11 Dec How can I find my spouse’s Social Security number?

Q. I can’t receive Medicare part A because I don’t have enough work credits. My ex-husband and I have been separated for 23 years. I don’t even know if he is alive or his whereabouts or if he filed for divorce. I’m on disability and I don’t know what to do. I appealed this but heard nothing in over two months. How can I get his Social Security number?
— In need of help

A. From your question, it seems you may be a little confused about the rules.

Before we get to your ex’s Social, let’s clarify how this works.

Medicare is available to any U.S. citizen who is age 65 or older, said Jody D’Agostini, a certified financial planner with The Falcon Financial Group in Morristown.

“You may be able to collect sooner if you are disabled and meet the parameters,” D’Agostini said.

Your work history, and how many credits you have towards Social Security, isn’t the issue for Medicare.

“When you are saying that you are not eligible, you mean eligible for SSDI or the Social Security Disability Insurance,” D’Agostini said. “For that, you would need eligible work credits.”

So if you are already 65, you should apply for Medicare as soon as possible because there are penalties for delayed applications, she said.

D’Agostini said to find your ex’s Social Security number, start with a visit to a local Social Security office to help you investigate this and other benefits you may be eligible for, including collecting Social Security on a current or ex-spouse’s work history.

“If you were married for over 10 years, are age 62 or above, and have not remarried, you are eligible to claim one half of your spouse’s monthly benefit so long as they are at least age 62 as well,” she said. “Your highest benefit would be if you delay claiming until your husband is at his full retirement age which would be ages 66 or 67, depending upon his year of birth.”

Bring a non-expired ID, your birth certificate, your marriage certificate and while you seem to be unsure of the state of your marriage, the agency would also like to see proof of termination of the marriage, such as a death certificate or divorce decree.

But there are also places where you may be able to find his number.

The first place to look is at any prior tax returns you filed together. His Social Security number would be on the old returns.

You can also check paperwork you may have for his investment accounts, health insurance or other financial documents.

You can contact Social Security at (800) 772-1213 or find your local office here.

You should also give a divorce attorney a call to see what you can do to end the marriage officially if your ex remains missing.

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This story was originally published on Dec. 11, 2023.

NJMoneyHelp.com presents certain general financial planning principles and advice, but should never be viewed as a substitute for obtaining advice from a personal professional advisor who understands your unique individual circumstances.