the same basic questions for each one.

I just went through this process myself about 6 months ago and can confirm what others have said - the online application does ask for all previous marriages regardless of length, but it's really straightforward. After you answer "yes" to prior marriages, it asks for each marriage: start date, end date, spouse's full name, and how it ended (divorce, death, or annulment). Once you enter the dates, if the marriage was less than 10 years, you'll see a note that it won't affect your benefit calculation but will be kept on file. The whole thing took me maybe 10 minutes extra, and I wasn't asked for any documentation on my 7-year marriage. Much easier than I was expecting! Just be honest and you'll be fine.

I'm going through this exact same process right now with my wife's application! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful. It sounds like the consensus is pretty clear - answer "yes" to previous marriages and just provide the basic information (dates, spouse name, how it ended). The system will automatically calculate if it's under 10 years and handle it appropriately. I was also worried about triggering a documentation nightmare for a marriage that doesn't affect benefits, but it seems like most people had a smooth experience with short marriages. Thanks to everyone who shared their real-world experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical advice you can't find on the official SSA website!

I'm currently going through this same situation with my own application and found this thread incredibly helpful! Based on everyone's experiences, it seems like the key takeaway is to be honest and answer "yes" to previous marriages, then just provide the basic information requested (dates, spouse name, how it ended). The online system appears to be smart enough to calculate the duration and automatically handle marriages under 10 years without requiring documentation in most cases. It's reassuring to see so many real examples of people who went through this process smoothly by being truthful upfront. Thanks to everyone for sharing their actual experiences - this kind of practical advice makes navigating the SSA application so much less stressful!

I just completed my Social Security application last week and had the same exact concern about my previous 5-year marriage! I was so worried about triggering a bunch of extra paperwork, but the process was actually really smooth. When I answered "yes" to prior marriages, it asked for the basic details (start date, end date, spouse's name, how it ended), and once I entered the dates, the system immediately showed a message that said something like "This marriage duration does not meet the 10-year requirement for spousal benefits but will be recorded in your file." That was it - no document requests, no extra forms, just moved on to the next section. The whole marriage section added maybe 3-4 minutes to my application. Definitely agree with everyone else here - just be honest and let the system do its thing!

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?

This is definitely a system bug that you shouldn't have to work around by removing accurate information! I've been helping people navigate SSA applications and this red error blocking submission for marriages under 10 years is not how the system is supposed to work. Based on all the experiences shared in this thread, the online application should accept all marriage information and simply note which ones don't qualify for spousal benefits. Here's what I'd recommend: 1) Try clearing your browser cache and cookies, then log back in with a fresh session, 2) If that doesn't work, try a different browser entirely (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, etc.), 3) If you're still getting the error, call SSA's technical support line at 1-800-772-1213 and report this as a system bug - they need to know their application is malfunctioning. Whatever you do, don't submit your application with missing marriage information just to get around this error. That could create bigger problems down the road if there are discrepancies in your records. The system needs to be fixed to handle this correctly, and SSA technical support should be able to help you get through the application with all accurate information included.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent experience since I just went through this exact situation last month! My husband had one previous marriage that lasted about 7 years, and I was worried about the same thing - would answering "yes" create a paperwork nightmare for a marriage that doesn't affect benefits? Here's what actually happened: When we answered "yes" to previous marriages, the system asked for basic info (start date, end date, spouse's name, how it ended). After entering the dates, it immediately calculated that the marriage was under 10 years and showed a message saying something like "This marriage will be noted in your file but does not meet duration requirements for spousal benefits." No red flags, no document requests - just moved on to the next section. The whole process took maybe 5 extra minutes, and his application was approved without any issues. Definitely agree with everyone saying to be honest - the system handles short marriages really smoothly when it's working properly. For those experiencing the red error bug that's preventing submission - that's definitely not normal and sounds like a technical issue SSA needs to fix! The system should accept all marriage information, not block you from proceeding.

I'm new to this community and currently preparing to help my elderly mother with her Social Security application. This entire thread has been incredibly valuable! She was married twice - once for 15 years and another time for about 6 years - and I was really worried about how to handle this on her application. Reading everyone's experiences has given me so much confidence about the process. It sounds like the key points are: 1) Answer "yes" to previous marriages and be honest, 2) Provide basic info for all marriages (dates, spouse name, how it ended), 3) The system automatically calculates duration and notes which ones don't affect benefits, and 4) Documentation is typically only requested for marriages over 10 years. For those experiencing the red error bug - that's so frustrating! Definitely sounds like a system issue that SSA technical support needs to address. The application shouldn't block you from being truthful. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences - this kind of practical advice from people who've actually been through the process is invaluable for newcomers like me who are trying to navigate this for the first time!

I'm new to this community and wanted to thank everyone for this incredibly detailed discussion! I'm about to start my own Social Security application and was dreading the marriage history section. My previous marriage lasted only 4 years, and I was worried it would complicate everything unnecessarily. After reading through all these experiences, I feel so much more confident about the process. The consensus is clear - be honest, answer "yes" to previous marriages, provide the basic information (dates, spouse name, how it ended), and let the system handle the rest. It's reassuring to know that most people had smooth experiences with short marriages and that the system automatically recognizes when a marriage doesn't meet the 10-year threshold. For those dealing with the red error bug that's preventing submission - that sounds incredibly frustrating! Definitely seems like a technical issue SSA needs to fix rather than expecting people to omit accurate information. This thread has been such a valuable resource for understanding what to actually expect versus just trying to interpret the official forms. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their real experiences!

I'm new to this community and just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire discussion has been! I'm currently preparing to file for my own Social Security benefits and was really anxious about how to handle my previous marriage that lasted only 5 years. Reading through everyone's real-world experiences has been so much more valuable than trying to decode the official SSA documentation on my own. The clear consensus from all of your experiences is really reassuring - answer honestly about previous marriages, provide the basic information when prompted (dates, spouse name, how it ended), and trust that the system will automatically handle marriages under 10 years appropriately. It's great to know that most people had smooth experiences without unnecessary paperwork requests for short marriages. I feel so much more confident about starting my application now. For those dealing with that red error bug that's blocking submissions - that sounds incredibly frustrating and definitely seems like a technical issue SSA needs to address urgently. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and advice here!