21 Mar I’m getting divorced. How do I get the most Social Security?
Q. I’m getting divorced. I’m 60 and my husband is 67, but he hasn’t started taking Social Security. He always made more than me so his Social Security will be bigger. How can I make sure to get the most I can?
— Single soon
A. Divorcing as you approach retirement can be unnerving.
Social Security is one of the biggest questions facing older divorcing couples.
For you to qualify to collect on an ex-spouse’s Social Security benefit, you must satisfy several requirements, said Amber Leach, a certified divorce financial analyst with Equitable Advisors/R.I.C.H. Planning Group in Morristown.
You must be age 62 or older, you must have been married to your ex-spouse for 10 years or more, be divorced for at least two years and currently be unmarried, she said.
Then, the benefit you would receive on your own work record needs to be less than what you are entitled to as a divorced spouse on his record, Leach said.
The only factor you can somewhat control in these requirements is to stay single and start the clock on the two-year divorce period, Leach said.
“If you qualify under these requirements, then when you go to claim Social Security benefits, they will compare whether your own claim based off of your work experience is higher than half of your ex-spouse’s,” she said.
Leach offered this example. Let’s say you are entitled to $1,500 a month on your work record and your ex- spouse is entitled to $2,500. In that case, it would be better to claim your benefit of $1,500. Under a claim based on your ex-spouse’s benefit, you would only get half of $2,500, or $1,250, which is smaller than your personal benefit.
You cannot claim both, but only the highest benefit available, Leach said.
Whenever you are ready to claim, you should contact Social Security at (800) 772-1213 or visit your local branch.
If you wanted to apply and see if you are eligible to receive a higher benefit as a divorced spouse, you would need to apply online, by telephone or visit the local branch.
Email your questions to .
This story was originally published on March 21, 2023.
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