Frequently Asked Questions
Does my new spouse’s earnings reduce my personal Social Security retirement check?
No. Your personal retirement benefit depends exclusively on your own 35-year work history and the age at which you choose to claim. Your new spouse’s income, assets, or work status will never decrease your earned monthly payment.
What happens if my second marriage ends in divorce or death?
If your subsequent marriage ends due to death, divorce, or annulment, you regain the right to apply for benefits under your previous spouse’s work record. The SSA permits you to claim whichever eligible benefit yields the highest monthly payout once the legal union ends.
Can I collect survivor benefits from a late spouse while letting my own benefit grow?
Yes. If you remarry at age 60 or older, you can claim a survivor benefit on your late spouse’s record while allowing your own personal retirement benefit to accrue delayed retirement credits up to age 70. At age 70, you can switch to your own higher benefit if it has grown larger than the survivor check.
Do I need to submit a marriage certificate to the Social Security Administration?
Yes. Whenever your marital status changes, you must notify the SSA and provide an official legal copy of your marriage certificate. This updates your record, establishes your eligibility date for new spousal benefits after 12 months, and adjusts any secondary claims linked to prior marriages.
If I Remarriage and my spouse get a SSI check can we live together and still get a check
That would be “If I remarry,” not “If I remarriage.” If you get your check based on your own income, no problem. If it is based on your ex-spouse’s income, it’s a big problem in most cases. It only counts whether you are remarried or not. It doesn’t matter whether or not you live together.
I was married 20yrs, divorced then several yrs later remarried & divorced within the same year. Will that affect me drawing from my prior husbands SS? Does the prior ex-spouse have to be retirement age for me to draw on his SS? I am 4 yrs older than him.
I’m retired my wife be retiring i. 2 years she will receive her ssi i will receive mine correct
No. I found out the hard way
If you collect railroad retirement, you do not get a social security survivor benefit. Do you?
Divorced after 11 years of marriage. Now living with a partner for 42 years. If we Marry will I lose my Social security from my first Marriage ? What will my social be if she passes.
What if you married but not together how does that work
My husband passed away and i get his ss if i get married do i lose that
My wife died two years ago. I claimed her social security since it’s greater than my social security benefit. My question is if I remained but my future wife doesn’t received Social security at all, if I die will she be entitled to my social security benefit?