“If you’re divorced, you might still be eligible to claim Social Security on your former spouse’s record. It’s important to know the rules, so you wind up with the benefits you deserve.”
Social Security is a lifeline for millions of retirees. Those benefits are helpful even to those with a retirement nest egg, especially if it’s not as large as they would like. A recent article from The Motley Fool, “Divorced? Don’t Make This Social Security Mistake,” says most people know that if they’ve worked and paid into Social Security throughout their working life, they generally are entitled to a monthly benefit.
Some people also know that if they didn’t work, but their spouse did, they can claim benefits based on their spouse’s Social Security. However, spousal benefits aren’t just for married people.
Certain benefits are also available to divorced people. A spousal benefit might result in a higher monthly income than you might otherwise get from Social Security.
A spousal benefit can be worth up to 50% of what a current or former spouse may collect from Social Security. Let’s say someone’s entitled to $3,200 a month—their current or former spouse could receive up to $1,600 a month in Social Security.
Worried about claiming Social Security benefits from an ex-spouse because you didn’t have the friendliest divorce? Don’t worry—claiming spousal benefits on an ex-spouse doesn’t impact their benefits. You don’t have to ask their permission to file such a claim.
Suppose that you worked and are entitled to a specific monthly benefit from your own history. However, your ex-spouse’s benefit is higher than your total benefit. In that case, you’ll want to file for the higher benefit—the spousal benefit—to get bumped up to the larger amount.
Here’s another example. If you’re eligible for $1,500 a month from Social Security and have waited until full retirement age to file and then claim a spousal benefit, you’ll be bumped up to a monthly income of $1,600, if your ex-spouse is eligible for $3,200.
When do you file for spousal benefits? If you’re married, you can’t claim a spousal benefit until your spouse files for Social Security. However, if you’re divorced for at least two years, you can claim a spousal benefit once you turn 62, even if your ex-spouse hasn’t filed yet. However, if you want your full spousal benefit, you’ll need to wait until your own full retirement age (FRA) to file a claim.
A few more pointers: you must have been married to your ex for ten years or more to be eligible for spousal benefits from Social Security. If you’ve remarried, you can’t claim a spousal benefit on an ex-spouse’s earnings record, unless your subsequent marriage ended by death, divorce, or annulment.
If you are divorced, you need to know about the potentially larger Social Security benefits because giving up that money could be costly.
Reference: The Motley Fool (July 26, 2023) “Divorced? Don’t Make This Social Security Mistake,”
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