Divorced Widow(er) Benefits

My ex-husband passed away in 2/2019. He was collecting his SS of $2,180.60. The representive informed me that I could collect $2,180.60 once I turned 66 in 10/2019 because I'm now 65 years old I could Now collect $2,120.10 NOW. it would be my choice. I choose to take the $2,120.10 now. Within a week later they placed over $2,000. in my bank account. The next week I received a letter indicating that I would only receive $1,798. I feel they are cheating me. What can I do about this? 1. What happen is me getting 100% since we were married over 10 years? 2.

I'm 58 and on disability I was married for 15 years and then divorced. she then started getting disability and now she has died can I recieve her benefits. I never remarried but she did 4times

Hi,

im 60 just got a divorce. I am going to file for survivors benefits on my deceased x spouse. My questions is are there a waiting period after divorce. I know you have to wait 2 years if your x is still alive but what about if their dead.

Hi,

When my x husband died in 2017 he was drawing disability around 2100. He had been drawing it since he was 50 for 9 years .
When i get 60 and draw his survivors benefit will they figure how much i will draw by the bend point of 2019 or by 2008 or will they just take from the 2100

Hi,

I had been drawing off of my ex spouse's benefits; when I reached age 70 I started to draw from my own. When my ex spouse dies will I receive a higher amount and will that change automatically or do I have to apply for it. I have not been in contact with him for 20 years and would not know if he were to die.

Hi,

If your ex-spouse's benefit rate is higher than your own benefit rate, it sounds like you'd be eligible for his or her higher rate as a survivor. You'd only get the higher of his rate or your rate, however, not both.

I am 67 and retired collecting my own social security. I was just told that I could have been collecting my deceased ex-husands social security when I turned 62 until I retired at age 66 then switch to my social security. We were married 14 years and I am not married. Can I go back & collect from his social security from age 62 to 66?

Hi,

Hi. I went to the SSA office to apply for my benefits having just turned 62. The woman who helped me told me that I was eligible for divorced widow benefits which had never occurred to me. This would benefit me pretty significantly but I want to make sure that it does not have a negative impact on his wife at the time of his death.

He and I were married for 13 years - 81 to 94. He was married to his second wife for less than 10 years and they had a minor child at the time of his death in 06.

I was common law married to my ex for 10 years before we married for two years before divorcing. He died last year. I have a child by him who was born the first year in our common law marriage. My question is: I am trying to claim his benefits and they want proof of common law marriage. I thought it would be easy since we filed our tax returns together but have since found out you can only go back 4 years for the transcripts. We were common law married in the 90's. Any suggestions?

Hi,

Larry, my sister just found out her ex-husband of more than 10 years died in August. He had filed for Social Security in 2017 and was receiving a monthly benefit of about $2700. She will turn 66 on Feb. 2 of 2019. She has been told by a SS representative that she can file for a deceased divorced spousal benefit now and get payments back to his death. When she asked if she should wait until her FRA she was told it wouldn't make any difference, the payment would be the same. Is this correct?

My ex-husband, whom I understand I am eligible to collect off him due to being married for 25yrs. and I never re-married, was on social security disability for 2 yrs. and then passed away at age 58. My question is would I receive the same amount he was collecting when he passed, if I wait till age 66? He had more paid into social security than I do. We never knew where he was but I did receive his social security statement and it said if you were to die today your spouse would receive 1700.00. Would that be an accurate gage?