Married 2 times. Divorce 1st husband married 11 years. Second husband passed away married for 10 years? I'm a widow. Can I collect SS on my 1st husband at age 62 instead of my 2nd husband ?

Thank you,
Ada

Hi Ada,

I'm sorry for your loss.

Yes, at least potentially. You could file for divorced spousal benefits at age 62 instead of widow's benefits assuming that your ex is at least 62 or drawing benefits and you meet the other requirements (https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/handbook/handbook.03/handbook-0311.html). You couldn't file for divorced spousal benefits at age 62 without also filing for your own retirement benefits (if any), though, and you could basically just receive the higher of those 2 rates.

It sounds like you may have numerous possible filing options available to you, so you should strongly consider using our maximization software to determine your best overall strategy.

Best, Jerry