31 Jan I’m getting remarried. What happens to Social Security benefits?

Q. I’m divorced and I get Social Security on my ex’s record. I’m thinking of getting remarried but my boyfriend has never made a lot of money. Would I lose my higher Social Security if we get married?
— Bride-to-be

A. Congratulations on your marriage.

We wish you many happy years ahead.

The short answer to your question is “yes,” said Claudia Mott, a certified financial planner with Epona Financial Solutions in Basking Ridge.

When you report your marriage to Social Security, the benefits you are receiving on your ex-spouse’s record will stop, Mott said.

“It’s important to notify Social Security of this change so that you are not overpaid,” she said. “In order to have received those benefits you must have been age 62 or older, married for at least 10 years and unmarried.”

In terms of future benefits, you may be able to claim your own Social Security benefit if you have the required work history and are eligible, Mott said.

Age 62 is the earliest that one can apply for benefits, but filing before reaching full retirement age will result in a permanent percentage decrease in your payment, she said.

Mott said it’s worth contacting Social Security to discuss what your own benefit might be before making any changes in your marital status. If losing the benefit you are currently receiving is going to make it difficult to cover your monthly expense needs, knowing what it might be replaced with is an important budgeting data point, she said.

“Should you outlive your second husband, you may be eligible for a spousal benefit based on his work record if the amount he is entitled to is greater than your own payment,” she said. “Social Security does not add the benefits together, but rather pays the greater of the two amounts to the survivor.”

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This story was originally published in December 2024.

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