I am a Canadian citizen and had received spousal pension benefits when my exhusband retired.I am receiving an old age/cpp/ and work pension in Canada.I had received pension benefits in USA with no reduction from my spousal benefit in 2014 to 2016.I have been divorced in 2016 and remarried a US citizen.Therefore that benefit from my exhusband stopped.My current husband has retired.We were advised that I would be entitled for an spousal benefit a year after the date of marriage.When I went to a social security office today they have requested me to submit a green card,statements of my pension in Canada ,original copies of my birth and marriage certificates.Are these the new requirements to submit with my application?These were not required before of me before as they say there is an agreement between US and Canada re Social security Benefits between 2 countries. ,Thank you.

Hi,

It doesn't sound like the totalization agreement between the U.S. and Canada would be a material factor in your situation. Social Security normally wouldn't need to prove your age again if it was already proven in a prior claim for U.S. Social Security benefits. And, your Canadian pension would not affect your spousal benefits from the U.S., so I don't know why Social Security is asking for that documentation. However, proof of your current marriage and legal U.S. residence would likely be needed in order to establish that you meet the entitlement requirements for spousal benefits on your current husband's record.

By the way, if you were receiving divorced spousal benefits on your former husband's record that terminated due to your current marriage, you would not be required to wait a year in order to become eligible for spousal benefits on your current husband's record (https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/handbook/handbook.03/handbook-0305.html). If that's what happened in your case, you may want to discuss this with Social Security to see how it may affect your date of entitlement.

Best, Jerry