ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
Among the many benefits that an American citizen can enjoy, divorced spouse benefits are part of the list. If you have been married to an American citizen, you can benefit from your spouse’s property even after the divorce.Let’s find out the criteria for benefiting from a divorced spouse pension and what you need to do to claim it
What is a Divorced Spouse Pension?
The divorced spouse pension is money given to the ex-spouse of a person eligible to receive retirement social security benefits (SSB). The US federal government only administers the money if the person attains all the requirements.
The aim of applying for this service is to get better retirement benefits if what you’re eligible to receive under your SSN is not as lucrative or sufficient to support your financial needs after you retire.
Qualifying persons must also be receiving SSB or are eligible for them. Divorced spouse pension is open to both citizens and foreigners. However, foreigners must have chosen to settle in the US and have permanent resident status or are under protection.
Nevertheless, they must have a social security number, have been actively paying retirement funds against their number, and attained retirement age. All applicants can send their requests any time of the year as long as they ascertain they have all the requirements.
If you want to find out more about this service, clarify any misconceptions, or apply for the service, you can contact the social security administration. They are reachable via telephone, online contact card, or in person if you visit their offices.
Requirements and Documentation
Primarily, every applicant must fulfill particular requirements before the federal government approves their request to receive social security divorced spouse benefits. The requirements include:
- • You and your ex-spouse must be at least 62 years old
- • Applicants should be receiving or eligible for social security benefits
- • Being divorced from an individual that gets disability benefits or social security retirement
- • Been married to the person for a minimum of 10 years
- • Shouldn’t be entitled to disability benefits or retirement benefits that are equal to or more than what their e-spouse can offer.
Documentation includes:
- • Proof of citizenship or permanent residence
- • Proof of divorce
- • Identification details.
Terms and Conditions of The Divorced Spouse Pension
When applying for this service, divorced spouses must adhere to particular terms and conditions to avoid missing out on social security benefits for divorced spouses. Ideally, it would be best if you are receiving disability benefits. Most importantly, your retirement benefits should be less than your ex-spouses to make the request valid.
If you are working by the time you’re applying for retirement benefits, the total amount of money you will receive will be affected.
You should start applying for the social security spousal benefit at least three months before your expected date to receive your first retirement benefit.
Where to Apply
Applications for this service are completed on the official government benefits website. Interested individuals must complete a questionnaire to ascertain their eligibility. Only then can you be allowed to apply for this service. To apply online, you must have your social security account.
Sign up or log in, then follow the instructions requested of you. Submit the request and wait for a response from one of the support team members regarding the application’s request. You can set up a meeting with an agent to see if you can use in-person or telephone application options.
How Much You’ll Get
Each spouse is entitled to 50% of their ex-spouse’s retirement benefits. The amount will be sent to your bank account every two weeks. If you want to know how much you’re eligible for, determine how much you and your ex-spouse receive separately.
Calculate 50% of their benefits and add that to your benefits. If you would rather have someone else do the calculation, take advantage of the online benefits calculators for help. Your application for this service can only be accepted if you have all the necessary qualities. Failure to attain the required standards will yield adverse results.
Losing Access to this Benefit
It’s possible to lose access to this benefit. In most cases, it happens if you remarry when your ex-spouse is still alive. The procedure is the same in each state, considering that it’s an initiative of the federal government. You may have to pay taxes for this benefit; however, this is dependent on your household income.
To Wrap Up
Once you divorce your spouse, you automatically cut ties with them. However, you can get benefits under their cover if you were married for more than ten years before the separation. You only have to be a social security saver, attain the minimum age limit, and be unwed. You can apply for a divorced spouse pension if you fulfill these requirements. Luckily, we hope this article answers all your questions about the application process!