Can a divorced person benefit from an ex-spouses Social Security entitlement?
If you’re married, it’s possible for you to claim Social Security benefits at the appropriate time in one of two ways. You can claim benefits in your own name (if you have been employed and have accumulated enough credits over the years), or you can claim benefits as a dependent (whether or not you ever worked), provided that your spouse satisfied the applicable requirements. In the latter case, you’ll probably be entitled to only 50 percent of your spouse’s primary insurance amount (PIA)–the benefit that your spouse is entitled at normal retirement age. (For more information, see Social Security Retirement Benefits.) In certain cases, a divorced party can qualify as a dependent for Social Security purposes. Thus, you may be entitled to 50 percent of your former spouse’s benefits. Note: That this entitlement doesn’t reduce your ex-spouse’s benefits by one-half; rather, this merely establishes the amount of money you may collect. For basic information about the Social Security program
Related Questions
- I have been told that my application for Attendance Allowance / Disability Living Allowance has been successful - how will this affect my benefit entitlement?
- Is a divorced person entitled to benefits based on his or her spouses Social Security record?
- When does the divorced ex-spouse 50% benefit begin, when she retires or when he retires?
