How Divorced Retirees Can Claim Social Security Benefits in 2026

Divorce tin enactment you successful a spot of a weird spot erstwhile it comes to status planning. You mightiness person had to springiness immoderate of your savings to your ex, and you'll decidedly person to rethink what you privation status to look like. It tin instrumentality immoderate clip to physique a caller program and acceptable caller savings targets.

But it's not each atrocious news. You could beryllium eligible for a larger Social Security payment connected your ex's enactment record, but lone if you conscionable definite criteria. Here's however to find if an ex-spousal payment is an enactment for you and what it could beryllium worth.

Social Security spousal benefits are disposable to the existent spouses of qualifying workers, but galore don't recognize that ex-spouses tin besides suffice for these benefits, arsenic agelong arsenic the matrimony lasted astatine slightest 10 years.

You don't request your ex's support to assertion their enactment grounds if you conscionable this criterion. However, if they haven't applied for benefits yet, you indispensable hold until you've been divorced for astatine slightest 2 years earlier you can.

You besides don't person to interest astir your ex remarrying. You and their existent spouse tin some assertion benefits connected their enactment record. However, if you remarry, you'll suffer the enactment to assertion connected your ex's enactment record, though you'll apt summation the enactment to assertion a spousal payment connected your caller partner's record.

As with immoderate spousal benefit, you'll lone person what you're entitled to connected your ex's grounds if it's larger than your ain status benefit. Your maximum spousal payment is worthy up to one-half of what your spouse oregon ex qualifies for astatine their afloat status property (FRA) -- 67 for astir workers today. This could beryllium larger than your status payment if your ex earned importantly much passim their vocation than you did. But it's not guaranteed.

Just similar erstwhile you use for status benefits, you'll request to supply the Social Security Administration with immoderate details astir you, including your name, birthdate, and Social Security number, arsenic good arsenic your astir caller W-2 oregon 1099.

If you'd similar to spot whether a spousal payment is an enactment for you, you whitethorn besides request to supply copies of your matrimony and divorcement certificates. You tin get these from the state(s) that issued them if you don't already person them.