In July 2026, the Social Security Administration paid an average of $2,085.98 per month to 54.8 million retired workers, while spouses of retired workers received an average of $986.53. Buried inside that spousal category is a benefit that a large number of divorced Americans qualify for and never claim: a check based on an ex-spouse’s earnings record that is worth up to half of the ex’s full retirement amount, and it does not reduce anything the ex receives.
The rule itself is old and narrow, and the former marriage must have lasted at least 10 years before the divorce was finalized. The person claiming must be at least 62, currently unmarried, and either have an ex who has already filed for benefits or be divorced for at least 2 years. If the claimant’s own retirement benefit would be larger, Social Security pays that instead. The dual entitlement rule pays the higher of the two amounts, so the divorced spouse benefit primarily helps people whose own work record produced a smaller check.
What “Up to Half” Actually Looks Like
Half of the average retired worker’s benefit in July 2026 works out to roughly $1,043 per month. Actual spousal payments run lower than the maximum. The average check for spouses of retired workers stood at $986.53, and divorced-spouse benefits historically pay less than currently-married-spouse benefits because divorced claimants tend to have some earnings record of their own that partially offsets the spousal amount under the dual entitlement rule.
The dollar figure matters when set against typical household costs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts average annual consumer expenditures at $78,535. A monthly divorced spouse check near the current spousal average covers close to $11,838 a year, roughly 15% of that spending baseline. For a household relying on a single Social Security check, adding a divorced spouse benefit changes the arithmetic of rent, groceries, and Medicare premiums in a way a smaller amount would not.
The 2027 COLA Adds to the Base
The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2027 is currently tracking at 3.1%, based on Q3 CPI-W data through July 2026. That figure is preliminary until the September reading is included. Whatever the final number, it applies to divorced spouse benefits the same way it applies to every other Social Security check. The base amount is tied to the ex-spouse’s primary insurance amount, and the COLA rides on top of it each January.
Why the Ex Does Not Lose Anything
Filing on an ex-spouse’s record does not reduce the ex’s payment or require a conversation with them. The Social Security Administration does not notify the ex, does not require their permission, and does not deduct the divorced spouse benefit from the ex’s own check. If the ex has remarried, the new spouse’s benefit is also unaffected. Multiple former spouses from marriages of 10 years or longer can each claim on the same worker’s record independently.
The number of people leaving this money unclaimed is difficult to pin down precisely because Social Security has no way to identify eligible non-claimants. Divorce rates among Americans over 50 have risen steadily since 1990, and older Americans reaching retirement today are more likely to have a qualifying prior marriage than any earlier cohort.
Who Should Actually Run the Numbers
The benefit is worth checking for three groups. Someone whose own projected retirement benefit falls well below the median full-time worker’s earnings, which stood at $1,251 per week in the second quarter of 2026, is a candidate because their spousal amount will likely exceed their own. Someone who was a lower earner in a long marriage and divorced without remarrying is the classic case.
Someone widowed after a qualifying divorce may also qualify for survivor benefits on the deceased ex’s record, worth up to 100% of the ex’s amount rather than 50%.
Filing requires the ex’s Social Security number or, in its absence, the dates and places of the marriage and divorce, along with the ex’s date of birth. The Social Security Administration can look up the record with that information. The claim is filed the same way as any other retirement benefit, through the SSA website or a local field office.
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