Social Security rep says divorced widow only gets 50% survivor benefits - is this wrong?

The SSA representative is incorrect. As a divorced surviving spouse who was married for at least 10 years, you ARE entitled to 100% of your deceased ex-spouse's benefit at your FRA, not 50%. What the rep is confusing is divorced spouse benefits (which are 50% while the ex is alive) with survivor benefits (which are 100% after the ex passes away). This is a common mistake even among SSA employees. Print out the relevant sections from SSA's own POMS manual (GN 00204.045) which clearly states divorced widow(er)s can receive the same benefit rate as a widow(er) if the marriage lasted at least 10 years. Bring this to another appointment and request a supervisor review your case.

Happens all the time! SSA reps confuse this stuff constantly. Make sure you request a RECONSIDERATION immediately. Don't wait. My sister went through this exact same thing last yr.

This makes me SO ANGRY!!!! The SSA employees should know their OWN RULES!!! I spent 32 years working for the government and the incompetence is just getting worse. You earned these benefits and deserve every penny. Make sure you get the supervisor's name and employee number when you go back. Document EVERYTHING. The system is designed to make you give up!

my cousin had this happen too she got divorced after 12 years and her ex died in a accident. the ssa office told her only 50% then she went to different office and they fixed it. try different office maybe?

The SSA rep is definitely mixing up two different benefits. Here's exactly what you're entitled to: 1. Divorced SPOUSE benefits (ex is still alive) = 50% of ex's PIA at your FRA 2. Divorced SURVIVOR benefits (ex has died) = 100% of ex's benefit amount at your FRA Since you were married more than 10 years and are at FRA, you qualify for the full 100% survivor benefit. You're smart to file a restricted application while continuing to work, as your own retirement benefit can continue growing until age 70. I recommend calling the SSA directly to get this fixed. You might spend hours on hold though. When I helped my client with a similar issue, we used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with an agent quickly. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. It saved so much frustration.

Have you considered that maybe the rep was looking at your ex's record and saw something that might reduce benefits? Maybe he had a government pension or something? Just thinking there might be more to the story...

I want to add something important regarding your restricted application strategy. Since you mentioned you're working, filing for survivor benefits at FRA while delaying your own retirement benefit is an excellent approach. Your own benefit will increase by 8% per year until age 70, while you collect full survivor benefits now. Many SSA reps also get confused about restricted applications since the law changed in 2015, but divorced widow(er)s can still use this strategy. Make sure this is clearly documented in your application as well.

wait im confused. if shes divorced why does she get anything at all? my friend got divorced and she didnt get anything from her ex

Update: I called SSA this morning and spoke with a different representative. She immediately confirmed what everyone here said - I AM entitled to 100% survivor benefits as a divorced widow since we were married over 10 years! She apologized for the confusion and said she'd make notes in my file to make sure it's processed correctly. Thank you all for your help - I would have accepted the incorrect 50% if I hadn't checked here first!

Great news! One more thing to consider: make sure you request a benefit verification letter after everything is processed. This will show your correct benefit amount and serve as documentation in case there are any future questions. You can request this through your my Social Security account online or by calling SSA directly.