Many people depend on their Social Security benefits during their retirement years. Although it may not be all their income during that time, it may be the bulk of it. Getting as much as possible—or all you are entitled to—is important, whether you are married, divorced, or single.
Social Security Benefits for Married People
Married couples can enjoy drawing on their Social Security benefits if they are over 62. If they wait until 70 to get their benefits, the larger the benefits become. When both spouses get benefits, their combined benefits will make it much more comfortable in retirement than having only one for income.A Change in Married Couples Benefits
Married couples used to be able to switch between their spouse’s benefits and their own. They could each claim the spousal benefit from their spouse and then wait until they turned 70 to claim their own. Doing so would enable them to get more benefits. Finance.Yahoo reports this option is no longer available unless you turn 70 before Jan. 1, 2024.The strategy previously enabled the spouse with the higher earnings to claim spousal benefits when they reached their full retirement age. The extra time (until they reached 70) would let them get their maximum benefit and still receive some in the meantime. The other spouse would then claim their benefit. When the higher earner reached 70, they would claim their own benefit. The other spouse would get their own benefits or keep their current one.
This method of maximizing your Social Security benefits is no longer available. What happens now is that the spouse can only get up to 50 percent of the primary spouse’s benefit, but the higher-earning spouse must already be getting benefits.
Benefits for Childcare
A spouse can get the 50 percent spousal benefit if they care for your child under 16 or are disabled. It does not matter how old the spouse is, but the benefit stops when the child turns 16—unless disabled. ElderLawAnswers says that if the spouse caring for the child will receive more benefits based on their work record, they will receive the higher amount.Social Security Benefits for Divorcees
Divorced people may be able to claim spousal benefits, but there are some rules. First, you must have been married for at least 10 years. ThePennyHoarder mentions that if you had more than one marriage lasting for 10 years or more, Social Security will examine each record and give you the highest earner’s spousal benefit.A second requirement is that you cannot have remarried. If you do, you cannot get spousal benefits from a previous marriage. The spouse on which you are claiming benefits may have remarried, which will not affect your benefits.
A third requirement is that your spouse must be getting Social Security benefits. If the divorced spouse’s birthday is on or later than Jan. 2, 1954, and they apply for Social Security, they will get the higher of the spousal benefit or their own benefits based on their work record.
Remember that if you claim spousal benefits early, your benefits will be permanently reduced. Claiming them before you reach full retirement age is considered early because you can only get the full benefit if you wait until then and the maximum benefit when you turn 70.
Non-Citizen Divorcees and Social Security Benefits
Most of the same rules apply for non-citizen divorcees and for those who are citizens, with a couple of exceptions. In addition to being at least 62, not remarried, were married at least 10 years, and having a spouse who qualifies for Social Security, you must also be living in the United States. If you leave, you will lose your benefits after six months and only regain them after returning to the United States and living here for 30 days.Social Security benefits are available to many in various marriage and divorce circumstances. In some situations, children may also be eligible. If you are uncertain or have questions, you can learn about your eligibility by talking to a Social Security representative.
