Social Security ex-spouse benefits: Do I qualify with 10 years first marriage then 5 years remarriage to same person?

Yes, you qualify! The 10-year marriage rule only requires that you were married for at least 10 consecutive years before divorcing. The fact that you remarried the same person later doesn't affect your eligibility for ex-spouse benefits based on that first 10-year marriage. You can file for those benefits as early as 62, but remember you'll get a reduced amount if you file before your Full Retirement Age (FRA). Also, you must be unmarried currently to claim ex-spouse benefits.

I think the other poster is WRONG! When my sister tried to claim on her ex's record, SSA combined all their marriage periods and said it wasn't enough. They told her all marriages to the same person count as ONE marriage for the 10 year rule!!! Better check with SSA directly before you count on this.

I had almost the exact same situation! Married 11 years, divorced, remarried him 2 years later for 4 more years. I'm getting benefits based on his record now with no problem. The SSA only cared about documenting that first marriage that met the 10-year requirement. They did ask for both marriage certificates and both divorce decrees though, so have those ready. And be prepared to wait - it took about 3 months for my application to process.

have u tried the my social security online account? u might be able to see ur benefit options there without calling. thats what i did when i was checking about my ex husband benefits

I was in a similar situation trying to reach SSA for weeks about my ex-spouse benefits. After failing to get through on the phone and not being able to get answers online, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in about 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent confirmed that marriages are counted separately, so your first 10-year marriage does qualify you for ex-spouse benefits regardless of the second marriage to the same person. Make sure you have both marriage certificates and divorce decrees when you apply.

i think most people dont know that there are actually different rules for ex-spouse benefits vs widow(er) benefits. for ex-spouse the 10 yr rule applies but for widow its only 9 months of marriage required! just wanted to mention this since it confuses a lot of people.

My cousin's wife's sister got denied because there was some rule about remarrying the same person! Not saying your wrong but definitely double check before you count on getting those benefits. The SSA has all kinds of weird rules they don't tell you about until they deny your claim!!!

UPDATE: I finally got through to SSA this morning after trying for 3 days! The rep confirmed what most of you said - my first 10-year marriage does qualify me for ex-spouse benefits. She said I'll need to provide both marriage certificates and both divorce decrees when I apply. She also mentioned that since I'll be applying before my full retirement age, my benefit will be reduced permanently - getting about 70% of what I would at full retirement age. But even with the reduction, it's still better than my own benefit would be. Thanks everyone for your help! This forum has been more helpful than trying to navigate the SSA website.

Congratulations on getting through to SSA! Just wanted to add one important detail for others who might be in a similar situation - when you apply, make sure to ask about "deemed filing" rules if you're married to someone else now. If you're currently married (to a different person), you might be required to file for your own retirement benefit at the same time as the ex-spouse benefit, and you'll only get the higher of the two amounts. This doesn't apply if you're currently unmarried, but it's something to be aware of since the rules can be tricky when multiple benefit types are involved.

As a newcomer here, I just wanted to say how helpful this discussion has been! I'm in a somewhat similar situation (divorced after 12 years, considering when to file) and seeing all the different perspectives and experiences shared here is really valuable. It's particularly useful to see the follow-up confirmation from the SSA representative - sometimes you need that official word to feel confident about these important decisions. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge and personal experiences. This kind of community support makes navigating these complex benefit rules so much easier!

As another newcomer to this community, I just want to echo what others have said about how incredibly helpful this thread has been! I'm approaching a similar decision point with my own Social Security planning, and seeing the real-world experiences alongside the official confirmation from SSA gives me so much more confidence in understanding these rules. What really stands out to me is how the community members here took the time to clarify misconceptions and provide accurate information - especially Isabella's detailed explanations about how each marriage period is evaluated separately. It's exactly this kind of knowledgeable, supportive discussion that makes navigating these complex government benefits feel less overwhelming. Malik, congratulations on getting your confirmation and thanks for sharing the update! It really helps to see the full resolution of these questions.

You probably have already answered this, but I was married to my ex-husband for 35 years. We divorced, didn't marry anyone else, and then remarried each other again 3 years later. I was 57 when we remarried. When he dies, will I be able to claim widow's benefits on him as a second marriage even though we remarried before I was 60?

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to thank everyone for this incredibly informative discussion! I'm currently going through my own Social Security planning and this thread has been more helpful than hours of trying to navigate the SSA website. What I find particularly valuable is seeing both the community knowledge and the official confirmation from SSA that Malik received. It really demonstrates how this forum can provide practical guidance while emphasizing the importance of getting official verification for individual situations. Isabella's detailed explanations about how marriage periods are evaluated separately were especially enlightening - I had no idea that each marriage to the same person could be considered independently for the 10-year rule. And Freya's real-world experience with almost the exact same situation provides such reassuring confirmation. For anyone else reading this thread later, it seems the key takeaways are: 1) Each marriage period stands on its own for the duration requirement, 2) You'll need all marriage certificates and divorce decrees when applying, and 3) Don't give up on getting through to SSA even if it takes multiple attempts. Thanks again to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences!