Will I lose my deceased wife's Social Security benefits if I marry someone receiving ex-spouse benefits?

Unfortunately, YES, you would both lose your current benefits if you marry. A surviving spouse (widower) who remarries after age 60 can continue receiving survivor benefits, BUT only if the new spouse is NOT receiving Social Security benefits based on someone else's record. Since your potential new wife is receiving ex-spouse benefits, this would trigger a review of both your benefit situations. You would both likely need to receive benefits based on your own work records after marriage. The SSA has strict rules about this to prevent what they consider "double-dipping" from multiple benefit sources through marriage.

actualy thats not right!! my aunt married again at 71 and shes still getting her dead husbands SS. the rules changed sometime back i think. but not 100% sure about the divorced spouse part tho.

This is a complicated situation that requires looking at the specific SSA rules for both widow(er) benefits and divorced spouse benefits. Here's what you need to know: 1. For widow(er) benefits: If you remarry after age 60, you can continue to receive benefits on your deceased spouse's record. HOWEVER, if your new spouse is receiving Social Security benefits, you might be eligible for a higher benefit based on your new spouse's record. 2. For divorced spouse benefits: If your girlfriend remarries, she will NO LONGER be eligible for benefits based on her ex-husband's record. Period. Those benefits terminate upon remarriage. You should BOTH calculate what your own retirement benefits would be based solely on your own work records before making any decisions. Also consider other financial aspects of marriage beyond just SS benefits (taxes, healthcare, etc.). You can check your benefit amounts by creating a my Social Security account at ssa.gov if you haven't already.

So sorry you're in this position. My parents faced something similar. They ended up just living together without getting legally married to keep their benefits. Not saying that's right for everyone, but it's what worked for them financially.

The SSA rules are HORRIBLE and UNFAIR!!! I lost $630 a month when I remarried at 65 because my new husband was on disability!!! No one warned me this would happen and now we're struggling every month! The whole system is designed to keep seniors poor. Call your congressman because these rules are from the 1930s when women didn't work!!!

I've been trying to reach SSA for weeks about a similar issue and kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. I finally used a service called Claimyr that got me connected to an agent in under 20 minutes! They basically call SSA for you and hold your place in line, then call you when an agent is available. Saved me so much frustration. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Definitely worth it for complicated benefit questions like yours where you need to speak to an actual person.

My sister is in the EXACT same situation! She's 72 and her boyfriend is 70. They've been together for 6 years but won't get married because she gets her dead husband's SS and he gets his ex-wife's (she was the higher earner). They calculated they'd lose about $850/month combined if they got married.

To clarify some misinformation in this thread: 1. For survivors (widows/widowers): If you remarry after age 60, you CAN continue receiving survivor benefits regardless of who you marry. However, you might be eligible for higher spouse benefits based on your new spouse's record. 2. For divorced spouse benefits: These DO terminate upon remarriage, regardless of age. So in your specific situation: - You (the widower) could continue receiving your deceased wife's benefits even after remarriage. - Your girlfriend would lose her ex-spouse benefits upon remarriage. I strongly recommend scheduling an appointment with your local SSA office to get personalized advice based on your exact situations. They can calculate precise benefit amounts using your earnings records.

have u guys considered a commitment ceremony instead of legal marriage? thats what my neighbors did to keep there benefits.

Since there seems to be some confusion in this thread, I want to add that the SSA website has a section specifically addressing remarriage and benefits: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/survivors/ifyou.html Since both parties are over FRA (Full Retirement Age), you should both run a benefit calculation to determine: 1. What you'd each receive on your own work records 2. What you currently receive on others' records 3. What spousal benefits you might be eligible for on each other's records after marriage Only then can you make an informed decision about the financial implications of marriage. While some benefits may change, it's not necessarily a loss in all cases.