Dear Larry,
My ex-spouse who I was married to for more than 10 years is waiting for me to start my SS benefit at FRA in December 2022 so she can file for her 50% spousal benefits on my record. She never remarried. She asked if she would get my survivor benefits when I pass away, or will my current spouse get the survivor benefits, or will they both get my survivor benefits. I didn't know what to tell her. Thanks, Max

Hi Larry. If my husband reaches full retirement age and takes his social security, but continues to work for 2 years, how will that affect survivor benefits? Are they based on his full retirement amount when he first took benefits, or the amount he was receiving after working an additional 2 years? I plan to file for child in care benefits since I care for my adult disabled son who was disabled prior to age 22. There is a 15 year age difference between my husband and myself so we want to maximize the survivor benefit down the line because I will not be able to work.

In 2007 I was widowed at age 47, my deceased spouse was 57.

I worked for 12 years for a university that did not pay into social security so am subject to WEP and GPO. I also received a lump sum retirement in lieu of actual pension from that university so it gets converted to a monthly pension value for the WEP & GPO formulas.

As I tried to calculate a SS strategy, I get conflicting info from SS offices through the years. I don't have ready access to the survivor benefit number and how it changes from 2007.

Larry, I’m 69 drawing social security, and remarried. I was married to my first wife for 16 yrs, she hasn’t remarried. I’ve been married to my current wife for 29 yrs. Both are in their 60s. My question: Upon my death, will both my first wife and my current wife receive 100% of my current social security monthly benefit?
Thank you,
Mark

If, I was married for 17 yrs., divorced, remarried, divorced, and remarried my second husband again after turning 60 will, I qualify for deceased spouse benefits from my first marriage?

Both my husband and I received full social security. In the event of one of our deaths, what portion of our spouses ss do we receive and do we continue to receive our full ss?

Hi. Based on your description, the surviving spouse would receive the higher of their two benefit rates. If the spouse with the lower benefit amount dies first, the surviving spouse will only receive their own higher benefit amount. In that event, the only survivor benefit that could be paid is the one-time death benefit of $255.

Dear Larry,
Our Mom is entitled to survivor benefits. Official Texas government real estate records document that she and our dad were married well in excess of the required 10 years to qualify, but the SSA in Texas is refusing to honor the application because there is no documentation of our dad's divorce in Mexico on 12-22-1968 (back then you could pop over the border for a quickie divorce, and still be home by happy hour).

I applied for my myself and my daughter age 8 at the time to recieve my husband benefits I was told I didn't qualify but my daughter did. When my daughter was about to turn 16 I recieved a letter stating the payments were about to stop due to her turning 16. As I write my daughter is 19. I called the SS office and still didnt get anywhere. Do they owe me for survivor spousal benefits?

I've just been diagnosed with a terminal illness. I probably will be dead in 2-5 years. The rest of my situation is as follows:

I was married to my first husband for 20 years. He has been deceased for 4 years. I remarried, but have been separated and on my own for over 2 years. I have received my own Social Security for over 3 years. Can I receive my first husband's social security benefits if it's higher than mine?