Yes, remarrying typically ends Social Security survivor benefits on a first husband's record, but there's a major exception: if you remarry after age 60 (or 50 if disabled), you can continue receiving those benefits, as remarriage at that age doesn't stop them. For spousal benefits (on an ex-husband's record while he's alive), remarriage usually stops them unless the second marriage ends (death, divorce, annulment) before you're 60, returning eligibility. Always report remarriage to the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Generally, if you remarry, you stop receiving divorced spouse Social Security benefits on your ex-husband's record, but there are exceptions, such as if your new marriage ends, or if you remarry your same ex-spouse under specific rules, or if you're receiving survivor benefits on a deceased ex's record (and meet age/disability requirements). Your own benefits based on your work record are not affected by remarriage, only benefits based on an ex-spouse's record.
you're eligible for some of your ex's Social Security
wives and widows. That means most divorced women collect their own Social Security while the ex is alive, but can apply for higher widow's rates when he dies.
If you remarry after age 60, you have a valuable choice: you can claim a survivor benefit from your deceased spouse, or you can claim a spousal benefit from your new spouse (if they are receiving benefits), or you can claim your own retirement benefit. You can choose whichever benefit is highest.
Ideally, an individual who obtained a green card through marriage should wait at least 5 years before getting remarried to a foreign national.
To receive the maximum divorced spousal benefit, which is 50% of your ex-spouse's benefit at their full retirement age, you must wait until your own full retirement age to file.
To collect your spouse's Social Security, you generally must have been married for at least one continuous year, be at least age 62 (unless caring for a qualifying child), and your spouse must already be receiving retirement or disability benefits, with a key exception being if you are the parent of the worker's child, the age/length rule can be waived. For divorced spouses, the marriage must have lasted at least 10 years, and you must be unmarried when applying.
You are eligible to receive one-half (50%) of your ex-spouse's retirement benefit. If your ex-spouse should die before you, you can receive their full retirement benefit. The benefit does not include any delayed retirement credits your ex-spouse may receive.
A widow or widower and a divorced ex-spouse (or multiple ex-spouses) can draw survivor benefits on the same person's earnings record without affecting what the other receives.
The biggest recent change is the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA) of 2023, effective January 2024, which eliminated the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), meaning your spouse's or survivor's benefits won't be reduced by your non-Social Security government pension anymore, making it much fairer. Also, the "file and suspend" strategy for spousal benefits ended for most, but the core rules remain: you get the higher of your own or your spousal benefit (up to 50% of your partner's), and you can generally switch from spousal to your own higher retirement benefit at full retirement age.
Essential Requirements: How do I qualify for the $16728 Social Security bonus? To qualify for this bonus, you must meet specific criteria: Age Requirements: You must be between your full retirement age and 70 years old. Full retirement age varies by birth year – typically 66-67 for current retirees.
Remarriage at any time makes the widow potentially eligible for spouse benefits on her new husband's work record, so marriage is unlikely to leave a woman ineligible for Social Security. However, spouse benefits may be less generous than widow benefits for two reasons.
What if my ex-spouse remarries? Even if your ex-spouse remarries, you are still eligible for a spousal or survivor benefit. Social Security will pay benefits to your ex- spouse, their current spouse and you, and no one's benefit will be reduced.
Yes, a divorced wife can get her ex-husband's Social Security benefits if their marriage lasted at least 10 years, she is unmarried, is at least 62, and her ex-spouse is eligible for benefits, with payments not reducing the ex-spouse's or their current spouse's benefits. Benefits are paid on the ex-spouse's record, up to half their benefit, and the ex-spouse's remarriage doesn't affect eligibility.
Generally, you must be married for one year before you can get spouse's benefits. However, if you are the parent of your spouse's child, the one-year rule does not apply.
We will use the information you give us about your prior marriage along with your other responses to decide if you or your ex-spouse can receive benefits on the other's record. For more information about divorced spouse's benefits for: you, read "If you are divorced."
More than half of female beneficiaries over age 60 will receive benefits based solely on their own work in 2025. By 2095, over 70 percent of women will receive such benefits. Over one-third of women will be dually entitled (receive a benefit based both on their own and their spouse's work) in 2025.
Yes, both you and your spouse can collect Social Security benefits, either on your own earnings records if you've both worked, or a spouse can claim a spousal benefit on the other's record, usually up to 50% of the primary earner's benefit, with the Social Security Administration (SSA) always paying the higher of the two amounts. You each get your own earned benefit if it's higher, or a combination/spousal benefit if that's greater, ensuring you get the maximum possible from your combined records.
The Social Security spousal benefits loophole, primarily the "File and Suspend" and "Restricted Application" strategies, allowed a higher-earning spouse to delay their own benefits (earning delayed retirement credits) while the lower-earning spouse collected a spousal benefit based on the higher earner's record; however, a 2015 law closed these loopholes for most new applicants, meaning if one spouse claims spousal benefits, their own benefits are also considered claimed, and benefits can't be suspended to let spousal benefits accrue. A separate, less-known exception allows a spouse caring for a disabled adult child (under 22) to receive benefits even if they haven't reached retirement age, as noted by Special Needs Answers.
In summary, while grown children are generally not eligible to collect a parent's Social Security benefits, exceptions exist for adult children with disabilities. These individuals can receive support as long as they meet the SSA's requirements and continue to qualify under the rules for Disabled Adult Child benefits.