My 86 yr old mother was married 3 times. For a number of years, she has been drawing SS spousal benefits from her 2nd husband. Can she also draw SS spousal benefits from her 3rd husband (my dad). They were married for more than 10 years when they divorced and he is now deceased.

My dad was also a veteran of 2 wars. He was drawing VA benefits when he died. Is my mother eligible for any veterans benefits because of his service? Thank you.

Hi,

If a person qualifies for benefits on the record of more than one deceased or ex-spouse they can only be paid whichever benefit is highest, not both. It sounds like your mother would likely meet the eligibility requirements for surviving divorced spousal benefits on your father's record (https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/handbook/handbook.04/handbook-0403.html), so she should probably check with Social Security to see if she could get a higher benefit rate on his account.

I'm sorry but I'm not able to answer your question about VA benefits. My expertise is limited to Social Security benefits.

Best, Jerry