The Divorced Spouse Strategy That Adds $14,400 a Year for a 66-Year-Old Whose Ex Is Still Alive

A 66-year-old woman was married for 14 years, divorced nearly two decades ago, and never remarried. Her career after the kids were grown was a patchwork of part-time and lower-wage work, while her ex-husband climbed steadily and is still on the job today at 68. Her own Social Security check at her full retirement age (FRA) of 67 will be about $900 a month. His is more than four times that.

She assumes she is stuck with the small check. A question that surfaces repeatedly in retirement forums sounds almost exactly like hers: my ex earns far more than I ever did, we were married for over 10 years, can I get anything from his record even though he has not filed yet? The answer is yes, and most people in her position never even think to ask.

The Rule Most Divorced Retirees Miss

The divorced spouse benefit changes her outcome entirely. If she was married at least 10 years, is currently unmarried, and is at least 62, she can claim a benefit based on her ex-husband’s earnings record. At her FRA, that benefit is worth up to 50% of his Primary Insurance Amount (his full retirement age benefit, regardless of when he actually claims). His check is unaffected, and he does not need to approve it, sign anything, or even know she filed.

The bigger surprise is that her ex does not need to have filed for his own benefit yet. As long as he is at least 62 and they have been divorced at least two years, she can file on his record independently. That carve-out is unique to divorced spouses, and it is exactly why his still working at 68 creates no obstacle for her plan.

Running the numbers makes the case quickly. Her ex’s FRA benefit is roughly $4,200 a month. Half of that is $2,100. Her own work-record benefit at 67 is about $900. Social Security pays the higher of the two amounts, so the $1,200 difference flows to her as a top-up on her own check. That adds up to $14,400 a year for the rest of her life, paid after she files at FRA with a certified marriage certificate and divorce decree in hand.

One important limit applies here: even if her ex delays his own claim to 70 and earns delayed retirement credits on a larger check, her divorced spouse benefit stays capped at 50% of his PIA. She does not share in his delayed-claiming bonus. One caution on timing: claiming before FRA permanently reduces the divorced spouse benefit. Delayed retirement credits do not apply to the divorced spouse benefit, so waiting past 67 adds nothing extra on his record. Age 67 is the precise sweet spot.

Where This Fits With Everything Else

An extra $1,200 a month reshapes her retirement plan in two concrete ways. First, it eases pressure on her own savings. If she had been planning to withdraw $20,000 a year from an IRA to bridge the gap between her $900 check and her actual expenses, she can trim that withdrawal to roughly $5,600. Her nest egg stays invested longer, compounding over more years.

Second, the larger monthly check affects her tax situation. Social Security benefits become taxable once a single filer’s combined income (adjusted gross income, plus tax-exempt interest, plus half of Social Security benefits) crosses $25,000. Up to 50% of benefits count at that level. Above $34,000, up to 85% of her Social Security becomes taxable. A higher monthly check raises combined income and can push more of it into the taxable tier.

Two planning levers are worth examining before RMDs complicate the picture. She may want to moderate IRA withdrawals in the years ahead, or convert some traditional IRA funds to a Roth while her income is still relatively manageable. Because she was born around 1960, her RMD starting age under SECURE 2.0 is 75, giving her several years of runway before forced withdrawals kick in. A second lever: the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed in July 2025, added a temporary $6,000 above-the-line deduction for taxpayers age 65 and older for tax years 2025 through 2028. That deduction phases out starting at $75,000 in modified adjusted gross income for single filers, but for someone in her income range it can meaningfully offset the added tax exposure that comes with the larger Social Security check. Pairing the Roth conversion strategy with this deduction window is a conversation worth having with a fee-only planner before required minimum distributions (RMDs) begin.

There is also a survivor angle worth understanding. If her ex dies first, her divorced spouse benefit converts to a survivor benefit worth up to 100% of whatever he was actually receiving at his death. If he delays his own claim to 70 and collects a larger check, her potential survivor benefit grows along with it. Remarrying after age 60 does not cost her these survivor rights. Remarrying before 60 does.

What to Walk Away With

Two things matter most before she files:

1. Confirm the 10-year marriage rule down to the month. Nine years and 11 months disqualifies her entirely. Pull the certified divorce decree and marriage certificate now, because the Social Security Administration (SSA) will ask for both.
2. File at her FRA, not earlier and not later. Filing at 64 or 65 locks in a permanently reduced divorced spouse check. Waiting past 67 adds nothing on his record.

Every divorce situation is unique, and a short conversation with the SSA or a fee-only financial planner can confirm the exact numbers for her record. The mistake hardest to undo is never filing at all. The benefit is real, the eligibility rules are clear, and the only barrier is knowing the strategy exists.

Editor’s note: This revision adds a clarification that the divorced spouse benefit is capped at 50% of the ex-spouse’s Primary Insurance Amount regardless of when he claims, and incorporates the new $6,000 above-the-line senior deduction created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (signed July 2025, effective tax years 2025 through 2028) as a relevant tax planning tool for the scenario described.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.