Learning More About How Divorce May Influence Survivor Benefits

By Sheryl Rentz on January 21, 2010

Financial responsibility after a divorce, particularly after the loss of a spouse or ex-spouse, is also connected to survivor benefits if a spouse or ex-spouse passes away. Our previous two blogs addressed a few important issues regarding how divorce may or may not affect your social security. We now turn our attention to whether or not an individual may collect spousal or ex-spousal survivor benefits. Generally speaking, if you are divorced, and if you remarry before the age of 60, you are not allowed to collect a survivor benefit based on the earnings of your deceased ex-spouse for the duration of that new marriage.

A few other factors that may influence whether you qualify to obtain survivor benefits relate to your age and how long your marriage lasted. For instance, you may be able to receive survivor benefits beginning at the age of 60. However it should be noted that you may be able to receive these benefits before the age of 60 if you are at least 50-years-old and disabled.

In order to qualify to receive survivor benefits when an ex-spouse dies, your marriage must have lasted for at least 10 years. You also must not be entitled to a higher benefit based on your own personal work record. If a child is still at home with you, this may contribute to eligibility. However, you may be able to receive an increase in payment if you get benefits based on your own work and then are widowed. You can contact the Social Security Administration to discover if this applies to you.

At the Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz, our dedicated and knowledgeable Pennsylvania family law attorneys have assisted many individuals going through a divorce determine the best course of action for their particular situation. We understand that several factors influence a divorce and that you need an attorney with many years of experience in Pennsylvania family law who can help you in an efficient and timely manner. For a free consultation, please call Sheryl R. Rentz today at 610-645-0100.