The Social Security Mistake Divorced Boomers Keep Making
Many divorced boomers may still qualify for Social Security benefits on an ex-spouse’s record, yet plenty never claim them. That missed option can be especially costly for women who spent years out of the workforce, worked part-time while raising children, or assume divorce closed that door.
For retirees trying to avoid money mistakes, this is one Social Security rule worth understanding before filing. Missing it can leave you with a smaller monthly check and, in some cases, lock in a claiming decision that is hard to correct later. Here is what to know.
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How the divorced-spouse benefit really works
Social Security includes family benefits, and that can matter even after a marriage ends. Divorce does not automatically cancel the right to claim benefits on a former spouse’s work record.
Eligibility often depends on the length of the marriage. If the marriage lasted at least 10 years, a divorced spouse may qualify for a benefit based on the former spouse’s record when that amount is higher than their own retirement benefit.
Note, though, that Social Security does not pay your own benefit plus half of your ex-spouse’s benefit. Instead, the agency pays your own retirement benefit first. If the divorced-spouse amount is higher, the agency adds enough to bring your total payment up to that higher level.
Just as important, your ex’s benefit is not reduced because you claim on that record, and Social Security does not need your ex’s permission to process the claim.
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The few rules that determine whether you qualify
In general, you may qualify if all of the following are true:
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The marriage lasted at least 10 years
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You are currently unmarried if you are claiming on a living ex-spouse’s record
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You are 62 or older
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Your own retirement benefit is lower than the divorced-spouse benefit available on your ex’s record
You may still qualify even if your ex-spouse has not started collecting benefits yet. As long as both of you are at least 62 and you have been divorced for at least two years, Social Security may allow you to claim on the record.
How timing can raise or reduce the benefit
A divorced-spouse benefit can raise your monthly check, but the amount depends heavily on when you file. The maximum is up to 50% of your ex-spouse’s full retirement age benefit, and you generally only get that full amount if you claim at your own full retirement age.
If you file earlier, the benefit is reduced. In fact, Social Security notes that someone who starts at 62 may get as little as 32.5% of the worker’s full retirement age benefit.
That is where the rule starts to work differently from your own retirement benefit. Your own check can keep growing if you delay past full retirement age, but a divorced-spouse benefit does not work that way. Once you reach full retirement age, you have generally reached the ceiling.
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To see how the numbers work, consider this example. Say your ex-spouse’s full retirement age benefit is $3,000 a month. Half of that is $1,500. If your own retirement benefit at full retirement age is $1,050, Social Security would generally pay your $1,050 first and then add $450 to bring the total to $1,500.
If you never ask about the divorced-spouse benefit, you could end up collecting the lower amount and leaving $450 a month behind. Over a year, that is $5,400 before cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs).
What to know about survivor benefits
A former spouse’s death can open the door to a different benefit with different rules. In some cases, a divorced surviving spouse can receive more through survivor benefits than through a divorced-spouse benefit based on a living ex.
If the marriage lasted at least 10 years, a divorced surviving spouse may qualify for survivor benefits as early as age 60, or age 50 if disabled. At full retirement age for survivor benefits, the payment can be worth up to 100% of the deceased ex-spouse’s benefit.
Remarriage can also affect eligibility, and in general:
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Remarriage before age 60 can block survivor benefits for as long as the new marriage lasts
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Remarriage after age 60 usually does not prevent you from receiving survivor benefits on a former spouse’s record
That is why timing matters here in a different way. A choice that seems personal or unrelated to Social Security can end up changing monthly retirement income for years.
What to ask before you file
Before you claim, ask Social Security to compare your own retirement benefit with any divorced-spouse or divorced-survivor benefit you may qualify for. If the marriage lasted at least 10 years, that comparison is worth making, even if the divorce happened long ago or your ex has remarried.
To review the claim, the agency will usually need basic details such as your marriage and divorce dates, along with enough identifying information to locate your former spouse’s record.
And if you do not have your ex-spouse’s Social Security number, that does not necessarily end the process. In many cases, Social Security can still review the claim using other identifying details.
Bottom line
Many divorced boomers look only at their own Social Security estimate and miss benefits that may still be available through a former spouse’s record. A marriage that lasted at least 10 years can sometimes lead to more monthly income, whether through a divorced-spouse benefit or, in some cases, survivor benefits.
That is why it pays to review every option before you file. A better claim decision can raise your monthly income and put your retirement plan on firmer ground.
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