I filed a restricted application and it was accepted; however, I only received one half of my ex spouses entitlement of approx. 1332.50 per month. If I filed on my own I would have received (maximum contributions like my ex) of approx. 2600. Is that right? I plan on working until I am 70 (god willing). Did I make a mistake? Thank you.

Hi,

It doesn't sound like you made a mistake. I assume you mean that you filed a restricted application at full retirement age (FRA) for divorced spousal benefits only, and that your ex-spouse is still living. If that's true then the amount that you should be receiving would be equal to 50% of your ex's full retirement age rate, or PIA (primary insurance amount).

By taking the lower amount now, you'll be allowing your own Social Security retirement rate to grow by 8% per year until you reach age 70. You can then switch to your own retirement benefits and receive that higher rate for the rest of your life. So, based on your description, it sounds like you've made an excellent choice. However, I don't have enough information about your options to know for sure, so you may want to strongly consider using our software to make certain that you're choosing the best filing strategy.

Best, Jerry