Getting a divorce means making a plan for what will happen to assets and debts and how the family will be taken care of. People have a lot of wrong ideas about how to get social security benefits after getting a divorce. Some of the most common myths about social security benefits for ex-spouses are listed below, along with some general information about how the process works.
Many people think that an ex-spouse can’t get spousal benefits from Social Security after getting divorced. But that might not be the case. According to the Social Security Administration’s website, an ex-spouse can file for the former spouse’s social security benefits. For the ex-spouse to get the benefits, the marriage had to have lasted at least ten years.
The ex-spouse who wants the benefits must also not be married and be at least 62 years old. The ex-spouse who wants to get the benefit must also be eligible for either retirement or disability benefits from Social Security. Also, the benefit the ex-spouse is entitled to get from the other party’s work must be more than the benefit they would get from their own work.
One of the most common myths about social security benefits for divorced people is that an ex-spouse may be able to change the benefits of the other ex-spouse. In fact, this is not true. If an ex-spouse applies for benefits, it won’t affect the other person’s benefits. Also, if a person gets remarried, the ex-claim spouse’s to benefits will not affect the new partner.
People often think that an ex-spouse can’t get social security benefits based on the other party’s record if the other party hasn’t yet applied for retirement benefits. But if the person is eligible for retirement benefits, the ex-spouse may still be able to get them if they have been divorced for at least two years and the person is eligible.
Even with this information, many people may still be hesitant to file for an ex-social spouse’s security, especially if they don’t talk to each other. But the other ex-spouse doesn’t need permission or approval from the first one to make a claim on the benefits. The Social Security Administration may need the information to find the record, but the ex-spouse may not need to be contacted directly for the claim to be made.
It can be hard to figure out how to get Social Security benefits, especially after a divorce. Your lawyer might be able to help you figure out how the process works and what you may be able to claim. When choosing which benefits to take, it’s important to know what choices are out there. Social Security benefits are a good source of income that shouldn’t be overlooked.
