Will my husband's new wife receive reduced Social Security benefits because I'm drawing on his record?

The good news is that what his ex-wife receives has ZERO impact on what you'll be entitled to as his current spouse! Each eligible person (current spouse, ex-spouses married 10+ years) can receive up to 50% of his primary insurance amount. It's not like a pie where more people means smaller slices. BUT make sure you understand you'll be subject to the earnings test if you're still working, and remember that claiming at 62 means a permanent reduction in your spousal benefit - you only get the full 50% if you wait until your own FRA. His benefit amount doesn't change regardless of how many people collect on his record.

my sister went thru this exact thing and the ex wife getting benefits didnt affect her at ALL. the ssa rep told her its not like theres a set amount that gets divided up between everybody or anything like that.

Actually, there IS something called the family maximum benefit that can limit the total amount paid on one worker's record. However, this usually only applies when there are children involved. For adult beneficiaries (current spouse and ex-spouses), each person can receive their full entitlement without reduction. Your husband's personal benefit will NEVER be reduced because others claim on his record. His benefit is separate and protected. One thing to consider though - at 62, have you checked if your own retirement benefit might be higher than your spousal benefit? You'll only get the higher of the two, not both.

Let me try to clarify this since there seems to be some confusion. There are TWO completely separate issues: 1. Your husband's OWN benefit will NEVER be reduced no matter how many ex-spouses or current spouse claim on his record. That benefit is 100% protected. 2. For spousal benefits (what you'd receive as his current wife), you can receive up to 50% of his Primary Insurance Amount at your full retirement age. This is NOT reduced by his ex-wife also receiving benefits. The family maximum benefit that someone mentioned only comes into play in specific situations involving multiple dependents, usually with children involved. For a typical situation with adult ex-spouses and current spouse, everyone gets their full entitlement without reduction. The ONLY reduction you'd face is if you claim before your full retirement age (which at 62 would be about a 30% reduction from the full 50%).

I had a similar situation when I remarried. I discovered that using Claimyr (claimyr.com) saved me hours of frustration trying to get through to SSA. They connected me to a real SSA agent in about 20 minutes instead of the usual disconnects and hours on hold. I was able to get all my specific questions answered about my husband's ex-spouse and how it affected my benefits. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU

My friend got remarried and her new husband had an ex wife drawing SS from him and it caused HUGE PROBLEMS!! They had to go through like 3 appeals because SSA kept calculating things wrong!!! Be prepared for a nightmare dealing with them!!

One other thing I forgot to mention - if you have been married before and that marriage lasted at least 10 years, you should check if you could get more by claiming on your OWN ex-spouse's record instead of your new husband's record. You lose the right to claim on an ex-spouse when you remarry, UNLESS your new marriage occurs after you turn 60. Since you're 62, you might have options! Just something to look into.

ok i'm confused about something - if the husband dies, does the current wife get more than the ex-wife? or do they both get the same survivor benefit? this stuff is so complicated

my uncle told me that social security is going bankrupt anyway so none of this will matter in a few years lol

Thank you everyone for all the helpful information! After reading all your comments, I understand now that: 1. My husband's benefit won't be reduced no matter how many eligible people claim on his record 2. My spousal benefit (up to 50% of his PIA) isn't reduced because his ex-wife is also claiming 3. The only reduction I'll face is due to claiming early at 62 instead of waiting until my FRA 4. The family maximum likely won't apply in our situation This is such a huge relief! I'll still try to speak with SSA directly to confirm everything for our specific situation, but at least now I know what questions to ask. This forum has been incredible - thank you all!