Social Security for Divorced or Widowed Women

Married women tend to assume they will retire with their husbands. They count on their husband's Social Security benefits to provide part of their income in retirement. But what if your husband dies or you get divorced? What kind of Social Security benefits will you be able to get?

Social Security is an important source of support for many women. It becomes even more vital for women who are on their own because of death or divorce. Learn more about the benefits you may be entitled to.

Can I get benefits if my husband dies?
You are eligible for widow's benefits from Social Security if your husband dies. Your benefits are based on what his Social Security benefit would have been. They are also based on your age and status. For example:

• You can get widow's benefits if you are 60 or older. These will be partial benefits. At full retirement age, you'll get 100 percent of your husband's benefit.
• You can get widow's benefits starting at age 50 if you're disabled. These will be partial benefits. At full retirement age, you'll get 100 percent of your husband's benefit.
• You may get widow's benefits at any age if you have a child who is younger than 16 or disabled. Both you and your child could get a portion of your husband's full benefit.

Getting married again could affect your benefits.

• You won't be eligible for widow's benefits if you remarry before age 60 (or 50 if you're disabled).
• Your widow's benefits will continue if you remarry after age 60 (or 50 if you're disabled). But at retirement age, you should check and see if your benefit would be greater under your current husband's benefits.

Can I get benefits if I'm divorced?
You may be able to get Social Security benefits based on your ex-husband's work. You may qualify if you meet all the following conditions:

• You're 62 or older
• Your marriage lasted at least 10 years
• You're not married to anyone else
• Your ex-husband is entitled to Social Security benefits

Even if he hasn't applied for Social Security, you can get benefits based on your ex-husband's work if you meet the conditions above and:

• He's 62 or older
• You've been divorced from him for at least two years

If your ex-husband has died, you can get his benefits if one of the following is true:

• You are 60 or older (or 50 if you're disabled), you were married to him for at least 10 years and you aren't married to anyone else.
• You are caring for a child of yours and his who's younger than 16 or disabled. You can get this benefit even if you were married to your ex-husband less than 10 years.

Should I file for my husband's benefits?
Social Security benefits are based on how much a person earned during his or her working years. The more you earned, the higher your benefits will be. If your husband earned more than you in his lifetime, your check may be larger if you file for your husband's benefits. If you earned more, the opposite may be true. In this case, you may want to file for your own benefits versus his.

If you are not sure who earned more income, it is important to check this before you file for Social Security.

How can I find out about my benefits?
Contact the Social Security Administration to learn about your benefits.

• Go to the Web site at www.socialsecurity.gov. You can apply for benefits online, or you can use the Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool (BEST) to find out what your benefits might be.
• Call toll-free 1-800-772-1213 (voice) or 1-800-325-0778 (TTY).