Will I lose my Social Security survivor benefits from ex-husband if I remarry at age 65?

Good news! Since you're over 60 (actually over 65), you can remarry without losing your survivor benefits from your ex-husband. The rule is that if you remarry AFTER age 60, your survivor benefits continue unchanged. If you had remarried before 60, you would have lost eligibility, but that's not your situation at all. The only thing to be aware of is that marriage might affect other benefits. For example, if your new spouse has a higher earning record, you might eventually qualify for higher spousal benefits based on their record instead. But SSA will pay you the higher amount, so that would only be a benefit to you, not a loss.

congrats on finding love again!! my mom got married at 68 and kept her benefits from my dad. the ssa lady told her its fine as long as your over 60. good luck!!

WATCH OUT!!! This might depend on what kind of survivor benefits you have!!! Are they regular survivor benefits or are they SSI widow benefits?? Because SSI has different rules and your new spouse's income would count against you!!! My aunt lost EVERYTHING when she remarried because nobody told her the difference!!

I was in almost the same situation last year! I'm 67 and remarried after getting survivor benefits from my ex-husband for 7 years. My benefits continued exactly the same - didn't even see a hiccup in payments. I did notify SSA of my name change after marriage, but that was just a simple form. The person at the office confirmed that remarriage after 60 has no effect on survivor benefits. Enjoy your new chapter!

my sister thought the same thing but she was getting survivor benefits from HER OWN WORK RECORD not her husban's and when she remarried nothing changed because they were her own benefits not spousal or survivor so you need to check what kind of benefits your getting first!!!!

Just to add some clarification here since there's a bit of confusion in the responses. There are actually 3 types of Social Security benefits that could be relevant: 1. Retirement benefits - based on your own work record 2. Survivor benefits - based on a deceased spouse/ex-spouse's record (what you have) 3. SSI (Supplemental Security Income) - needs-based program with strict income/asset limits For regular survivor benefits, the remarriage after 60 rule definitely applies, so you're all set to remarry without impact to your benefits. You do need to report the marriage to SSA for their records, especially if you change your name. One thing to consider: if your new spouse is receiving Social Security retirement or disability benefits, you might eventually qualify for spousal benefits on their record. If those would be higher than your current survivor benefits, SSA will automatically pay you the higher amount.

I work for a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security planning, and I can confirm what others have said - remarriage after 60 won't affect your survivor benefits. However, you should absolutely notify SSA about your marriage by calling or visiting your local office. I've seen clients struggle for hours trying to reach someone at SSA to report these kinds of changes. If you're having trouble getting through to a representative, you might want to check out Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a service that gets you through to a Social Security agent without the typical long wait times. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU that shows how it works. Several of our clients have used it when they needed to report life changes or ask questions about their benefits.

Does anyone know if she has to tell social security BEFORE getting married or can she just tell them after? My cousin didn't tell them for 3 months and got in big trouble!

best wishes on your marriage! its nice to hear good news on this site for once instead of all the problems people have with ssa!

Has anyone checked if this is different for divorced survivor benefits vs. regular widow benefits? I thought I read somewhere that ex-spouse rules are different but I could be mixing it up with something else???

Congratulations on finding love again! I'm happy to confirm what others have shared - since you're over 60, remarrying will not affect your survivor benefits from your ex-husband. The Social Security Administration allows you to keep these benefits regardless of remarriage after age 60. Just make sure to notify SSA about your marriage for their records, especially if you plan to change your name. You can do this by calling their customer service line, visiting a local office, or submitting the appropriate forms online through your my Social Security account. One additional consideration: if your new spouse has a higher Social Security benefit than what you're currently receiving, you might eventually have the option to switch to spousal benefits based on their record - but only if it would result in a higher monthly payment for you. SSA will always pay you the higher amount. Wishing you all the best in this exciting new chapter of your life!

Logan, congratulations on finding love again! This is such wonderful news. I'm a Social Security beneficiary myself and want to reassure you that you're absolutely safe to remarry. The age 60 rule is key here - since you're 65, your survivor benefits will continue unchanged after marriage. I went through something similar when my neighbor was considering remarriage at 63. We spent hours researching this together, and everything we found confirmed that remarriage after 60 protects your survivor benefits. She did get married and has been happily collecting her benefits for two years now. One small tip from her experience: when you do notify SSA about your marriage, try to do it sooner rather than later, especially if you're changing your name. It makes things smoother for tax season and any future correspondence with them. Don't let financial worries hold you back from happiness - you've earned both your benefits and this new relationship! Wishing you and your partner all the best.