I am about to be 62 in one month, and I’ve been receiving survivor’s benefits since I was age 60. ( I was married to my ex spouse, who was murdered at age 55, about 15 years after our divorce, and who was not yet receiving any type of SS. He and I both never remarried, although he lived with a woman for many years in a common law marriage state —- she is now claiming that she is his legal wife. ) At age 62, in a month, SSA told me I would be eligible for reduced SS benefits on my own earnings, which are higher than my deceased ex husband’s earnings.

I was married to my ex-husband for 28 years before divorcing. I remarried and so did he. He passed away about 8 years later and received SSD and a Veterans disability at the time of his death. Would I be able to draw his higher amount of SS since we both remarried? How can I find out how much that amount would be? I am 63 now and having a lot of health problems and would love to go ahead and retire and enjoy what time I have left.

Hi,

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,