Widow/Divorced Spousal SS Benefits

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Topic Author
Cigarman
Posts: 480
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 5:12 am

Widow/Divorced Spousal SS Benefits

Post by Cigarman »

My FIL passed away in July. I'm curious about Widow/Divorced Spousal SS Benefits given the following scenario:

1. He divorced his first wife, my MIL, in the 70s. In the mid 90's, when she was first eligible, she started collecting Spousal SS Benefits.

2. He remarried in the early 80s and his wife has been in a memory care unit for 3 years and is incapable of making any decisions.

After reading through Mike Piper's "Social Security Made Simple" it would appear that his current wife, who is collecting roughly $500 in SS Benefits, is eligible for widow benefits. He was a high earner all his life (born in 1932) and most likely his SS benefit was at the maximum. I don't know when he started collecting SS but my guess is he waited until at least he was 65 and maybe as late as 70. He was quite financially savvy.

My question: It would appear that my MIL may be eligible for widow benefits also (she never remarried) even though she took spousal benefits for the last 25 years. Depending upon when my FIL started taking his SS benefits, the amount may be more than what she is collecting now (SS benefits is her only source of income). I figured it was faster to ask here than calling the SSA.
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Beachey
Posts: 399
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2020 9:54 am

Re: Widow/Divorced Spousal SS Benefits

Post by Beachey »

Looks like you have to call

https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/survivors/ifyou.html
A widow, widower, or surviving divorced spouse cannot apply online for survivors benefits. You should contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to request an appointment. (If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call our TTY number at 1-800-325-0778.)
Topic Author
Cigarman
Posts: 480
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 5:12 am

Re: Widow/Divorced Spousal SS Benefits

Post by Cigarman »

As a follow up, since both my late FIL's ex wife, who never remarried, and his immediate widow had claimed spousal benefits, SSA automatically bumped their payments to widow benefits. It more than doubled what each is receiving.
niagara_guy
Posts: 1168
Joined: Tue Feb 11, 2020 7:32 am

Re: Widow/Divorced Spousal SS Benefits

Post by niagara_guy »

this is a good book:

Get What's Yours: The Secrets to Maxing Out Your Social Security

i got it from the library many years ago.
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celia
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Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 6:32 am
Location: SoCal

Re: Widow/Divorced Spousal SS Benefits

Post by celia »

Both spouses can claim his higher benefit if the marriages lasted at least 10 years.

I don’t see how your FIL has a ‘current wife’, given that he is the one who died (assuming I understand you correctly).
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