If you're turning 65 and you were married ≥ 10 years or widowed, you can claim up to 50% of an ex-spouse's benefit or up to 100% of a late spouse's, which is often more than your own monthly check.
Why Age 65 Matters • Divorced? Unlock a Pay Raise • Widowed? Survivor Benefits 101 • Costly Claiming Mistakes • Game Plan & Checklist • FAQs • See the Whole Picture
So you’re turning 65, finally made it to Medicare eligibility, and lived to tell the tale. You decoded Parts A through C and even sidestepped the donut hole. Then someone asks: "Have you figured out your Social Security claiming strategy yet?"
Um, what.
Here’s the thing: if you’re divorced or widowed, Social Security comes with a whole separate user manual, one that most people don’t know exists, and even the people at the Social Security office sometimes get wrong. But hidden in that fine print are rules that could add thousands of dollars a year to your retirement income.
All you need is the right strategy, and maybe a little help reading the bureaucratic tea leaves. 🔮
At 65, Medicare isn’t the only spinning plate. This birthday opens a new Social Security game board, and the moves you make stick for life. It’s often your first shot at claiming your own check—or, if you’re divorced or widowed, tapping someone else’s. Born in 1959? Full retirement age is 66 and 10 months, but at 65 you can grab a reduced personal benefit, a divorced-spouse benefit, or a survivor check.
🎉 Surprise: the “someone-else’s” option can pay more than your own record.
| What you need to know | Details (in plain English) |
| Basic eligibility | Marriage lasted 10+ years • Divorced ≥ 2 years ago • You’re 62+ and still unmarried |
| How much you can claim | Up to 50% of your ex-spouse’s full retirement benefit (not their reduced amount) |
| Good news | No permission needed from your ex • Your claim doesn’t reduce their benefit or their new spouse’s • SSA won’t notify them |
| Why it matters | If your ex earned more—and you paused or cut back work—their record may pay you more than your own |
| How SSA pays | If you qualify for both benefits, SSA automatically gives you the larger check (yours or ex-spouse’s) |
🚨 Strategy alert 🚨
| What you need to know | Details (in plain English) |
| Basic eligibility | Age 60+ (or 50 if disabled) • Even earlier if caring for the deceased spouse’s minor child |
| How much you can claim | Up to 100% of your late spouse’s benefit; amount depends on the age you start |
| Good news | The best strategy depends on your work history and benefit amounts. • Option A: Take the survivor benefit now, let your own benefit grow until 70, then switch • Option B: Claim your own benefit first, switch to a larger survivor check later |
| Why timing matters | The right order can add thousands to lifetime income; the wrong one locks in smaller checks forever |
| Big caution | Decisions made while grieving are easy to rush, and many widows/widowers lose money by filing too soon. Pause, get guidance, then file. |
Social Security staff are good folks working a massive assembly line, but that line is built to process claims, not optimize them. Reps can tell you what you may claim; they rarely advise what you should claim and when for maximum income and divorced-spouse or survivor rules often trip them up. Regulations are dense, training inconsistent, and your retirement too valuable to leave to chance. Online calculators aren’t much better—they assume one marriage, two steady earners, no deaths—so if your life defies that worksheet, they might steer you wrong.
Claiming the wrong benefit at the wrong time isn’t just a paperwork whoops, it can cost you tens of thousands of dollars over your retirement.
| Scenario / Mistake | What happened | Cost / Impact | Smarter move |
| "Divorce discount" | Eligible for $1,500/mo on ex-spouse record, but files early for own $1,200/mo at 65. | Locks in a $300/mo loss ($3,600 per year) for life. | File for the ex-spouse benefit instead (up to 50% of their full amount) and/or delay claiming until full retirement age for a larger check. |
| "Widow's shortcut" | Widowed worker grabs own benefit at 62 because it’s quick. Ignores larger survivor option. | Misses chance to claim survivor benefit now and switch to a maxed-out personal benefit at 70 = tens of thousands lost over 20 years. | Start with the higher survivor benefit, let your own benefit earn delayed credits, then switch at 70. |
| The "redo" myth | Hears there’s an “oops” button, but files without reading the fine print. | Withdrawal allowed only once, within 12 months, and you must repay every dollar received. No free mulligan. | Plan before filing. Get advice first and use the withdrawal option only as a true last resort. |
If you’re turning 65, before you file anything, dig into the rules—especially if you’re divorced or widowed.
A fee-only financial advisor who specializes in Social Security can crunch the numbers and spot the best strategy.
👉 Don’t rely on general advice. Don’t settle for generic tools. And definitely don’t assume the first answer you hear from the SSA is the best one.
These benefits are meant to last your whole retirement. Let’s make sure they go the distance.
If your marriage lasted at least 10 years, you’re unmarried, and you’re 62 or older, Social Security lets you claim a benefit based on your ex-spouse’s record. You’ll receive up to 50% of their full retirement amount if it’s higher than what your own work record pays.
To qualify, the marriage must have lasted a full 10 years before the divorce became final, you must be 62 or older, and you cannot be remarried. Meet those requirements and you can collect up to half of your ex-spouse’s full benefit if it exceeds your own.
Yes. You can take a survivor benefit as early as age 60, let your own retirement benefit keep growing, and then switch to your higher amount any time from full retirement age up to 70. This “switch” strategy often adds thousands over a lifetime for widows and widowers.
No. Your ex-spouse only needs to be at least 62 and entitled to benefits, even if they haven’t filed yet. As long as you’re 62, unmarried, and your own benefit is smaller, you can claim on their record without waiting for them to retire or start payments.
No. Claiming a divorced-spouse benefit doesn’t take a penny away from your ex or their current spouse. Social Security simply looks at their record to calculate what you’re owed, then pays your share from the overall trust fund, leaving their payment exactly the same as before.
No. You can receive only one benefit at a time. If you qualify for both survivor and divorced-spouse payments, Social Security will compare the amounts and automatically give you the bigger check. You may switch later if the other benefit grows larger, but you never receive both simultaneously.
We’re not Social Security experts, and we don’t pretend to be. But we are very good at helping you see how your Medicare decisions intersect with the rest of your retirement plan.
For example, if you delay Social Security to boost your monthly checks, you’ll need a Medicare plan that fits your budget in the meantime. Or if you're claiming Social Security early to help with healthcare costs, we can help you understand what those costs will be and how to plan around them.
ALEX® helps you make confident decisions when you’re new to Medicare. And with MyALEXHealth, we make sure you’re not thinking about these benefits in isolation. Because let’s be honest: retirement isn’t a multiple-choice test. It’s a whole-life jigsaw puzzle.
Ready to see the whole picture?
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