One thing that many people in Minnesota may not realize is that a divorce does not necessarily keep them from getting Social Security benefits through their ex. There are a few things that they have to confirm to qualify, but they may be able to pick up those payments even when a marriage ends.
For one thing, the couple has to be married for ten years or more before getting divorced. There are exceptions to this, such as if someone has a child who is getting Social Security disability benefits after the divorce. If they are providing care to that child, they may be able to get benefits even if they had been married for under 10 years.
As far as getting remarried goes, this is an interesting thing in that it matters for the person who is claiming, but not for the person who is the ex. For instance, if a woman divorces her husband of 15 years and he gets married again right away, she can still make her claim for benefits. If she gets married, though, she cannot.
Another important thing to know is that those who have been married and divorced twice have to choose. They can still seek benefits through either one of their former spouses, but they cannot seek benefits through both of them at the same time.
Those who have been divorced and were not getting their benefits because they thought they could not claim them should know what rights they really have. The answer may surprise them and give them a few more financial options than they had before.
Source: Huffington Post, “Social Security and Divorce: Can You Collect Benefits on Your Ex’s Earnings Record?” Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, Sep. 10, 2014
