Planning to Say ‘I Do’?

Posted by Richard on July 17, 2019

You might want to check with Social Security.
Seniors who want to get married have more to consider than just love and family. There is also a serious Social Security consideration.

If you want to re-marry:
You have to be single to collect benefits on your ex-spouse’s record. If you marry, you will lose the benefits claimed on the earnings record of your ex-spouse. Before you re-marry, you should find out from the Social Security Administration how much your benefit will be if you claim on your new spouse.
You can claim benefits on your new spouse’s earnings record if he or she has already filed for Social Security benefits. If your new spouse has filed, then you must be married at least 9 months to collect benefits on your new spouse’s record. If he or she dies before that time, you can collect on your new spouse’s record only if death was due to an accident or military duty.

If you want a divorce from your current spouse:
If you were born on or before Jan. 1, 1954, your marriage lasted at least 10 years, and you have not re-married, you may be eligible to collect Social Security benefits based on your former spouse’s earnings record. But, if your marriage has not lasted 10 years, you might consider whether it would be worth sticking it out.

If you are a widow or widower and re-marry:
If you are 60 years old or older, re-marrying has no affect on survivor benefits.
But, if you are less than 60, you lose survivor benefits when you marry. However, you can regain them if the marriage ends in death, divorce or annulment.