Social Security spousal benefit less than 50% of ex-husband's - both marriages over 10 years

Did you work enough to qualify for benefits on your own record? If so, your spousal benefit would be reduced by your own benefit amount. You only get the difference between your benefit and the spousal benefit (which would be 50% of your ex's FRA benefit). This confuses A LOT of people!

The previous commenter is correct. You don't get both benefits added together. The rule is that you get the higher of either: 1) Your own retirement benefit, OR 2) Your own benefit plus the difference needed to reach 50% of your ex-spouse's PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) So if your ex's benefit has a PIA of, say, $3,000, then 50% would be $1,500. If your own benefit is $1,288, then you'd get $1,500 total, which is only $212 more than your own benefit. This is one of the most misunderstood aspects of Social Security benefits. The 50% for spousal benefits is not added on top of your own benefit.

My aunt went through EXACTLY this last year! She was expecting a windfall from her ex's record (who was a doctor), but she only got a small bump over her own benefit. SSA doesn't make this clear enough when you apply, and even some of their own reps don't explain it well. You're getting your own benefit PLUS the excess spousal amount to bring you up to 50% of his PIA (if that's higher than your own benefit).

I've been trying 2 get through to ssa for 3 weeks about a similar issue with my benefits (not ex spouse but current spouse). keep getting disconnected or wait for hours and no one picks up. so frustrating!!! how did u even get an appointment??

This happens all the time, it's totally normal. The letter isn't wrong, it's just that no one ever explains how the math really works. When I retired last year it took me three calls to finally get someone who could explain why my benefit wasn't what I expected.

One more thing to check - make sure they used the correct PIA for your ex-husband. Sometimes they calculate based on the wrong record, especially with multiple marriages. You might want to verify they used the higher-earning ex's record like you requested.

To verify which ex-spouse they used, you'll need to call and specifically ask which record was used for your spousal benefit calculation. The award notice won't show this information directly. And regarding a reconsideration - it would only be helpful if: 1. They used the wrong ex-spouse's record 2. They calculated your own benefit incorrectly 3. They calculated your ex's PIA incorrectly It won't help if you're just unhappy with how the dual entitlement rule works (getting only the higher of the two benefits). That's unfortunately just how the law is written.

my neighbor had this EXACT same problem!!! she thought she would get $1800 from her ex but only got like $300 more than her own ss check. the whole system is designed to confuse people and shortchange us retirees!!

One thing to consider - did your ex-husband take his benefits early (before his FRA)? Because if YOU apply at your FRA, you get 50% of his Primary Insurance Amount (what he would get at his FRA), not 50% of his actual benefit if he took reduced benefits. So the calculations can be really confusing.

wait i'm confused...if i'm getting ssi now and my husband retires next year do i get a higher benefit? or do i have to pick one or the other?? we've been married 23 years

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this confusion! This is actually one of the most common misunderstandings about Social Security benefits. What you're experiencing is called "dual entitlement" - you can't receive both your own benefit AND the full spousal benefit stacked on top of each other. Here's what's happening: SSA takes the higher of either (1) your own retirement benefit OR (2) 50% of your ex-husband's Primary Insurance Amount. If 50% of his PIA is higher than your own benefit, you get your own benefit PLUS just enough spousal benefit to bring you up to that 50% level. So if your own benefit is $1,288 and 50% of his PIA is $1,500, you'd only get $212 more per month ($1,500 total), not $1,500 on top of your $1,288. The good news is your calculation is probably correct - it's just that the "50% spousal benefit" isn't what most people think it means. Definitely call to verify they used the right ex-spouse's record though, just to be sure!