Can You Draw Early Social Security Off of Your Ex-Husband if He Takes a Full Retirement?
A woman has several options for Social Security benefits. Once she reaches retirement age of 62 or older, she can draw benefits based on her own earnings or based on the earnings of her husband, or in some cases ex-husband, if these earnings result in higher benefits for her. Depending on when you were born, you're eligible to draw full retirement benefits at age 65 or older. You may begin taking early Social Security benefits as early as age 62.
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Qualifications
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If you and your ex-husband were married for at least 10 years and you have not remarried, you may be eligible to draw Social Security benefits based on your ex-husband's earnings. You must be age 62 or older. If you've been divorced less than 10 years, your husband must have filed for Social Security benefits before you can begin collecting. If you've been divorced for at least two years, you can collect on your husband's benefits as long as he is at least 62 and is eligible for Social Security benefits.
Deceased Ex-Husband
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If your ex-husband is no longer living, you can collect on his Social Security benefits as early as age 50 if you are disabled, and age 60 if you are not disabled. If you're caring for his child who is disabled or under the age of 16, you can collect Social Security benefits until the child turns 16 or is no longer disabled. You don't have to have been married 10 years to collect this benefit.
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Misconceptions
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The amount of Social Security benefits you collect does not reduce or otherwise affect the amount of benefits your ex-husband receives. If he is already collecting his full retirement benefit, his payments won't decrease if you file for benefits also. If he has remarried and his new wife also chooses to collect Social Security based on his earnings, this doesn't impact the amount you can collect. The Social Security Administration treats each benefit payment separately.
Other Considerations
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You should only collect Social Security based on your ex-husband's benefits if doing so results in a higher payment than if you collect benefits based on your own earnings. You can collect early Social Security based on his benefits, then collect on your benefits when you reach full retirement age if this results in the highest benefit to you. A Social Security counselor can help you determine which method of payment will net you the most money. You'll need to know your ex-husband's Social Security number to file a claim. If you don't have this information, you'll need to know his date of birth, where he was born and his parents' names.
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