Social Security divorced spouse benefits confusion - still eligible after taking my own SS at 62?

There are a few critical factors determining your divorced spouse benefit amount. Here's what's happening in your situation: 1. You're already collecting your own retirement benefits (started at 62) 2. Your ex-husband hasn't filed for his benefits yet 3. You took your own benefits early (reduction for claiming before FRA) Since you're collecting your own benefits, any divorced spouse benefit would only be the DIFFERENCE between your current benefit and 50% of your ex's benefit at his full retirement age (if that amount is higher). When they said "a few dollars," they likely meant your own reduced benefit is close to what you'd get as a divorced spouse. However - important note - since you've been divorced over 2 years, you don't need to wait for him to file. You can collect divorced spouse benefits even if he hasn't filed yet, as long as he's eligible (which at 66, he is). I'd suggest requesting a detailed calculation from SSA. Ask specifically about the "deemed filing" rules and how your early filing affected your divorced spouse benefit.

When I got divorced, SSA screwed up my benefits calculation THREE TIMES!!! They kept telling me different things each time I went in. First they said I could get 50% of my ex's, then they said I couldn't get anything because I already filed, then they said I could get a small amount. FINALLY after talking to a supervisor, they fixed it. You NEED to talk to someone who knows what they're doing at SSA, not just the first person who answers the phone. Ask for a supervisor or an appointment with someone who specializes in divorce benefits. The fact that you're already collecting benefits complicates things, and most regular SSA workers don't fully understand these rules!!!! Good luck!!!

I can explain why you're only getting "a few dollars" based on what you've shared. Since you started your own benefits at 62, you took approximately a 30% reduction from your full retirement age amount. The divorced spouse benefit is calculated as the higher of: 1. Your own benefit amount 2. Up to 50% of your ex-spouse's full retirement age benefit amount However, since you filed early, that 50% is ALSO reduced because you filed before your full retirement age. So you're getting the difference between your reduced benefit and the reduced divorced spouse benefit, which is likely very small. The fact that your ex isn't taking benefits yet doesn't matter since you've been divorced over 2 years. What matters is that your current $1,300 is likely close to what your reduced divorced spouse benefit would be. Waiting until he files at 70 won't help - his delayed retirement credits don't increase your divorced spouse benefit, which is always based on his full retirement age amount, not his age 70 amount.

When I was in a similar situation last year, I spent WEEKS trying to get someone at Social Security on the phone. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. I finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU It was worth it because I finally got to speak with someone who could explain my divorced spouse benefits calculation in detail. They even found I was eligible for more than what the local office told me! Sometimes you really need to talk to different agents until you get someone knowledgeable about these complex situations.

sorry but im confused why ur getting alimony AND trying to get ss benefits from him too? isnt that double dipping? not judging just curious how that works

I went through this exact process last yr. They told me the same thing about only getting a small amount when I first applied. Turns out there's a HUGE reduction when you take your own benefits early AND then try to get divorced spouse benefits. The math gets complicated. Basically, they look at the difference between your reduced benefit and 50% of your ex's FRA benefit (which is also reduced because you filed early). For most people, that difference is tiny. But here's what nobody tells you - they'll recalculate when your ex actually files! So even though you can apply before he files (since you're divorced >2 years), you might get a different amount after he files. It's worth applying now anyway just to get in the system.

One more important detail - alimony has no effect on your Social Security divorced spouse benefits. They are completely separate programs. Your eligibility for divorced spouse benefits is based on: 1. Marriage lasting at least 10 years (yours was 25, so you qualify) 2. Being at least 62 years old (you are) 3. Being currently unmarried (you mentioned staying single for alimony purposes) 4. Your ex being eligible for benefits (at 66, he is) The reduction in your benefit is purely mathematical - it's about when you filed for your own benefits (at 62) and how that affected both your own benefit amount and any potential divorced spouse benefits. At this point, I would recommend filing for the divorced spouse benefit even if it's small. There's no advantage to waiting since your ex's delayed retirement credits won't increase your divorced spouse benefit.