Survivor benefits?

[CatherineF121422]

At 66, I was married for 20 years, divorced in 1999.  Remarried at 43.  Question:  because I was a stay at home parent for 20 years with only sporadic part time jobs, is there a way I can boost my income based on ex husbands (much larger) salary at the time?  Because I entered the work force full time late in life, my earnings are not what they could have been.

[GailL1 · Accepted solution]

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@CatherineF121422 wrote:

At 66, I was married for 20 years, divorced in 1999.  Remarried at 43.  Question:  because I was a stay at home parent for 20 years with only sporadic part time jobs, is there a way I can boost my income based on ex husbands (much larger) salary at the time?  Because I entered the work force full time late in life, my earnings are not what they could have been.

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Your post is somewhat confusing -

Your subject is "Survivors Benefits" - so under who's (survivors) benefit would you be filing - ex-husband or current husband?  Who died?  Or did both of them die?

What happened in the 2nd marriage?  If you were married to that spouse for (10) years and they are deceased - you might get survivors benefits under their record - 

It appears that your remarriage at 43 years of age will disqualify you from filing for survivors' benefits under your ex-spouse but that may depend on what happened in the next marriage - 

SSA.gov - Survivors Benefits

Benefits for a widow, widower, or surviving divorced spouse may be affected by several additional factors:

• If you remarry before age 60 (age 50 if you have a disability), you cannot receive benefits as a surviving spouse while you are married.

There is more info at the link - 

[GailL1 · Accepted solution]

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@CatherineF121422 wrote:

At 66, I was married for 20 years, divorced in 1999.  Remarried at 43.  Question:  because I was a stay at home parent for 20 years with only sporadic part time jobs, is there a way I can boost my income based on ex husbands (much larger) salary at the time?  Because I entered the work force full time late in life, my earnings are not what they could have been.

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Your post is somewhat confusing -

Your subject is "Survivors Benefits" - so under who's (survivors) benefit would you be filing - ex-husband or current husband?  Who died?  Or did both of them die?

What happened in the 2nd marriage?  If you were married to that spouse for (10) years and they are deceased - you might get survivors benefits under their record - 

It appears that your remarriage at 43 years of age will disqualify you from filing for survivors' benefits under your ex-spouse but that may depend on what happened in the next marriage - 

SSA.gov - Survivors Benefits

Benefits for a widow, widower, or surviving divorced spouse may be affected by several additional factors:

• If you remarry before age 60 (age 50 if you have a disability), you cannot receive benefits as a surviving spouse while you are married.

There is more info at the link - 

[CatherineF121422 · Accepted solution]

@gail1, yeah sorry I wasn't clear (covid brain) I did see I would be disqualified from benefits from my deceased ex spouse, and am still married to current spouse.  I was wondering if there is no provision or means to increase my own benefits given that I was not working for 90% of my first marriage while contributing to the marriage itself raising kids etc.

[GailL1]

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@CatherineF121422 wrote:

 I did see I would be disqualified from benefits from my deceased ex spouse, and am still married to current spouse.  I was wondering if there is no provision or means to increase my own benefits given that I was not working for 90% of my first marriage while contributing to the marriage itself raising kids etc.

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I am afraid that by remarrying younger than 60 (43) pretty much cuts out anything that SS can do in getting survivors benefits from that ex-spouse.  

Hopefully, you got a good divorce settlement and ample child support.

When your current husband files for his benefit, you could see which is bigger - your own benefit or 50% of his benefit (as a spousal benefit).  There are other conditions that also have to be scrutinized and if either of you begin benefits younger than Full Retirement age, that also will reduce the benefits for early filing.

Sorry.