Does second wife get Social Security from husband?

Asked by: Prof. Keaton Dicki Jr.  |  Last update: May 19, 2025
Score: 4.8/5 (42 votes)

If you re-married and your second spouse is deceased, you qualify to claim benefits from either your first spouse if that marriage lasted at least 10 years, or your second spouse if you were married at least 9 months before they died.

Which wife gets the Social Security?

If you are married and you and your spouse have worked and earned enough credits individually, you will each get your own Social Security benefit.

How does Social Security work for second marriage?

If you remarry before age 50 – You won't be eligible for survivors or disability benefits as a surviving spouse unless your later marriage ends by divorce or annulment.

Can two wives collect Social Security from one husband if they?

If the spouses divorced, the marriage must have lasted 10 years. Each survivor benefit can be up to 100% of your benefit. The amount may be reduced if the women start benefits before their own full retirement age, but they don't have to share — the amount isn't reduced because you've had more than one spouse.

Does my ex wife get my Social Security if I remarry?

No, once you remarry you are no longer entitled to your ex-husbands social security benefits.

Social Security Spousal Benefits - MADE EASY to Understand

25 related questions found

Can I stop my ex-wife from getting my Social Security?

This is good news when former spouses are not on good terms. Your ex cannot “block” you from drawing your spousal benefit. In fact, he probably won't even know if you are drawing off him unless he calls SSA to ask.

Does my ex-wife still get half of my retirement if she remarries?

Bottom Line. Getting remarried will not affect your accrued retirement or disability benefits under Social Security. However, if you receive divorce of survivor's benefits, there is a good chance that remarriage will affect those payments.

How much does a wife get of her husband's Social Security if he dies?

Spouses and ex-spouses

Payments start at 71.5% of your spouse's benefit and increase the longer you wait to apply. For example, you might get: Over 75% at age 61.

Can a divorced woman collect her ex-husband's Social Security?

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.

How do I get the $16728 Social Security bonus?

Have you heard about the Social Security $16,728 yearly bonus? There's really no “bonus” that retirees can collect. The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a specific formula based on your lifetime earnings to determine your benefit amount.

What percentage of a husband's Social Security does a wife get?

For a spouse who is not entitled to benefits on his or her own earnings record, this reduction factor is applied to the base spousal benefit, which is 50 percent of the worker's primary insurance amount.

What are the three ways you can lose your Social Security?

Indeed, here are three ways you can lose at least part of your Social Security benefit.
  • No. 1: Keep working while taking benefits early. ...
  • No. 2: Be a substantially lower-earning spouse. ...
  • No. 3: Be alive in 2034. ...
  • Social Security still provides an important foundation for retirement.

What is the loophole for Social Security spousal benefits?

The first exception, which can be deemed as the Social Security spousal benefits loophole, works where an individual who remarries at 60 or later may still be entitled to Social Security survivors' benefits if the second marriage ends before the death of the first spouse.

Does Social Security go to the first or second wife?

If you have since remarried, you can't collect benefits on your former spouse's record unless your later marriage ended by annulment, divorce, or death. Also, if you're entitled to benefits on your own record, your benefit amount must be less than you would receive based on your ex-spouse's work.

Who qualifies for an extra $144 added to their Social Security?

To qualify to get $144 added back to your Social Security check, you can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan that offers a Part B premium reduction or giveback benefit.

Does my wife get Social Security if she never worked?

A spouse who has never worked in paid jobs or has not worked to earn sufficient credits to be eligible for his/her own retired worker benefits can receive a spousal benefit that is 50 percent of the eligible worker's full benefit.

What percent of Social Security does a divorced spouse get?

If you are age 62 or older and were married to your ex for at least 10 years, you may be able to collect monthly payments equivalent to about one-third to one-half of your former spouse's Social Security benefit, as calculated from their lifetime earnings history.

When my husband dies, do I get his Social Security and mine?

If your spouse dies, do you get both Social Security benefits? You cannot claim your deceased spouse's benefits in addition to your own retirement benefits. Social Security only will pay one—survivor or retirement. If you qualify for both survivor and retirement benefits, you will receive whichever amount is higher.

What not to do when your spouse dies?

Top 10 Things Not to Do When Someone Dies
  1. 1 – DO NOT tell their bank. ...
  2. 2 – DO NOT wait to call Social Security. ...
  3. 3 – DO NOT wait to call their Pension. ...
  4. 4 – DO NOT tell the utility companies. ...
  5. 5 – DO NOT give away or promise any items to loved ones. ...
  6. 6 – DO NOT sell any of their personal assets. ...
  7. 7 – DO NOT drive their vehicles.

Does a wife get half of her husband's Social Security?

Your full spouse's benefit could be up to one-half the amount your spouse is eligible to receive at their full retirement age. If you choose to receive your spouse's benefits before you reach full retirement age, your payment will be permanently reduced.

Does a wife get a husband's pension if he dies?

Spouse benefit provisions of private pension plans reflect the influence of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) . Pension plans are not required by law, but once established, ERISA requires that they provide for annuities to spouses of deceased employees.

Can a divorced wife collect her ex-husband's Social Security?

According to the Social Security Administration, you can receive your ex-spouse's benefits based on your own record as long as you were married to them for at least 10 years.

What is the 10 year rule for Social Security?

If you've worked and paid Social Security taxes for 10 years or more, you'll get a monthly benefit based on that work.

Can I stop my ex-wife from getting my retirement?

There's nothing anyone can do to prevent their ex from claiming their Social Security. Even though some divorce decrees specify that one spouse will relinquish their rights to collect the other spouse's benefits, the Social Security Administration says these provisions “are worthless and are never enforced.”