Collecting Social Security benefits when you’re divorced
You’re probably aware of Social Security spousal benefits, which essentially allow you to receive up to half of your spouse’s retirement benefit (assuming that works out to more than your own benefit). But did you know you may still qualify for that spousal perk even if you’re divorced?
Of course, this being Social Security, there are a number of rules and guidelines you have to adhere to. But even a small increase in retirement income, post-divorce, could make this option worth exploring.
Key Points
- You don’t have to be stuck with a smaller benefit amount if your earnings history is much lower than your ex’s.
- Benefits and eligibility are based on your age, whether you were married to your ex for at least 10 years, whether you’ve remarried, and your ex’s eligibility status.
When do you qualify for divorced spouse benefits?
The basics are pretty straightforward. Remember that Social Security benefits are typically determined by your work record. The potential advantage of spousal benefits is that you don’t have to be stuck with a smaller benefit amount if your earnings history is much lower than your ex’s. If the amount you’d get based on your ex’s work history (50% of their benefit) is higher than your own benefit, you can claim the higher amount. Also consider:
- Age. You must be at least age 62 when you apply. (If you’re disabled or your ex is deceased, you may be able to apply before then.) Full retirement age is typically 67.
- Length of marriage. You and your ex must have been married for at least 10 years.
- Remarriage. You can’t be married to someone else now, unless you were over 60 when you remarried, or the remarriage ended in death, divorce, or annulment.
- Ex’s eligibility status. Your ex must be entitled to Social Security or disability benefits, even if they’re not yet collecting them. If that’s the case (your ex is eligible, but not yet claiming benefits) you can still get benefits as long as you’ve been divorced for at least two continuous years.
The role of your ex and divorced spousal benefits
When you file for benefits, you’ll need to prove that you were married to your ex for at least 10 years, and that you’re now divorced. But you don’t have to alert your ex about your plans. Even though you’re claiming Social Security based on your ex’s record, it doesn’t impact their benefits one bit.
By the same token—in case you’re in the middle of a divorce and thinking ahead—this strategy doesn’t need to be part of divorce negotiations because it doesn’t involve any assets. It’s simply a way ex-spouses can navigate the Social Security system.
How much will you get as an ex-spouse?
The general rule with Social Security is that the longer you wait to file, the higher your monthly check will be. If you wait until your full retirement age (FRA), you’ll get 50% of your ex’s benefit. Full retirement age, or normal retirement age, depends on the year you were born.
If you were born between January 2, 1943 and January 1, 1955, your FRA is 66. The full retirement age increases gradually for those born after 1955. If you were born in 1960 or later, your FRA is age 67.
Here’s how your age can impact your benefit amount: Suppose your ex gets a retirement benefit of $1,673 (the average as of September 2022). If you claim the divorced spouse benefit at your full retirement age, you’d get 50% of that: $836.50.
But if you apply at age 62 instead, you’ll get a permanently reduced amount—roughly 30% less, or about $585 in this example.
Unlike your own Social Security retirement benefits, which increase about 8% for each year you delay claiming until age 70, there’s no incentive to wait past full retirement age for divorced spousal benefits. You’re capped at 50% of your spouse’s benefit.
Divorced spouse benefits are subject to increase based on the Social Security Administration’s annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Beginning in January 2024, Social Security benefits increased by 3.2%.
What if your ex is deceased?
If your ex has passed away, and you’re at your full retirement age or older, you may be eligible for 100% of their Social Security benefit under what’s called “survivors benefits.”
Benefits paid to you as a surviving divorced spouse won’t affect the benefit amount for other survivors who are also getting benefits on the worker’s record.
Multiple marriages
If you were married to more than one person for at least 10 years, you can choose which former spouse’s record to base your application on (and you would need the right documents to verify the marriage and divorce). But you can’t claim based on more than one person’s record.
The bottom line
Money is stressful during a divorce, and splitting up retirement funds can be painful. Fortunately for many ex-spouses, the divorced spouse benefit available via Social Security can provide a higher income stream than they would earn on their own.
And this benefit cannot be contested by your former spouse. They don’t even have to know. That can make claiming divorced spouse benefits a win-win—even if it requires a little extra effort to set the wheels in motion.