Q & A
I am divorced, but I think I am eligible for benefits on my ex-spouse’s record. Can I get one of those Social Security statements on his record in order to estimate my benefits on my ex-spouse’s record?
Answer: If your former spouse is still living, privacy rules prohibit us from giving you his or her statement. However, we can tell you what benefits you may be entitled to after we have established your relationship to him or her.
You will need to furnish your marriage and divorce records to your ex-spouse before we can discuss the benefit amounts with you. You have to present us with certified or original documents. We need to see these two documents in order to establish that you meet the requirement for a divorced spouse’s benefits.
A person can receive benefits as a divorced spouse on a former spouse’s Social Security record if he or she was married to the former spouse for at least 10 years. You also must be at least age 62 years old, unmarried and not entitled to a higher Social Security benefit on your own record.
In addition, the former spouse must be entitled to receive his or her own retirement or disability benefit. If the former spouse is eligible for a benefit, but has not yet applied for it, the divorced spouse still can receive a benefit if he or she meets the eligibility requirements above and has been divorced from the former spouse for at least two years.
For information about potential benefits on someone else’s record, you can call our toll-free number at 800-772-1213 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Source: Oscar Garcia, mySanAntonio.com – December 6, 2013