Full question: I married my husband in 1972, divorced in January 2000 and remarried in Sept 2000. Do I need to report both marriages when applying for spousal benefits?

Hi there,

You are not entitled to ex-spousal benefits since you are now remarried. Therefore, the previous marriage is not necessary to be reported when you apply for benefits.

When you apply for Social Security benefits, you are deemed to be filing for all benefits you are entitled to and will receive the higher amount of those benefits.

If you are entitled to your own retirement benefit and also a spousal benefit based on your current husband’s earnings, you will first receive your own amount and then also a “top-off” spousal if the spousal amount is greater.

For personalized support, you can work with an RSSA here.

All the best,
Martha

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