If I marry my girlfriend, 67, will she lose her Supplemental Security Income and divorced spouse benefits?
Dear Quentin,
I am considering marrying my girlfriend and have several questions about how it might affect her Social Security and Supplemental Security Income.
She is 67 and transitioned from Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) to regular Social Security benefits after reaching full retirement age. She had mostly low-paying jobs and did not work for many years, although she did earn 40 quarters to qualify for Social Security.
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She receives $393 per month in Social Security retirement benefits and $270 per month in Supplemental Security Income (SSI). When she first began receiving SSI, the amount was about twice as much, but it was reduced after she moved in with her parents several years ago.
She has been living with me for four years. Would it be worthwhile to request a review or hearing to determine whether her SSI amount should be increased based on her current living situation?
I receive Social Security Disability benefits, and my benefit amount is significantly higher than hers. Her name is on the lease because the apartment complex requires it. I pay all of the household bills. She pays for her cell phone, buys her own food and receives SNAP.
If we get married, would she lose her SSI benefits because of my disability income? Would I be responsible for her Medicare premiums? If we do get married, would she be eligible to receive up to 50% of her ex-husband’s Social Security benefit?
Thinking Ahead
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Dear Thinking,
You are asking the right questions at the right time. If marriage would cost her a significant amount of benefits, it’s worth understanding the trade-offs before you say, “I do.”
Let’s talk about her Supplemental Security Income. It’s a means-tested program. Because you’re providing her shelter at no cost — and covering all of the household bills — Social Security Administration’s presumed maximum value (PMV) rule for in-kind support and maintenance would likely apply. For 2026, the PMV is $351.33 (one-third of the $994 federal benefit rate, plus the $20 general exclusion). A back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests it’s pretty close to her current SSI payment of $270, meaning the SSA has probably already evaluated her existing living arrangement and applied the full PMV reduction.
What does that all mean? If you marry, brace yourself in case her SSI disappears. SSI uses “deeming rules” once you’re married, so the SSA counts a portion of your income as available to your wife, whether or not you actually share it. Given that your Social Security Disability Insurance is significantly higher than her benefit, it’s likely your income would push her countable income above the $1,491 couple federal benefit rate — which would eliminate her SSI, not just reduce it. As an individual, she can have up to $2,000 in countable resources and stay eligible. As a married couple, that’s only $3,000 combined.
I don’t want to end my response on a downer. So let me add this: You are committed to making changes in your marital status only when you have all the information you need. Your girlfriend can request a copy of her Supplemental Security Income file or contact the Social Security Administration to confirm whether her benefit is already being reduced under the “PMV rule.” None of this is a reason not to marry, though. It is, however, a pretty good reason to call SSA and ask them to run the numbers with your actual figures, so you know exactly what you’re giving up and can weigh it against what marriage means to you.
Divorced-spouse benefits
As for spousal benefits: If you marry, she likely would no longer be eligible to receive divorced-spouse benefits on her living ex-husband’s Social Security record. There are some instances when that may change, such as in the event the second marriage ends in an annulment, divorce or death. According to the SSA: “Generally, if you remarry, benefits paid to you on your former spouse’s record stop. You should report your new marriage to us to avoid being overpaid.” (Call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 for more information.)
The rules are more flexible for survivor benefits, which you get after the person whose record is being used dies. In that case, as she might remarry after 60 — or after 50 for someone who is disabled — and, as long as she was married to her first husband for 10 years, she could claim survivor benefits. “Surviving spouses, at full retirement age or older, generally get 100% of the worker’s basic benefit amount,” the SSA says. “Surviving spouse, age 60 or older, but under full retirement age, gets between 71% and 99% of the worker’s basic benefit amount.”
While not a family plan, Medicare is impacted by marriage. “Each spouse pays separate Medicare premiums, and married couples don’t get a discount,” AARP says. If both spouses are enrolled in Medicare Part B, they each pay $202.90 a month in 2026, while couples with high incomes can pay more. Being married and enrolled in Medicare has benefits and drawbacks. “You can qualify for premium-free Part A based on your spouse’s work record,” AARP says. Most people, however, don’t pay premiums for Medicare Part A because Medicare taxes were deducted from their paychecks for at least 40 quarters of work.
Medicare premiums are the responsibility of the person enrolled in Medicare, your girlfriend in this case, not their spouse (potentially, you). Medicare Part B, Part D, Medicare Advantage premiums, and any Part A premium (if one is owed) are the beneficiary’s obligation, even if you get married. Of course, if you had the money, you may choose to pay those premiums from a joint account or manage them under a power of attorney, but that does not make you legally obligated. For SSI purposes, Medicare premiums are a personal medical expense — not a household shelter expense that a spouse is expected to cover.
None of these issues mean you shouldn’t get married. But it’s worth understanding how it would affect her benefits before you ring those wedding bells.
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