Social Security ex-spouse benefits - does disability SSD count toward spousal amount?

Yes, you can claim ex-spousal benefits based on his SSDI. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is treated the same as retirement benefits for spousal benefit calculations. The key calculation is that you'd be eligible for up to 50% of his Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), but reduced if you claim before your own Full Retirement Age (FRA). Since you're turning 62, you'd face a reduction for early filing - probably around 30% less than the full 50%. Just be aware that if your own benefit would eventually be higher than the spousal benefit, it might be better to claim your spousal benefit now and switch to your own later when it maxes out.

my sister went thru this last year and SSA told her that disabilty counts the same as regular SS. she got 50% of what her ex was getting but she waited till her full age (67) to get the full amount. if u take it early they cut it down a LOT just warning you

CAREFUL HERE!!! It's NOT 50% of what he's RECEIVING! It's 50% of his PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) which is sometimes different especially if he's getting any additional amounts. And if you file at 62 instead of waiting until your FRA (which is probably 67 for you), you'll get hit with a PERMANENT reduction to only about 32.5% of his PIA instead of the full 50%. That's a HUGE DIFFERENCE over your lifetime!!! Also, you need to think about whether your own SS might be better by the time YOU reach 70 if you let it grow. Do NOT just grab the first check you can get without doing math!!!

When you're dealing with ex-spouse benefits and SSDI, you're absolutely eligible after meeting the 10-year marriage and 2-year divorce requirements. The benefit calculation is based on his Primary Insurance Amount, not necessarily the exact amount he receives (which might include other adjustments). But here's what's important - you won't know exactly what you'll get until you apply. Social Security won't tell you what your ex is receiving before you apply. You'll need to provide your marriage certificate and divorce decree when you apply. Since you're turning 62, you should schedule an appointment to discuss your options, as filing at 62 versus waiting until your FRA can make a substantial difference in your monthly amount.

This stuff is sooooo complicated!! I went through something similar with my ex's benefits, but he was on regular retirement not disability. I think it all counts the same though? The people at the SS office explained it to me but I still got confused. Just make sure you have all your paperwork before you go in - they wanted our original marriage certificate which took me forever to find!

I recently used a service called Claimyr to reach Social Security after trying for weeks. It got me through to an agent in about 15 minutes when I needed to discuss my widower benefits. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - it saved me so much frustration. The agent was able to answer all my ex-spouse benefit questions and even schedule my application appointment. Much better than getting disconnected repeatedly!

Yes, there's a fee, but for me it was worth not spending hours getting disconnected. I got all my questions answered in one call and the agent scheduled my application appointment. Saved me multiple days of frustration.

I wanted to clarify something important about the disability and spousal benefits. When someone receives SSDI, it's actually calculated using the same formula as retirement benefits - it's essentially giving them their full retirement benefit early because of the disability. So when you claim ex-spouse benefits, you're getting a percentage of what's essentially his retirement benefit calculation. The most important factor for you is timing. If you claim at 62, you'll get around 32.5% of his PIA as others mentioned. If you wait until your FRA, you'd get the full 50%. Also remember that if you're working and under your FRA, the earnings limit will apply ($21,240 for 2025), and they'll deduct $1 for every $2 you earn above that limit.

Just wanted to add that once you apply, you should get a decision pretty quickly on the ex-spouse benefits since it's mostly just verifying your marriage length and divorce timing. But make sure you get a DETAILED BREAKDOWN of the calculation they use! I've seen so many mistakes with people's benefits! If anything looks off, request a reconsideration immediately - you only have 60 days!

I wanted to add one more important point: If you're eligible for both your own retirement benefit and the ex-spouse benefit, SSA will pay your own benefit first, and then supplement it with the ex-spouse benefit if that would result in a higher total. This is called the "deemed filing" rule. So if your own benefit at 62 would be $800, and the ex-spouse benefit would be $1000, you'd receive your $800 plus an additional $200 to reach the higher amount. It's also worth noting that claiming early permanently reduces both your own retirement benefit and the ex-spouse benefit. The reduction factors are slightly different, but both are significant at age 62.

Just wanted to share my experience as someone who went through this exact situation two years ago. My ex-husband was also on SSDI when I applied for ex-spouse benefits at 62. The process took about 6 weeks from application to first payment, and you're right that his SSDI counts the same as retirement benefits for your calculation. One thing I wish someone had told me - even though you can't contact your ex directly, SSA can tell you during your appointment approximately what your benefit would be before you commit to filing. They won't tell you his exact amount, but they can give you a good estimate of what you'd receive. This helped me decide whether to file immediately or wait. Also, definitely try visiting your local SSA office in person if the phones aren't working. I had much better luck just walking in with all my documents. They were able to answer all my questions and process my application the same day. Good luck with your decision!