Will Your Social Security Benefits Shrink If an Ex-Spouse Claims Them?
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When you are planning for retirement, the last thing you want is uncertainty about how a former spouse may affect your Social Security check. The good news is that if your ex decides to draw on spousal benefits based on your record, your monthly payment will not be reduced.
Understanding how spousal and ex-spousal benefits work can help both of you maximize what you are entitled to, without either of you losing out.
In most cases, an ex-spouse can claim up to half of your full retirement benefits, provided certain conditions are met. But your benefits will stay untouched.
With clear rules set by the Social Security Administration (SSA), you can both plan in advance, knowing that your retirement income will not be reduced by the other’s decisions.
What are Social Security Benefits?
Social Security provides financial support to eligible retirees, people with disabilities and their families, including spouses, children and survivors. Officially known as the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program, it offers partial income replacement to retired workers, their current or former spouses, and survivors of deceased workers. It also provides benefits to the children of qualified recipients under certain conditions.
In 2024, the highest monthly Social Security benefits at full retirement age was $3,822. That amount has increased to $4,018 in 2025. However, high earners who delay claiming until age 70 can receive up to $5,108 per month in 2025.
Here’s How Spousal Benefits Work After Divorce
Spousal benefits allow someone to collect up to 50% of an ex-spouse’s full retirement amount if their record pays out less. To qualify, the marriage must last at least 10 years, and the ex-spouse claiming benefits must be at least 62 years old.
If you have not filed for retirement benefits yet, your ex must wait until you two have been divorced for at least two years before claiming. If they remarry, their spousal benefit eligibility usually ends, but they can resume if that later marriage ends.
No Impact on Your Benefits
It is a common myth that if an ex-spouse applies for social security, your benefits will be reduced. That is not how the system works. Your monthly benefits are calculated based solely on your earnings history and your chosen claiming age. In fact, multiple people can draw benefits from the same earnings record simultaneously; your ex getting spousal benefits will not lower what you are entitled to receive.
Timing Makes a Difference
The timing of when your ex chooses to claim benefits affects how much they will receive. If they claim at full retirement age, they can get the full 50% of your benefits. If they claim earlier, say at age 62, that amount will shrink to 32.5% of your Primary Insurance Amount.
Waiting past the full retirement age generates delayed retirement credits — an 8% increase each year up to age 70 — but this increase is only applicable to benefits based on a person’s earnings and not to spousal benefits.
Thinking Beyond Ex-Spousal Claims
While an ex-spouse’s claim will not lower your benefits, other factors can reduce your monthly receipt. If you continue working before reaching the full retirement age, your benefits can be temporarily reduced if your earnings exceed certain limits. Taxes may also apply to a portion of your benefits, and Medicare premiums are often deducted directly. Pension income from jobs that did not pay into Social Security can trigger the Windfall Elimination Provision, cutting into your benefits.
Planning an Income-Safe Retirement
To make the most of what is available, run the SSA retirement calculators to estimate the benefits at different claiming ages. You can compare your benefits to potential spousal benefits to see which is higher. If you are unsure which option gives you the bigger check, talk to a SSA representative.
Whether you are claiming your own benefit or spousal, from a current or former partner, you're entitled to receive the higher of the two—one does not reduce the other.
Planning with these rules now can give you peace of mind when retirement rolls around. You will know exactly what to expect and can avoid any surprises about who claims what and when. As long as you meet the eligibility criteria, you and your ex-partner can secure the best monthly benefits possible.