Hi Larry, My wife of 3 years is 59 years old. She was married before for over ten years. Her former spouse is dead. Can she claim a widow’s benefit at age 60 even if we are now married? I am 67.

Hi,

No, since she remarried before she reached age 60, she would not be eligible for benefits on her first husband's record for as long as your marriage to her continues.

Best, Jerry

I am 69 years old and have been collecting on my own benefits since age 62. However, they are only $800 a month. My current husband and I (he is 74) would like to divorce. We have been married 30 years. However, I was also married 18 years to another man, who is now deceased. We divorced before he died.
Can I divorce my current husband and claim on my first husband now? I need more money than $800 a month to live. How can I receive more than just my own benefits. based upon either of my two marriages.?

Hi,

My ex husband passed away 2 years ago . He was just shy of his 65th birthday and collecting his own benefits. Although, he did receive disability payments for a few years before his passing, we were married for 10 years . I've been married to my current husband for 24 years . We are currently not old enough to collect social security but will be with in the next few years. Anyway, my question is would I qualify for any kind of benefits from my ex husband? or only from my current husband?

I am 67 and 5 months and am working full time. My ex husband (we were married for over 10 years and although he remarried, he was not married to his second wife for more than 10 years) died in 2008 at the age of 60. Can I file for spousal benefits now and then file for my own benefits at 70 1/2? My earnings exceeded his. Does my current income change what I can do? If after using your software I'm still not sure what/how to file, does your additional service (social security expert review) help me with this? Thanks

my friend's ex husband passed a reward years ago..she was married to him for over 10 yrs.
his adult child is telling my friend that she will not ever get his social security benefits. this daughter is a selfish mean person. vengeful and spiteful...can this daughter keep my friend from receiving what is rightfully hers?

thank you, RH

If I begin my Social security at 65 years of age (FRA is 66) and then my ex spouse of over 20 years was to pass away can I go back to social security and collect widower's social security he collects $ 1700 a month I would only receive $1280 on my own

Hi,

Yes, you can, assuming you are unmarried or remarried after age 60. Specifically, what you would receive is an excess surviving divorced wife's benefit in addition to your own benefit. The two benefits would add up to roughly your ex's full rate.

Best, Jerry

Hi, I was married to my former spouse for 11 years. He passed away at age 60 before collecting social security. When I retire next year at age 62 can I collect the divorced widow's benefit first (which would be lower than my own benefit at 62) and allow my social security benefit to continue to grow and switch to my benefit at FRA of 66? Thanks, Laurie

Mr. Kotlikoff, I was married for more than 10 years, my ex-spouse passed away last year at age 64. I will be 63 this year. I have visited the social security office a few times to ask questions. I was given a printout last December showing the deceased ex-spouse benefit I would receive (shows how much it would go up each month until I turn 66). I would get from his benefit, more than double what I would receive on my own work record. I am thinking of retiring later this summer, 2016.