When your ex was the primary breadwinner in your Indiana marriage and that marriage ends, you may have concerns about whether you are going to be able to get by financially in the absence of the other party. If you are also approaching the age of retirement, you may also have questions about whether you are able to gain access to Social Security benefits using your former partner’s work record.
According to CNBC, if you and your situation meet certain conditions, then yes, you should be able to collect Social Security retirement benefits using your ex’s work record.
How you qualify
To qualify for Social Security retirement benefits using your former spouse’s work record, your marriage must have lasted at least 10 years. Also, your spouse must qualify for Social Security already based on his or her own work history. Many people do not realize this, though. Research shows that about 30% of Americans are unaware they may be able to collect Social Security retirement benefits on a former spouse’s record. If you do obtain these benefits using your ex’s record, you may collect up to half of the amount of your ex’s full retirement benefit.
How this impacts your ex
Your decision to collect Social Security using your ex’s record has no impact on how much he or she takes home. If your ex remarries, you may still collect benefits using his or her record. However, if you remarry, this is no longer the case.
You must be at least 62 before you may begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits. This is true regardless of whether you obtain them using your own work record or that of your ex.
