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 advanced steadily and is still working…
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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 advanced steadily and is still working today at age 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 makes much more than I ever did, we were married more than 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 record. At her FRA, that benefit is worth up to 50% of his full retirement age amount. His check is not affected, and he does not need to approve it, sign anything, or even know she filed.
The bigger surprise: 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. 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. The Social Security Administration pays the higher of the two amounts, so the difference, $1,200 a month, flows to her as a top-up on her own check. That is $14,400 a year for the rest of her life, delivered after she files at her FRA with a certified marriage certificate and divorce decree in hand.
One caution: claiming before FRA permanently reduces the divorced spouse benefit. Delayed retirement credits do not apply to it, so waiting past 67 adds nothing extra on his record. That makes 67 the precise sweet spot, and the window is narrower than most people realize.
Where This Fits With Everything Else
An extra $1,200 a month reshapes her 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 cover the gap between her $900 check and her actual expenses, she can cut that withdrawal to roughly $5,600. Her nest egg stays invested longer, giving it more time to grow.
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, so she may want to moderate IRA withdrawals or convert some traditional IRA funds to a Roth in the years before required minimum distributions (RMDs) begin. Because she was born around 1960, her RMD starting age under SECURE 2.0 is 75, giving her several years of planning runway before forced withdrawals kick in.
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 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:
- 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.
- File at her FRA, not earlier. Filing at 64 or 65 locks in a permanently reduced divorced spouse check. Waiting past 67 adds nothing on his record. The window is narrower than most people realize.
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 not 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 article was updated to correct the RMD starting age for a person born around 1960, which is 75 under SECURE 2.0, not 73, and to add the specific 2026 federal income thresholds ($25,000 and $34,000 for single filers) at which Social Security benefits become taxable.
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Gerelyn Terzo is the author of dividend investing handbook "Dividend Investing Strategies: How to Have Your Cake & Eat It Too." A veteran financial journalist, she covers agri-finance for outlets like Global AgInvesting and the broader stock market and personal finance for 24/7 Wall Street. She began at CNBC and later helped launch Fox Business in New York. Gerelyn currently resides in Woodland Park, Colorado and dabbles in nature photography as a hobby.
